You Can Make Cold Brew Without A Coffee Maker. Here's How
One simple (and our favorite) way to get your caffeine fix in the summer is with a cup of cold brew. You do all the actual work ahead of time so when you wake up, it's sitting there in your refrigerator, ready to go and waiting to welcome you to the day. Many people make cold brew by just leaving a pot of coffee out overnight to cool, but we're here to tell you there's a better, tastier method that doesn't involve a coffee maker at all! Plus, it lasts way longer than your day-old pot of Mr. Coffee ever could.
Almost as easy as letting a cafe make it for you and a thousand times cheaper, Consumer Reports offers a handy step-by-step guide to making cold brew with only a few items you likely already own: two large containers (they recommend mason jars or pitchers), coarsely ground coffee, cold water, and a funnel with a coffee filter placed inside. The only real downside to this process is that it really needs to be done a day ahead of time, so you have to plan for when you're going to run out.
Making cold brew coffee at home can take 12 to 24 hours
Similar to brewing iced tea, you just need to combine 1/4 pound coarsely ground coffee (around 1 1/2 cups) with three cups of cold water. Stir and let it steep at room temperature for at least 12 hours. The longer it sits, the stronger it becomes. Patrick Main, the beverage innovator at Peet's Coffee, told Consumer Reports that you want to steep the coffee at room temperature because warmer air gives you a "broader spectrum of flavors." Main says if you need to, you can let the coffee steep in the refrigerator, "but the coffee will extract more slowly, so I would recommend letting it steep for around 18 hours." The Kitchn agrees with Main; in their cold brew guide which uses the refrigerator for this step, they suggest you steep cold brew for between 18 to 24 hours to achieve the best results.
After your coffee is done steeping, place the filter and funnel over your empty storage vessel. (You can do this without the funnel, but the whole process is much easier with one.) Slowly pour the cold brew into the filter to strain out the grounds, and you're done! Chill for up to two weeks. When you're ready to drink it, just be sure to dilute the concentrate with some milk or ice if you like a very strong brew, or a ratio of one part cold water to one part cold brew for a milder cup.