What Is the Best Ratio for Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold Brew Coffee Ratios

The general consensus on making perfect cold brew is that a 1:5 proportion of coffee to water creates a nice balanced drink. Adjusting the ratio makes monitoring impact difficult since cold brew takes up to sixteen hours to extract unlike espresso. Cold brewing accentuates sweetness and cocoa while muting acidity and bitterness which is why the ratio matters. Generally, lightly roasted beans need longer brew times than darker roasted.

For cold brew concentrate, per 1 cup water, use 1 ounce coarsely ground coffee. That’s about 1/4 cup beans, yielding 1/2 cup ground. A good place to start is to grind 3/4 cup beans for 4 cups water the size of a 32-ounce press. You can double or even triple quantities depending on container size. It’s true using one coffee part for four water parts uses more beans. But immersion cold brew produces a robust, smooth concentrate that stands up to additions without losing flavor.

Perfect Coffee Brew Ratio

The best cold brew ratio is between 1:10 and 1:14 with 1:12 preferred. If your cup is 16 ounces, divide by 8 to get the coffee amount needed. Add clean water and extract in an airtight container in the fridge. The 1:8 ratio is the golden ratio. For 1500 ml use 188 grams of coffee.

For concentrated cold brew use a 1:2 or 1:4 ratio. The 1:4 is easier to brew without a special cold brew dripper. You can use a French press or Mason jar. Examples are 125 grams coffee to 500 ml water or 250 grams to 1 liter.

If you use 1 cup beans or 1/2 cup ground coffee with 24 ounces water in a 32 ounce jar, that is a 1:8 ratio producing smooth cold brew. For stronger 1:4 brew, use 2 cups beans with 24 ounces water. Note 1 ounce equals 28 grams.

Coffee Brewing Ratios Guide

The general consensus on making perfect cold brew is that a 1:5 proportion of coffee to water creates a nice balanced drink. For cold brew concentrate, per 1 cup water, use 1 ounce coarsely ground coffee. That’s about 1/4 cup beans, yielding 1/2 cup ground. A good place to start is to grind 3/4 cup beans for 4 cups water the size of a 32-ounce press. You can double or even triple quantities depending on container size. The key to great tasting cold brew is the ratio of coffee to cold water over many hours.

Answering the Question: How much coffee do I need for 1 cup of cold brew?

Cold brew combines coffee and cold water, steeping 6-24 hours. Our recipe is simple. High street coffee stores have various iced coffee drinks. To instantly cool coffee, use the Japanese method dripping over ice. The obvious difference between hot and cold brew is temperature. You can get imaginative cold brew flavors and make your own brews. New Orleans style cold brew is another twist.

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