Coffee Drink
Cold Brew Coffee: Recipe, Caffeine and Dilution
Cold brew is coffee extracted with cool water over time, then filtered. It can be ready to drink or concentrated. This recipe makes a refrigerated batch to taste before adding water or ice.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- ~205 mg café referenceUS Starbucks Cold Brew, Grande 16 US fl ozBrand-reported value for the named café drink; home-batch caffeine is not measured.
- Calories
- 5 kcal café referenceSame plain US Grande café referenceThe named café serving contains coffee and ice, without milk or syrup.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- Home pour: 240 g (8.5 oz) black cold brew before ice. The café reference below is a different serving.
- Made with
- Home batch: 80 g ground coffee + 720 g (24.3 US fl oz) water
- Sugar
- 0 g in the café reference. The plain home recipe also has no added sugar; additions change the drink.
- Preparation
- Home recipe: 16-hour steep plus about 10 minutes active work
Starbucks figures refer to its US Grande, 16 US fl oz standard black drink, checked October 1, 2026. Use the named product and size when comparing these figures. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1The 1:9 ratio describes dry coffee to brewing water. Weigh the filtered yield before counting servings.
- 2More water makes a fixed coffee portion less concentrated; it does not remove its caffeine.
- 3Refrigerate throughout brewing and storage. Add milk and sweeteners to the serving, rather than the whole batch.
On This Page12 Sections
Cold Brew Ratio Guide
Check whether your coffee is ready to drink or concentrated before adding water. Both can be called cold brew; check the recipe or label for dilution directions.
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| Starting style | Dry coffee + brewing water | What to do after filtering |
|---|---|---|
| This ready-to-drink recipe | 80 g + 720 g (24.3 US fl oz), or 1:9 by mass | Taste black first; add water only if wanted |
| A concentrate recipe | More coffee per gram of brewing water | Follow that recipe's serving dilution |
| Bottled cold brew | Check whether the label says concentrate | Use the label's prepared serving, not just bottle size |
The National Coffee Association's reference method starts around 1:4–1:5. This page's 1:9 batch is a separate, lighter home starting point. To scale the batch to another ratio, use the cold brew ratio calculator.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
Recipe
Refrigerated Cold Brew
- Makes:
- 1 filtered batch; weigh the recovered yield
- Time:
- 16 hours steeping + about 10 minutes active work; filtering may take longer
Ingredients
- 80 g medium-coarse ground coffee
- 720 g (24.3 US fl oz) cold drinking water
- Ice, optional, added after measuring each serving
Equipment
- Covered food-safe jar or pitcher (at least 1 litre / 34 US fl oz)
- Kitchen scales and spoon
- Mesh strainer and supported paper coffee filter
- Clean receiver and covered storage container
- Refrigerator thermometer
Method
- Combine. Put 80 g medium-coarse ground coffee and 720 g (24.3 US fl oz) cold drinking water in a clean jar or pitcher. Stir gently until all the grounds are wet, cover and mark the brew-start date.
- Refrigerate. Keep the covered mixture at 4°C / 40°F or colder for 16 hours. Adjust the next batch by taste.
- Filter and weigh. Strain into a clean receiver, then pass through a rinsed paper coffee filter in a supported holder. Weigh the recovered liquid after subtracting the empty receiver weight; the grounds retain some water.
- Pour and taste. Tare the empty glass first, then measure 240 g (8.5 oz) filtered cold brew into it. Taste it black, then add ice or a measured splash of water if desired. Keep milk and sweeteners optional.
- Store promptly. Transfer the remaining plain coffee to a clean covered container and refrigerate at 4°C / 40°F or colder. Aim to use it within a few days and do not keep it beyond day seven, counting the brew-start day as day one.
Recipe notes
Weigh the filtered batch and divide by 240 g (8.5 oz) for portions. The seven-day outer limit is adapted from retail guidance, not a guaranteed home shelf life.
Allow extra time for slow paper filtration.
See the storage basis for the refrigeration guidance.
Over a full glass of ice, I taste again after a few minutes. Sometimes the serving changes more than I expected as it melts. I account for that before deciding the next batch needs a different brewing recipe.
How Much Does the Batch Make?
