Cold brew is one of the easiest ways to prepare coffee ahead of time. You need coffee, water, a container, a filter and patience.
The key is using a coarse grind and giving the coffee enough time to extract slowly.
What Grind Should You Use for Cold Brew?
Use coarse or extra-coarse ground coffee.
Cold brew stays in contact with water for many hours, so a fine grind can make filtering harder and may create a muddier, more aggressively extracted result.
Mitten Mornings offers an Extra Coarse Cold Brew Grind across our core coffees for this purpose.
Easy Cold Brew Ratio
For a ready-to-drink cold brew, a simple starting point is about 1 cup of coarse ground coffee to 4 cups of cold water.
If you prefer a stronger concentrate that you plan to dilute with water or milk, use more coffee relative to the water.
The exact ratio is flexible. Start with one recipe, taste the finished coffee, and adjust the next batch to fit your preference.
How to Make Cold Brew
- Add coarse coffee to a container. A large jar or pitcher works well.
- Add cold water. Make sure all the grounds are saturated.
- Stir gently. You only need enough movement to wet the coffee evenly.
- Cover and steep. Let it steep for roughly 12 to 18 hours in the refrigerator or another appropriately cool environment.
- Filter thoroughly. Use a fine mesh strainer, coffee filter, cold-brew bag or similar filtering method.
- Refrigerate and serve. Pour over ice and dilute to taste if you brewed a concentrate.
How Long Should Cold Brew Steep?
A useful starting range is about 12 to 18 hours.
A shorter steep can taste lighter. A longer steep may produce more extraction, but leaving coffee in contact with the grounds indefinitely does not automatically make it better.
Once you find the timing you like, use the same steep time consistently.
Can You Use Regular Ground Coffee?
You can, but it is usually less convenient. Fine grounds are harder to filter and can leave more sediment in the finished drink.
If cold brew is part of your normal routine, an extra-coarse grind makes the process easier.
Which Mitten Mornings Coffee Should You Use?
Morning Blend is a good starting point for a straightforward cold brew.
If you enjoy a stronger flavor profile, try Up North Bold.
For something different, experiment with Traverse Cherry or Roasted Hazelnut.
Make It Your Own
Serve cold brew over ice, add milk or cream, dilute a concentrate with water, or use it as the base for your favorite iced coffee drink.
Need help with grind size first? Read our Coffee Grind Guide. You can also compare Whole Bean vs. Ground Coffee.
Shop the full Michigan-Roasted Coffee collection and choose Extra Coarse Cold Brew Grind when ordering.