Today’s “Home Brew”- Secret to great iced coffee without great expense
I love my coffee, especially when its strong and rich with a bold flavor minus the acidity which, in my mind, detracts from the flavor.
Now for those of you not from ’round here, the South is said to have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, and Christmas. Based on this, you can imagine that there are times of the year when a iced coffee is relished far more than hot.
If you’ve ever tried to make iced coffee at home, you know that its not as easy as pouring coffee over ice. You end up with a watered down version of coffee which becomes even more watered down and weak when you add milk or sugar. Still, there has to be a better option than heading out and paying someone $5 for a few minutes of divine caffeinated pleasure – and there is. ~smiles~ Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate.
I’ve been making this “home brew” for over two years now, much to the delight of myself and Mama. She recently started making her own but until then I’d brew up extra and share my “special recipe” with her as well. I can only imagine what the neighbors thought when Mama’s car pulled up to my driveway and I’d run her out a mason jar and send her on her way. Come by either of our houses at any given time and you’ll find pint sized mason jars of “the recipe” in our refrigerators ~giggle~. I feel just like one of the Baldwin sisters….
Cold brew coffee is brewed in cold water on your counter top for a period of about twelve to fifteen hours, depending on the strength you prefer. Coffee brewed using this method has significantly less acidity and far more full bodied flavor than coffee brewed with the traditional hot method.
One of the pitys of coffee for me has always been that it never tastes as decadent as it smells. Cold brew brings you closer to this flavor than any other method I have come across. Whats more, cold brew coffee made at home rivals anything bought in a coffee house at a tiny fraction of the price – I actually like my cold brew better!
This concentrate is not just for iced coffees though, you can easily use it to make hot coffee in the morning without the fuss of brewing. This is perfect for those who have problems with traditional coffee being too harsh on their stomachs. Simply mix equal parts concentrate and water (or vary proportions to taste), heat and go!
This concentrate will easily keep a month or more in your fridge with no change in flavor and you know if I’m showing you how to do it, you aren’t going to need any fancy schmancy equipment either.
You likely have all you need at home already. I prefer to grind my beans fresh but you can certainly use pre-ground coffee. However, if you’re looking to amp up your coffee experience, I strongly suggest buying beans and grinding it fresh before each brewing, be it cold brewing or hot. You’ll find the difference is extraordinary! A grinder such as this one can be picked up for around thirty dollars or so. This is my Hamilton Beach one, of course!
I use a quart sized (32 ounces) canning jar to brew my coffee in and then store it in pint sized jars. You can use a plastic pitcher or container for this as well if you prefer. I like to brew mine in glass as there isn’t the risk of tainting my coffee with another flavor this way.
- Container to brew coffee grounds in
- Strainer
- Coffee filters (largest size you can find)
- Coffee beans and grinder or pre-ground beans
- Bowl to strain coffee into
You’ll need 1 cup of ground coffee.
Place grounds in jar
Fill jar with water.
I leave about an inch of head space at the top.
Place lid on jar and give it a little shake to make sure all grounds are wet.
Now just sit the jar on your counter for at least twelve hours.
Once the time has passed (I usually brew mine at night and strain it in the morning), place your strainer over a large bowl. You can also use a collander for this if you prefer.
Line strainer with a coffee filter. These are the type for twelve cup coffee makers, the largest I could find.
Pour coffee in the filter and let it strain through a little at a time.
This is after I’ve strained about half of my concentrate. I usually go through two filters when I do this. Throw your first filter away and replace with a clean one before pouring the remainder of your concentrate. It will take some time for all of your concentrate to strain out. I usually let it sit for about half an hour before pouring the remainder so it takes me about an hour to have my concentrate all strained and ready.
Using this method, a quart sized jar yields about a pint and a half of concentrate. Now mixing it up is purely a matter of taste but I am going to show you how I make mine purely as a point of reference.
Four ounces of concentrate…
Four ounces of milk…
Skim, Whole, 2%, whatever cranks your tractor.
Fill with ice and add three packets of Splenda and I’m a happy gal!
Honestly, this beats any iced coffee I’ve ever had away from home. Its rich, flavorful, and completely decadent.