For example, if your recovered batch weighs 600 g (21.2 oz), it provides two full 240 g (8.5 oz) portions plus 120 g (4.2 oz) left over. A 240 g (8.5 oz) black portion is roughly 240 ml (8.1 US fl oz) for kitchen planning, but use grams throughout the weighing calculation.
For equipment choices, larger batches and extraction adjustments, see the cold-brew brewing guide. This drink guide focuses on what reaches your glass.
Concentrate, Ready-to-Drink and Kyoto Slow Drip
Concentrate describes strength; immersion and slow drip describe extraction. Immersion keeps grounds and water together during the steep. Kyoto-style cold drip passes water slowly through a coffee bed. Either still needs a clearly defined serving.
For a concentrate dilution example, OXO's compact-brewer instructions suggest 59 ml (2 US fl oz) concentrate with 118–177 ml (4–6 US fl oz) water or milk: a 1:2 to 1:3 serving ratio. That recommendation belongs to its concentrate, not to the 1:9 ready-to-drink batch above.
Adjust a 240 G Black Serving
For the same well-mixed filtered batch, these water-only options keep the final liquid mass at 240 g (8.5 oz) before ice:
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| Cold brew | Added water | Caffeine relative to 240 g (8.5 oz) of that batch |
|---|---|---|
| 240 g (8.5 oz) | None | 100% |
| 180 g (6.3 oz) | 60 g (2 US fl oz) | 75% |
| 120 g (4.2 oz) | 120 g (4.1 US fl oz) | 50% |
Replacing some coffee with water lowers the amount of caffeine in a fixed-size glass. Adding water to the same coffee portion does not. For example, 240 g (8.5 oz) coffee plus 120 g (4.1 US fl oz) water makes a larger 360 g (12.7 oz) drink with the original portion's total caffeine.
Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee
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| Drink | How the coffee is made | What to expect when ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Cold brew | Extracted with cool water, then filtered | Ask whether it is already diluted and whether milk or syrup is included |
| Iced coffee | Usually brewed hot, then chilled | A cold serving without an overnight steep |
| Japanese iced coffee | Hot coffee brewed directly onto measured ice | A fresh brew that chills during preparation |
| Iced Americano | Espresso plus water and ice | Shot count and water portion determine the build |
| Nitro cold brew | Cold brew served with nitrogen | A foamy, cascading texture; nitrogen itself adds no caffeine |
Compare caffeine by the prepared serving: a large ready-to-drink drink can contain more than a small concentrate portion.
Sweet Cream and Flavored Cold Brew
Choose the finish as well as the coffee. These separate serving recipes start with prepared cold brew:
- Vanilla sweet cream cold brew: a pourable vanilla cream finish that mixes into the coffee.
- Chocolate cream cold brew: a lightly frothed chocolate cream topping.
- Salted caramel cream cold brew: caramel sweetness with salt measured into the cream.
- Pumpkin cream cold brew: a pumpkin-and-spice cream cap over cold coffee.
Caffeine and Calories
Compare caffeine by product and serving size. These two US product examples were checked on October 1, 2026:
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| Named reference | Stated serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Starbucks black Cold Brew | Grande, 473 ml (16 US fl oz) | About 205 mg |
| La Colombe Cold Brew can | 266 ml (9 US fl oz) | 180 mg |
These two product references do not measure our 240 g (8.5 oz) home pour. The smaller can has nearly as much caffeine as the larger café drink: compare the named product and serving, not glass size.
The Starbucks reference also lists 5 kcal and 0 g sugar for its plain coffee-and-ice drink. Plain black cold brew is generally very low in calories.
Serving assumptions and nutrition sources
Beans, dry dose, extraction, filtered yield and dilution affect caffeine. Keep the home serving weight and the labeled commercial portions separate when comparing them.
Milk, cream, sweetened cold foam and syrups change the calorie and sugar total. Use the quantity actually added and its label. Unsweetened does not always mean calorie-free, particularly with milk-based versions. For a fuller milk drink, use the cold brew latte recipe.
Decaf beans can make a lower-caffeine batch, but decaf is not necessarily caffeine-free; use a product's declared amount when available.
Flavor and Acidity
Cold brew can taste rounded and chocolate-like, fruity, or distinctly roasty. The beans, concentration and filtration matter: paper removes more fine sediment than a loose mesh, while milk changes body and softens the coffee's intensity.
