Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

Iced coffee is great all year round, but if you're not cold-brewing it, you may be missing out. By cold-brewing your coffee you get amazing iced coffee that's less acidic and infused with sweet undertones.

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Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

Coffee beans don't really like being doused with hot water, because it brings out their natural acidity. By cold-brewing your coffee you can get amazing iced coffee that's less acidic, gentler on your stomach, and infused with undertones like chocolate, vanilla and fruit that can be masked by coffee's acids.

Best of all, you don't need any special equipment to make cold-brewed coffee. Here's how to do it:

What You'll Need:

Coffee, pitcher or jar with water, spoon and a French press

No French Press? No Worries.

If you don't have a French press to filter the coffee, don't worry. You can simply lay a heavy-duty paper towel inside of a strainer.

Water-to-Coffee Ratio

The key to making good coffee at home isn't having a fancy machine or high-end beans, it's getting the right ratio of coffee to water. For cold-brewed coffee, the ratio is two cups of water for every half cup of coffee. This will make approximately 2 servings. Multiply as needed.

Combine water and coffee

Combine room-temperature water (preferably filtered) and coffee grounds in a pitcher or jar.

Stir and wait

Stir until thoroughly mixed. Wait until coffee grounds float to the surface (about 10 minutes).

Stir again

After it's sat for around 10 minutes, stir again to incorporate.

Cover tightly

Cover pitcher or jar tightly with plastic wrap.

Let stand

Let the coffee stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

Remove plastic

After it has sat for 24 hours, remove the plastic covering.

Filter

Pour the coffee into a French press, push the press to the bottom and pour the coffee into a glass filled with ice. If you've made your own filter with a strainer and paper towel, simply pour the coffee through the paper towel into the glass.

Dilute as needed

As you pour over ice, you can also adjust the strength of the coffee to your taste by adding more water.

Worth the Wait

It's true that cold-brewing coffee takes longer, but you'll probably find it's worth the wait. Cold-brewed coffee is smoother and has less caffeine. Also, you can make a pitcher, keep it in the fridge and drink it over a couple of days. Here’s a serving tip: When you’re hosting a party, remember that coffee isn’t just for after dinner. People love an iced coffee in the afternoon, especially on hot summer days, or if they’ve been chasing kids around all day.