Cold Brew Coffee
- 1 Cup ground coffee
- 32 ounce container (1 quart)
- Strainer
- Large basket type coffee filters
Place ground coffee in container, fill with cold water. Cover and let sit for twelve to fifteen hours. Place strainer over large bowl and put coffee filter inside. Slowly pour over about half of the coffee and let sit until strained. Replace filter and repeat.
To make regular coffee: place equal parts coffee concentrate and water in cup and heat.
To make iced coffee: Place equal parts concentrate and milk in glass. Add ice, sweetened as desired. You may find my preference for iced coffee a bit strong for you so leave room to add some water to weaken it if need be!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This has been a very busy week at home with the kids and their activities. I hope to get caught up on emails and comments this weekend! Thank you all and have a fabulous Friday!
Gratefully,
Christy 
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour.
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Oh this looks so good! I love finding all the knock off recipes to all those expensive drinks at Starbucks or places like that. I always feel so guilty spending almost 5 dollars for one coffee. Thanks for a great (and easy) recipe!
Thank you for posting this! I love coffee – and I’ve wondered about cold brewing it. Every place I’ve found a recipe made it very complicated. I can do this one! Thank You!!!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. My Dad was a pilot in the Navy and when we lived in Hawaii there was a fantastic hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant that made the best iced coffee. The secret is they use sweetened condensed milk which makes it outstanding. Give it a try you’ll love it.
I do not drink my coffee or hot tea with anything else than sweetened condensed milk. It is delicious.
In place of sugar and milk I use the condensed milk. It’s pretty common amongst most Asian countries, when I have travel to Malaysia I like to drink this particular tea called teh tarik, which is the tea made with condensed milk, and you also have kopi terik which is the same thing but with coffee.
Yum!!
Perfect alternative, and probably much better, because your enjoying it in your own home with all the ones you love.
thanks Christy
Happy Weekend :0
Linda in Louisiana
Great! I need to stop me $4.36 daily Starbucks habit.
PS- I TOTALLY thought the jar on the left was bacon grease at first.
I had to laugh when I read your comment about the Baldwin sisters. When I was trying to come up with a recipe for homemade ice cream, I did a lot of experimenting before I finally came up with the “recipe”. My husband joked about the Baldwin sisters and their recipe.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I emailed it to my sister in law, she’s an iced coffee lover too.
This is just like the way I use the Toddy Coffee and I absolutely am addicted to it (I have 3 kids and a husband and work full time if I could I would inject caffeine) Thanks for your wonderful ideas!
Marietta
I’ll definitely have to give this a try! I love coffee in any form! I never thought about just soaking the grounds in cold water. I have some sugar-free flavored syrups that I bet would be good in it as well to make it even more like the coffee house drinks. It will be a nice low carb treat for me and the hubby!
When I was in college the lady who ran the espresso stand brewed her coffee this way. She would set it up every night making a big batch and when even anyone asked for “regular” coffee she would put a shot of this in a cup and fill the rest with hot water. It was the best coffee and easy for her as well. Thanks for a scaled down version, my husband loved her coffee and now I can make it for him at home!
My mom and our next door neighbor would freeze leftover coffee in ice cube trays and put the cubes in plastic bags for iced coffee. This way the iced coffee doesn’t get dilulted. It was wonderful!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I want to make sure I stand. The yield from a quart jar is about 1.5 pints. Is that correct?
I love this recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Wow! Your site as well as your recipes and tips only get better and better! I think we might be sisters from different states and parents…lol…seriously I love your site.
Thank you! I am trying this TODAY!!!
Oooooohhhhh Sounds delicious and so much better! I grew up a/ iced coffee and when a certain coffee chain started selling it I thought they were crazy to charge so much $$ for it. Now, my adult son spends – $$ drinking their brew… I’ll have to fix him some – he will love me… and you too!
thanks!
Just made it Christy! I will let you know how it goes.
Sounds so easy and and I spend way to much money on
those drinks!!
Wow! This is what I need. I love the smell of coffee. The acid in it is what drives my stomach crazy.
Love the Mason jars! I use them all the time. I carry tea to work in a huge mason jar and then add ice to a glass later and pour it over.
I am amused with the comment about the bacon grease. I always tell guys that a good way to find a southern lady that can really cook is to peek in her kitchen. Look for the container of bacon grease.
Thanks. I have to do this. I love iced coffee also.
