1. Use a coarsely ground to medium ground coffee
Using finely ground coffee will produce a silty, cloudy coffee. For shorter brewing times, the finer the coffee should be ground. Since cold brew coffee brews for 12-24 hours, its best to use a coarsely ground bean. If brewing your cold brew for 24 hours or more, an extra coarse grind will work best. If you want a bit more flavor, try using a medium-coarse to medium grind. Play with the grinds until you find the one you like best.
2. Use a burr grinder
Burr grinders, unlike blade grinders, will grind your coffee beans easily. Blade grinders yield an inconsistent grind, and the inconsistency in the grind will result in the coffee extracting at different rates. Burr grinders will consistently grind coffee just the way you need it, without some grounds extracting faster or slower than others.
3. Use fresh coffee beans
Using freshly roasted beans will noticeably enhance the flavor of your cold brew. Many will say that using expensive, single origin beans is a waste for cold brew, while others will say that the best coffee beans yield the best coffee.
4. Use a medium to dark roast beans
Using medium or dark roasted beans will give your cold brew the flavor it needs to be delicious. Lightly roasted coffee will produce a much milder taste. It’s a matter of preference, of course, so find the roast that tastes best to you.
5. Grind the coffee beans right before adding water
Freshly ground coffee beans yield the best coffee, no matter what style of brewing you’re doing. Pre-ground coffee beans lose much of the aroma and oils that makes good coffee great.
6. Layer it
Slightly more labor intensive, but definitely worth it, layering water and coffee when preparing your cold brew in your brewer will make sure your coffee grounds are saturated without over agitating the grounds. Put a little water, then a little coffee, and repeat until your grounds have all be added and the cold brewer is filled.
7. Find what you like
Not everyone has the same taste preferences when it comes to coffee. If you think your brew is too weak, try using more coffee and less water. If you think it’s too strong, try using less coffee in the filter. Try different coffee grinds and different roasts. Eventually you’ll find your perfect cold brew coffee sweet spot.
8. Fridge or room temperature?
Again, this comes down to a matter of preference. Cold brewing in the refrigerator will result in a weaker brew, as the cold temperature slightly inhibits the brewing process. Seattle Coffee Gear used the Primula Brew + Travel cold brew bottle and did a cold brew temperature test. See what the results were here:
9. Don’t overbrew it
We recommend a 12 hour brewing time for our cold brew travel bottles and a 24 hour brew time for our larger cold brew makers. Don’t brew past the 24 hour mark, as it could lead to bitter coffee.
10. Don’t keep your cold brew too long
Primula cold brew makers will keep your cold brew fresh for up to 14 days. Past that, it’s time to let it go.
11. Infuse and flavor your brew
While you’re setting up your Primula cold brewer for brewing, try adding some flavoring to the filter for a flavored cold brew. Try infusing cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg for a spice-flavored brew, or try infusing your already made cold brew with vanilla extract or other kind of extract for a nice hint of flavor.
12. Get fancy and bloom your coffee like a pro
Once you get your grounds in the brew filter, use a Primula gooseneck kettle to carefully pour a small amount (30 grams) of hot water over the grounds before filling it up with room temperature or cold water. When you “bloom” the coffee with hot water, it releases carbon dioxide from the roasting process that prohibits the brewing process. Use water at 200 degrees F and let the grounds rest for 30 seconds to a minute before filling the rest of the brewer with cold water.
13. Use filtered water
Many overlook the importance of using a good filtered water for their coffee, but if your water tastes bad, then so will your coffee. However, you don’t want water that is over filtered either. Distilled water may be too filtered, but using a water filter pitcher like Brita makes will work just fine.
14. Use coffee ice cubes
Use some of your precious cold brew to make coffee ice cubes just by pouring your brew into ice cube trays and freezing it. This will help prevent the dilution of your brew while keeping your drink icy cold while you enjoy it.
