Have you been hearing coffee drinkers rave about the great taste of cold brew coffee? It is perhaps the simplest way to get an amazing cup of coffee. You just need to wait about 12 hours for it to be ready!
In this article we’ll walk you through the steps to making cold brew coffee, throwing in some variations that other coffee lovers swear by. We’ll even share a little secret about getting the taste of sweet smooth cold brew coffee without the work or wait.
Cold brew (cold press or toddy coffee) refers to coffee made by steeping grounds in room temperature or cold water for at least 12 hours, often up to 24. The result is a rich coffee concentrate that is low in acidity, naturally sweeter and higher in caffeine than its quicker, hot brew relative.


Some cold brew experts recommend not adding all the grounds and water at once. Instead, they advise that you add half of each, stir and leave for about 5 minutes to “bloom”. You’ll see bubbles forming at the top of the mixture. You then put in the rest of grounds and water, stir and continue as usual.
And that’s it – you can now enjoy your homemade cold brew coffee.
It can be stored in the refrigerator and had cold with added milk or water to bring it to the taste that best suits you. It can also be poured over ice to make the perfect chilled pick-me-upper on a warm summer day (or night).
Some cold brew coffee connoisseurs relish the flavor packed goodness produced by blending the brew with ice using chocolate to give it that fabulous cocoa taste that pairs so well with coffee. You can also use it in baking, preparing cocktails and to flavor your favorite dessert.
If you would like to enjoy homemade cold brew coffee without all the manual hands-on work, there are a few alternatives you can try and still get the same great full-bodied taste.

A French Press can be used to steep the coffee. Once brewing is complete, just depress the plunger to separate the grounds and the brewed coffee can be poured off.
There are coffeemakers that are specifically designed to produce cold brew coffee. The [easyazon_link identifier=”B0040ZR0VS” locale=”US” tag=”cafe049-20″]Toddy Cold Brew Coffee Maker[/easyazon_link], for instance, is a simple device that uses felt filters in a brewing container that is set over a glass decanter once brewing is done.
As you can see how to make cold brew coffee may take a little longer than traditional coffee, but it will give you a robust and fun alternative. So go ahead and give cold brew coffee a try. The remarkable deep coffee taste is well worth the wait.