Christy, I am absolutely convinced now that you and I were separated at birth I swear!
This is what I do, except that I use a Bodum French press instead of the filters and straining. Then I transfer it to a large Mason jar and keep it in the fridge. There is nothing so good as a good homemade iced coffee – get some DaVinci gourmet syrups to go along with your iced coffee for sure – Walmart carries some but the DaVinci website has much much more – and then, then you’ll really be in HEAVEN folks.
I love iced coffee, yum, yum, yum!! That jar you got there? That’s a pretty good start LOL! Thanks for posting about this and reminding me to make some up, cuz you know the summer humidity will be here soon as we turn around good.
One thing I’ve never understood. Why does a hot coffee that has gone cold totally gag me, yet I LOVE an iced coffee???
I am with you on the aroma vs. taste thing. I don’t drink hot coffee (hot tea instead), but I love the cold $5 kind! This is definitely on next week’s “to do” list. Have you ever put in the blender with ice?
I can’t wait to try this. I remember back in the sixties iced coffee was all the rage. I remember Mom lettin’ me have some of hers and Yummy, I never thought to ask her how she made hers so I really appreciate this recipe, thanks.
Christy, thanks so much for this post. I can’t wait until it is “still summer” when this will really hit the spot. Thanks also for the chuckles in the post. I can’t believe you actually said “whatever cranks your tractor”! Too funny!
I am making mine right now! Thanks for this recipe!!!
Got a batch going on the kitchen counter right now. I LOVE iced coffee~thanks, Christy!!
I love iced coffee almost as much as I love sweet tea! I think I’ll try this in Decaf!
This is just too cool! I love iced coffee and never make it at home. Thanks for the recipe!
Love the photos Christy!
Christy — This is a great do-it-yourself version of the Toddy cold-brewed system — so much fun to make it yourself at home with your own equipment. I’ve always found that using the coarsest grind possible on your beans keeps the filter from clogging. Also, beans that aren’t oily or flavored work best, too — sometimes the oil (either added or natural) clogs up the filter.
I just made my first batch overnight and I’m sipping the first cup…WOW! No more McD’s drive-thru iced coffee for me…I can make my own thanks to you Christy! Great, easy tutorial as always! I’ll need to try the decaf version b/c ‘caffein overload’ will be a problem for me! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
I have been using the TODDY system for years and love it. I lost the stopper and was going to order a new one this week but I think I will save that money and do it your way. Thanks for sharing. I have always used the concentrate for hot coffee. Thanks a million for the recipe for the cold coffee. I wouldn’t know how to act if I didn’t receive the awesome e-mails from you weekly! Keep them coming!
Bless you for coming up with this recipe.I love iced coffee and have often ended up with watered down coffee.Thank you,thank you.
P.S I have already made up a batch!
Kristy, I love this! I’ve been stopping by McDonald’s regularly for their iced coffee. I’m trying this at home now!! Thanks, girlfriend.
I can already tell…this recipe will definitely crank my tractor!!
I started this Saturday night and it has already come in handy! I was disappointed at first that it didn’t seem to make a lot, but I quickly realized that it was very strong! I overslept this morning and didn’t have time to leisurely sip a cup of coffee before leaving so I poured a mug 1/3 full of the concentrate and took it to work. I filled it up the rest of the way with water when I got there. Two minutes in the microwave, a container of creamer, and a Splenda packet, and I had a yummy morning coffee fix! Thanks, Christy!
What a wonderful and money saving idea Christy! You are the best!
This ROCKS!! It has totally changed my life! What a blessing – thank you Christy!@!
I tried this over the weekend and it was worth every step!!!
If you like iced coffee you MUST try this at least once.
It is so yummy and just like you said better than any “Bought” iced coffee drink.
Thanks again,
Mel
This is amazing! I have to try it!
Christy, I tried this and it is so delecious, thank you for sharing, I think this is one of the best and smartest things I have learned from you yet..(and i’ve learned quite a few)
WOW!!! This is sooooo gooooood! It taste just like McD’s or DD iced coffee. I used Maxwell House “mild” ground coffee. Thank you for this post.
Okay, now I’m going to have to try this!
YUM, YUM! We have been cold-brewing our coffee for over a year now, and I LOVE it! Thanks for the great tutorial! I am passing this on to another friend who wants to learn how to make it!