15. Brew your cold brew in a carafe made of glass or Tritan plastic
Glass brewers provide the purest taste for cold brew coffee, and is free from harmful chemicals. Most of our cold brew coffee makers are made with borosilicate glass, which is the same kind of glass used in science labs. Another option for brewing in a carafe that won’t effect taste is Tritan plastic, which is a BPA-free plastic that is crystal clear, as well as odor, taste and stain-resistant. Our larger pitchers that support the MyBev brew cores are made with Tritan plastic, as well as one of our cold brew travel bottles. The rest of our cold brew line-up is made with borosilicate glass. Be careful you don’t use a cold brewer with plastic that contains BPA- it can be very harmful to your health!
16. Filter it more than once
Maybe you missed the filter when filling your cold brewer up, or maybe some grounds floated over into the carafe, leaving you with a cold brew that has coffee grounds in it. If this is the case, after you remove the brew filter after brewing, clean the filter out and then pour your cold brew through the filter into another container to make sure you get all the grounds out.
17. Make sure all the grounds are under water
No matter how amazing you are at pouring water over your grounds, there always seems to be those pesky ones that still float on the top of the water. Use a spoon and gently press the floating grounds under the water before putting the lid on for the brewing, because we wouldn’t dare to waste coffee, even if it’s one little ground.
18. Some like it hot
Cold coffee isn’t always appealing- especially in the colder months. You can make cold brew coffee hot by using our favorite method, which is to add boiling hot water to cold coffee concentrate to make a warm cold brew drink without any weird tastes.
19. Try one of our cold brew recipes
Love the smoothness of cold brew coffee, but want to kick your beverage up a notch? Try one of our recipes to get inspired and make a delicious new coffee concoction.
20. Try flavored coffee
For different flavored cold brew, try finding roasts that list words like caramel, chocolate or cherry on the flavor notes for a finished product that is full of interesting and unique flavors.
Final Point of Brew
We cannot stress this tip enough. You will read all sorts of ways to make the best cold brew coffee, but coffee, like most beverages, comes down to a matter of preference. Take your time figuring out which brew works best for you. Have fun with it and let us know if you have any questions or more tips that can help Primula customers like you!
Here are some of our best selling cold brew coffee makers to make your own cold brew coffee at home:
Burke Cold Brew Maker, 1.6 Qt, Removable Mesh Brew Filter - Primula
$17.99
Brew a distinctively smooth and perfectly balanced cup of coffee at home with the Primula Cold Brew Coffee Maker. When Cold brewing the process extracts the unique and delicious flavor compounds from your coffee grounds. Making coffee in a cold… read more
Kedzie Cold Brew Maker, 1.6 Qt, Stainless Steel Protective Holder - Primula
$19.99
Enjoy smooth, delicious cold brew coffee at home with the Kedzie cold brew coffee maker. Brew, store and serve your cold brew all in one sleek pitcher made of high quality borosilicate glass. Make your own cold brew coffee in… read more
Cold Brew Carafe, 50 Oz, Mesh Brew Core, Flavor Mixer - Primula
$34.99
At Primula, we create items by exploring how people prepare beverages in different cultures and work to understand the experience and ritual behind these preparations. Identifying why people love different and unique beverages is the first step in our creative… read more
Pace Cold Brew Maker, 1.6 Qt, Durable Glass, Airtight Lid - Primula
$15.99
With the Primula Pace Cold Brew Coffee Maker, you can easily make cold brew coffee with a smooth, robust flavor that is 65% less acidic than traditional hot coffee. The made without BPA Pace boasts a simple design—a fine mesh… read more
Cold Brew Coffee Bottle, 20 Oz, Stainless Steel Mesh Core, Neoprene Sleeve - Primula
$19.99
At Primula we do our best to solve problems in the best way possible, and when we wanted a way to make enough Cold Brew for one we came up with the cold brew bottle. Crafted from temperature safe borosilicate… read more
Cold Brew Lovers Gift Bundle - Primula
$39.99
$48.98
Cold brew fans, unite! This set of cold brew makers will keep a pep in your step throughout your day- no matter where you go! This cold brew bundle includes our best-selling cold brew maker, the Burke, which makes 1.6… read more
2-in-1 Craft Coffee Maker, Cold And Hot Brew Coffee Maker - Primula
$24.99
The 2-in-1 coffee maker marries two coffee favorites: hot French press coffee and smooth cold brew coffee. Make delicious cold brew with the fine mesh removable filter and enjoy coffee that is 65% less acidic than traditional coffee, or enjoy… read more