Make your own cold brew coffee!

It's shaping up to be a long, hot Labor Day weekend!  Why not cool off with your own, cold brew iced coffee?

All the big coffee chains are offering cold brew iced coffee this summer, but you don't have to go outside in the heat to enjoy a cold, smooth, low acid brew. Cold brew coffee is easy to make. All you need is a French Press or a large jar with a lid. Here's what you do:

Start with twice the amount of coffee you normally use. For example, a 48 oz French Press or jar needs 2 cups of beans.

Set your grinder to “coarse” and grind your coffee.

Put the ground coffee in your press or jar and slowly pour in cold water. It is very important to get all the ground coffee wet, and you may want to stir the mix.

Cover the container. Here's where a French Press is nice. You can use the screen to hold the floating coffee grounds just under the surface of the water, making sure you get all the flavor of your coffee. If you're using a jar, give the grounds another stir and put on the lid.

Let steep for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, your cold brew coffee is ready to enjoy. If you used a French Press, push the plunger and pour your coffee. If you used a jar, pour the coffee through a sieve or coffee filter to catch the grounds.

You have just made a cold brew coffee concentrate, perfect for mixing with milk for an iced-latte. If you prefer your iced coffee black, take a sip to check the strength. You may want to dilute the concentrate with a little water before adding ice.

That's all there is to it!

The cold brew process mutes a coffee's lively high notes. While you can make a good cold brew concentrate with any coffee, we prefer to use coffee roasted at a Vienna roast or darker. The darker roast levels turn the lively notes sweet. Our complex San Francisco Blend is perfect for making cold brew iced coffee, as are Indonesian varietals and other naturally processed beans.