Smoother taste does not mean acid-free. A 2018 study of six coffees found comparable pH values for its hot and cold brews, even though the hot samples had higher titratable acidity. Those are different measurements; neither supports a universal claim that every cold brew is a fixed percentage less acidic or easier on everyone's stomach.
Choose beans by the flavors you enjoy rather than treating “cold brew beans” as a required species. A medium roast is a practical starting point; a lighter or darker roast can work when its flavor suits the serving.
Grind, Steep Time and Temperature
Start medium-coarse, with grounds that are practical to strain. Extremely coarse chunks may brew weakly; abundant fines can clog paper filters and leave a muddy cup.
Start with the 16-hour refrigerated steep, then adjust by taste. Extraction research examines specific coffees, grinds and temperatures; its timing cannot simply be copied to every fridge recipe.
For the next batch, change one variable. If the coffee is weak before dilution, check the dose, saturation and grind before adding more hours. If it is strong but tastes pleasant, adjust the serving water. For detailed grind and filter choices, use the brewing guide.
Troubleshooting Cold Brew
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| Problem | First check | Useful adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Watery over ice | How much water or melted ice was added? | Taste the refrigerated brew before ice; reduce added water |
| Thin even before dilution | Dose, dry pockets or very coarse grind | Confirm 80 g coffee to 720 g (24.3 US fl oz) water, wet evenly, then try a slightly finer grind |
| Too intense but otherwise pleasant | Is it concentrate? | Add measured water to the serving |
| Harsh or woody | Roast, grind and steep time | Return to the baseline; try a coarser grind or shorter steep next batch |
| Muddy or gritty | Fine sediment passing through mesh | Add paper filtration; let it drain without forcing the grounds |
| Paper filter drains slowly | Too many fines at once | Strain first, then filter the liquid in smaller portions |
Cloudiness alone does not diagnose spoilage. Storage time, temperature and handling matter; use the safety guidance below rather than treating appearance as a safety test.
Storage and Food Safety
Keep homemade cold brew covered at 4°C / 40°F or colder during brewing and storage. Use clean food-safe equipment and drinking water. Store the batch plain; add milk and sweeteners when serving.
Aim to finish it within a few days. For this home workflow, use seven days as an outer limit, counting the brew-start day as day one. This adopts a cautious limit from Wisconsin DATCP's retail guidance, which specifies refrigeration at 41°F or below and no more than seven days from production. That document applies to retail establishments; it does not validate every home recipe or guarantee safety until day seven.
For coffee that has been left out, follow FDA's general rule for foods needing refrigeration: discard after more than two hours at room temperature, or one hour when the air is above 90°F / 32°C. Discard visible mold or unexpected gas or odor too, and do not taste a questionable batch to decide whether it is safe.
Commercial bottles have their own processing and storage instructions. Follow the package, including its after-opening limit; do not apply a shelf-stable can's life to a homemade jar.
Questions About Cold Brew Coffee
Can I Steep Cold Brew at Room Temperature?
Some published methods do, but this recipe is designed for continuous refrigeration. Changing temperature changes both extraction and handling requirements; use the fridge for this version.
Is Cold Brew the Same as Iced Coffee?
On most café menus, no: cold brew is extracted cool, while conventional iced coffee is brewed hot and chilled. Both may be served over ice.
Should I Dilute Cold Brew Concentrate Before Storing It?
Follow the product or recipe instructions. Keeping homemade concentrate plain makes it easier to adjust individual servings. Adding water does not reset the storage clock.
Can I Warm Cold Brew?
Yes. “Cold brew” describes extraction, not a required serving temperature. Warm only the portion you intend to drink. For concentrate, hot water can supply the serving dilution.
Editor's Take
Research Notes and Sources
8 references
External links open in a new tab
Preparation and dilution
Nutrition references
Research and safety
- Rao and Fuller, Scientific ReportsCold-brew acidity measurementsStudy-specific pH and titratable acidity results, not a universal health claim.(opens in a new tab)
- Fuller and Rao, Scientific ReportsCold-brew extraction researchTime, roast and grind experiments; timing is specific to the studied conditions.(opens in a new tab)
- Wisconsin DATCPRefrigeration and date markingRetail-only guidance adapted for the home workflow, not a validated home shelf life.(opens in a new tab)
- US Food and Drug AdministrationRefrigerated-food handlingRefrigerator temperature and room-temperature holding guidance.(opens in a new tab)