The guide
How to brew cold-brew at home.
Cold extraction is the simplest coffee method in the world. Two ingredients. Twelve hours. No machine. Here's the complete guide we wished we had in 2019.
What is cold brew, really?
Cold brew is coffee extracted with cold water over a long time (12-18 hours). The slow cold extraction pulls out chocolate, brown sugar, and nut notes while leaving behind the bitter compounds and most of the acidity. Cold brew is NOT iced coffee. Iced coffee is hot-brewed coffee poured over ice — it dilutes and shows every defect. Cold brew is a different drink, brewed differently from the start, and it stays smooth no matter what you add.
The four things you need.
1. Medium-coarse ground coffee — finer than French press, coarser than drip. Our Coffee Pack is pre-ground to this spec. 2. Cold filtered water — straight from the fridge or filtered tap. 3. A jar or pitcher — a mason jar works perfectly. 4. A filter — paper cone, fine-mesh sieve, or a reusable cloth filter. That's it. No machine. No electricity.
The night-before recipe.
Use a 1:8 ratio by weight — 25 g coffee to 200 ml water. Mix in your jar. Stir once to wet the grounds. Cover, refrigerate 12-18 hours. The next morning: strain through your filter. Pour over ice. Dilute 1:1 with milk or water. First sip: smooth, round, chocolatey. No bitterness.
Common mistakes.
Using fine grind: makes it bitter and over-extracted. Use medium-coarse. Brewing at room temperature: changes the flavor profile, introduces unwanted acidity. Always fridge-temperature. Steeping too long: 18 hours is the ceiling. Beyond that, it gets muddy. Not straining well: leaves grit. Use a paper or fine-mesh filter, not just a coarse strainer.
Storage + shelf life.
Once strained, cold brew keeps refrigerated for 7-10 days. The concentrate (un-diluted) keeps longer than the diluted drink. Store in a sealed glass jar. Discard if it smells off or develops a film.
Going further.
Once you have the basics, try a flavored steep — add 2 crushed cardamom pods to the jar overnight (Egyptian-style), or a stick of cinnamon. Try the Tahini-Honey recipe (one teaspoon of each in the cup, stirred in). See our recipe page for six tested variations.
Skip the trial-and-error
Get the coffee pack tuned for this exact method.
We've spent five years dialling the roast, the grind, and the bean for cold-water extraction specifically. EGP 200 for 25 cups. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get the Coffee Pack — EGP 200 →