7 Things to Know About Making Cold Brew Coffee at Home (+ a Recipe!)

This post is brought to you in partnership with Westrock Coffee.

Summer may be over (get a taste!), but cold brew coffee season certainly isn’t! Now that the beach vacations and lazy weekends are fading in the rear-view mirror, how else am I supposed to get back into the swing of my normal routine?

I’ve gotten a few questions over the years, and with National Coffee Day around the corner on September 29th, I thought I’d take this opportunity – in collaboration with the fine folks at Westrock Coffee – to answer some of the big ones. Ready? Let’s go!

What is the best coffee for making cold brew?

As with cooking, the same applies here: your ingredients make the difference. Preparing cold brew with high-quality beans gives your coffee a stronger, more nuanced and complex taste. Personally, I feel this is a more enjoyable coffee drink.

Also, buying beans from companies that care about their product and believe in ethical and sustainable practices, like Westrock Coffee, means you can feel extra good about your morning cup of coffee. Not only does Westrock work from cup to harvest, working with farmers to ensure fair trade practices, but – luckily for us – their high-quality coffee tastes amazing too.

The bottom line: use any coffee you normally enjoy drinking in other forms (dripping, pouring over, french press, etc.) and it will also make an excellent cold brew.

That is by far one of the most common questions I get asked. Here are my three favorite ways to flavor cold brew coffee:

1. Flavored Simple Syrup: Simple syrup is super easy to make – no need to buy it at the store. Simply add equal parts sugar and water to a saucepan, bring to a boil, and stir gently until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool and store in the fridge for a week or more.

You can easily flavor this simple syrup by swapping out plain granulated sugar for something with a more complex flavor profile like turbinado or coconut sugar. These make more of a caramel flavored syrup and pair well with a darker coffee like Westrock’s East African blend with notes of chestnut and milk chocolate.

My favorite is to make a plain vanilla syrup by tossing a split vanilla pod into the plain syrup (this is a great use for any pods you might have left over after the beans are baked). This more subtle simple syrup pairs well with a lighter roast like Westrock’s Meza Morning blend, which has a nutty aroma and hints of clove and vanilla.

2. Flavored Creamer: It’s also very easy to make your own flavored milk jug. You can use milk, half and half, coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk. Bring the milk or half and half to a simmer on the stove, add some spices or herbs, then turn off the heat and let it steep.

My favorite right now is chai milk for my coffee with a combination of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and cardamom. Gingerbread Spice and Pumpkin Spice Mix are great too!

Be sure to use whole spices for this; no powder mixes. Whole spices are fresher and taste better, plus they’re easy to strain from the milk after infusion.

PS In a pinch, chocolate milk makes a damn decent mocha! (Great tip from the reader Ashley Allison!)

3. Flavor the coffee yourself: If you prefer your coffee unadulterated with sweeteners or cream, but still want a little extra flavor boost, then add these herbs and spices directly with the coffee grounds while preparing the cold brew.

For this, use the freshest whole spices you can find and use more than you think you need. Cold brew is strong stuff and it takes a lot for the flavor of anything else to come through.

For example, if you want a cinnamon-infused cold brew, I would recommend using three cinnamon sticks. For a chocolate-infused cold brew, try adding 1/4 cup of cacao nibs. (Thanks for this tip from the reader skooga!)

Can I use decaffeinated coffee?

For sure! No problem exchanging decaffeinated coffee for regular coffee. Westrock makes a caffeine-free Arabica blend that’s strong and dark and gets the job done too. Enjoy!

Can I make Cold Brew in my French Press?

Absolutely! Most French press coffee makers are pretty small, but if yours is big enough to hold four cups of water and one cup of coffee grounds, go for it!

A few readers have commented on this Bodum 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker. Eventually I got one and it works great!

Can I reuse the cheesecloth that was used to strain the cold brew?

The cheesecloth will eventually wear out, but yes, you can rinse it in the sink, let it dry and reuse it until the fibers start to fray.

I actually like to use a cotton flour sack cloth, which I rinse out and then just toss in the wash with my kitchen towels. Flour sackcloth will last for years.

Can I strain the cold brew with paper filters instead?

Definitive! I found the coffee filters veerrryyyy slow through paper filters, so be patient. Stir the grist occasionally as it will compact over time, slowing the sieving process even more.

The benefit of your patience is that if you strain it with a filter, you’ll get a very smooth, ground-free coffee.

How long does cold brew keep?

As a general rule of thumb, cold brew is best drunk within a week for the best quality. After that, it starts to develop a sour taste.

If you want to make larger batches, you can freeze what you won’t use within a week. Freeze it in a glass mason jar, then just pop it in the fridge to thaw when you want it!

Want to learn more about brewing coffee?

If you’re dying to learn more about the pros and cons of cold brew coffee, I suggest you go back and read our first post on the subject:

• How to make Cold Brew Coffee

This post contains everything you need to know about what Cold Brew Coffee is and how you can make it at home with just a few beans, a coffee grinder and a jar!

Do you have any further questions? Ask me in the comments!