Amy H
Have you ever tried a coffee press, Christy? You might really like one. Thanks for another great recipe!
Made this stuff up last night, just finished my first iced coffee, and holy COW is this stuff good! I also tried one poster’s suggestion of using eagle brand milk… whooo hoooo! This stuff RAWKS!!!
I loved the Waltons reference! My 6 yo daughter LOVES them, she has a major thing for John Boy, lol.
I am going to try this tonight, hubby and I have a date tomorrow afternoon and we like iced coffee. This will save us some money.
This looks fantastic! Thanks!
I made this for the first time on Friday and love it. My teenagers figured out what I was drinking over the weekend. I now have 3 jars going to try to keep up with the demand. The coffee shop will miss the girls, but I am happily saving the money and loving the taste.
Thanks!
This is great, I have a quart jar hiding on my desk at home as we speak. I can’t wait to give it a try tomorrow. Although, I may need to buy my own pound of coffee as my wife will notice me sneaking off entire cups at a time!
This coffee is not only good it is AWESOME! I made some this weekend and my kids and I love it. Shared the recipe with my co-workers because they buy $4 iced coffee everyday before coming to work. I almost start to set up a Fresh Iced Coffee tent in the front of the building and make me some extra dough on the side but I didn’t but it was a good idea. Thanks for the recipes and please keep them coming. Oh by the way I am a bama girl but I am a military spouse and right now I am in Texas.
I’from the “SOUTH”.Raisedon the SAVANNAH RIVER In Georgia & S.C. mostly,but,lived in Tex. & Louisiana also.I’ve used this brewing method for over 40 years.It Is the “ONLY” way to do ICED-COFFEE. It puts that fancy CUPUCHINO to shame..WELL DONE,,,,I HAVE SOME GREAT SOUTHERN RECIPES,I’M WILLING TO SHARE…
Hi! I have been making coffee concentrate with this method for some time and have found an easier way! I have a French Press that is designed for the making of hot brewed coffee, but it works well with cold brew also. Buy the largest French press you can (mine is a Bodum) to yield larger amounts of concentrate. The pressing strainer eliminates the need for the coffee filter. It’s friendly for the environment too, and reusable for years. I follow your same method, but use a chopstick to stir the grounds in the press before putting the lid on. In the morning, press the grounds, pour off the concentrate… and enjoy!!
Great post!
I agree with Donna in Joliet’s suggestion about a coffee press (also know as a French press). If you own a French press (we have 3 that we found at various yard sales), the presses have a built-in filtered plunger top and work like a filtered carafe. So one could skip the step about using a strainer and/or coffee filter by brewing the coffee in a French press instead.
kfischer: I assume you are using the 1qt Borkum press? I am looking at a few on e-bay and want to make sure I get one that will work good. Is there much problem with the additional coffee grounds with the cold brew formula?
Any more hints? I am fed up with trying to strain the brew in the morning… it just takes too long!
I’ve made one batch already, and will have another batch “brewing” tonight! This is really great coffee. We had a new WinCo Store open and coffee beans are $4.85/lb. right now, so of course I bought quite a bit.
I like it with simple syrup and milk.
I added this to my blog with a link back to yours.
Thank you for sharing this process.
Cottonpickinfarm
Thank you so much for this recipe, I can’t wait to try it! My mom will love you for it, too. I’ve also been wanting a French press for a few years now, but have had a difficult time justifying it since my husband bought some fancy coffee machine. Now I have the perfect excuse. YIPPEE!
Thanks for your wonderful blog! I really enjoy reading it and appreciate your great sense of humor.
Put the filter and grounds in your compost pile or in your garden. Good addition to the soil. The filters will break down and earthworms like coffee too 8-). Done this with tea, but not with coffee. Will give it a try. Good way to make coffee while camping using a water bottle and not have to wait for the coffee to perk, only have to wait for it to heat up.
YUM! This is a fantastic idea. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to try it.
I just found your blog on wefollow.com and am following you on Twitter now.
Please stop drinking Diet Dr. Pepper. It can give you breast cancer. I drank Diet Coke for years but stopped 3 years ago when I got pregnant.
http://myaspartameexperiment.com/
Can’t wait to try this coffee — thanks again!
I WILL DEFINATLY TRY THIS RECIPE SINE MY HUSBAND AND I LOVE ICED COFEE AND ALL OF OUR FRIENDS ENJOY IT AS WELL .. I JUST HAVE 1 QUESTIONS WHAT TYPE OF COFEE DO YOU USE ?
Can I just say – WOW!! I have enjoyed this recipe to the max, thank you – now to only allow myself 1 cup a day of this special brew.
This is sooooo good!!!!! I am addicted to it. My fingers can’t keep up with my brain after I have had my fix!
Thanks for the recipe!
Christy, I found this recipe on Divine Caroline and commented there that I’d have to try it as I’m a true coffee addict (hot and iced). Having now done so, here’s my opinion: This is the ONLY way to make iced coffee! Deep, rich, delicious, and no tummy problems from the acidity. I’ve made two slight modifications: I double the recipe, because I go through the coffee so quickly
and I bought a $12 french coffee press which I use in place of the bowl/sieve/filter. Ever so much quicker than waiting for the liquid/grounds mix to go through the filter/sieve, and no more buying paper filters (saves a few trees)!
Oh, and BTW, if you want a decadent dessert while still minimizing calories, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream to to iced coffee in your glass. YUMMY!
Thanks so much for this recipe!
I found you on Twitter and have loved reading your website for inspiration and connection to my *southern roots*.
And now I have finally been able to re-create my mother’s Sweet Tea and the iced coffee idea/recipe is fantastic!
What a great place to visit and you can bet I’ll have my mason jar iced coffee sitting on my desk as I check back in often to relax and get inspiration.
Such a great find!
These are so delicious! I posted about them today on my blog and linked back to you. I have been drinking them pretty much every day this summer.
Thanks Christy for another great recipe. I just talked with my sister-in-law, who is a coffee fanatic, and promised to send her the recipe as well. Using the strainer is great idea, but I think I will first try making the concentrate with my French Press. Off to the kitchen I go…. Judy In Texas
This is the BEST iced coffee ever. Ever. I am completely addicted (as if I wasn’t before) to this yummy elixir.
I have always loved the smell of ground coffee……or coffee when it is brewing. The smell is wonderful especially in the mornings.
Since the French Vanilla Creamer hit the dairy case, I have enjoyed a cup of coffee even more. The other flavored syrups are good as well. I have even put pumpkin pie spice in the basket of grounds before brewing. Yum !!
Your special “Home Brew” has been a great hit this summer. My husband and I have enjoyed sitting out on our little patio, chuggin’ coffee from our pint jars, watching the birds and the antics of the squirrels stealing the sunflower seeds from the feeders.
Doesn’t take much to make us Southern Folks happy……
I haven’t been able to drink coffee since my second child was born due to the acid-but I LOVE coffee and miss it so much. I am getting out the materials to do this today and look forward to trying a cup of this tomorrow. Thanks for another GREAT idea!
Oh this looks great. I just recently saw another mention of cold brewed coffee someplace (darned if I can remember where) and went searching out the “how to”.
I have to say this seems to be much much easier than what I found – and it doesn’t make a HUGE amount, so it is manageable. The one I found uses 9 cups of water and a pound of coffee ……
Thanks so much – I’m going to have to try this very soon (maybe tomorrow) if I have a container available, I think I have a quart Ball jar that isn’t being used.
Love your recipes and insight into so many things. Keep writing and I’ll keep reading (and trying)
Just made my first batch of this last night, and got it all filtered this morning. Yum! Now to keep myself from ODing on it!
Oh My! Bless your heart! I love iced coffee but try to watch my spending. I have not had iced coffee in a while until I tried this.
*I think my coffee maker is going in the yard sale* lol Thank you so much for this idea. I just love getting your emails! I find something useful, exciting and delicious in each one!
Huggles, Brenda
I made some last night and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! Thanks so much for sharing this! I only found your site recently and I am having a ball wandering through all your posts. Keep it up, your site it a blessing
Thanks so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it, and I can’t believe it is so simple-who knew!!
P.S. Loved your reference to the Walton’s (my favorite show from the past)!
Christy this is just great, but is there a easier way to strain it?
Would a french press work better then waiting for it to go through the filter?