To make a small, ready-to-drink cold brew for one, combine 25 grams of coarsely ground coffee with 350 grams (about 350 mL) of cold drinking water. Steep covered in the refrigerator for roughly 14–18 hours, then filter thoroughly. This is a starting ratio of 1:14 by mass, not a concentrated coffee syrup. You will collect somewhat less than 350 mL because the coffee grounds retain water.
Ingredients and equipment
You need 25 g coarse coffee, 350 g clean cold water, a jar large enough to hold both with stirring room, a spoon, and a paper filter or fine mesh strainer. A digital kitchen scale makes a tiny batch much easier to repeat. Use a container intended for food, with a lid, and refrigerate while steeping.
Step 1: Mix without making dry pockets
Add the coarse grounds to your jar, then pour in all the cold water and stir gently until every particle is wet. Coffee can float briefly; that is normal. Put the lid on and place the jar in the refrigerator. There is no need for a hot-water bloom; that would change the extraction method.
Step 2: Steep according to taste
Start tasting around 14 hours and strain when the coffee tastes balanced for you. Many home batches need about 14–18 hours in the refrigerator, but grind, roast and preference matter. A longer steep is not automatically better. If your coffee is thin, first check that you weighed the grounds correctly rather than steeping indefinitely.
Step 3: Filter and taste before adding ice
Pour slowly through a fine sieve, then through a paper filter if you want fewer fine particles. Paper filtration may take time because small sediment clogs the filter. Rinse and clean your equipment promptly after filtering. Chill the finished drink and taste it before adding ice or milk; those additions will further dilute or soften the flavor.
What if the batch is too strong or too weak?
For a softer cup, add cold water in small measured portions, such as 25–50 mL, and taste again. If it tastes watery from the start, try 30 g coffee with 350 g water next time (about 1:11.7). If it tastes bitter or harsh, check the grind and steep duration. Keep notes on the ratio, roast and time instead of changing everything at once.
How this recipe differs from a concentrate
A concentrate deliberately uses proportionally more coffee and is intended to be mixed with water or milk later. Our 1:14 recipe begins closer to drinking strength. For more on that distinction, read concentrate versus ready-to-drink cold brew.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use pre-ground coffee?
Yes. If it is much finer than a typical cold-brew grind, expect more sediment and slower filtering. See cold brew with pre-ground coffee.
Can I make the entire recipe using tablespoons?
You can estimate, but tablespoons of ground coffee are not reliably interchangeable across grind sizes and roasts. Weighing grams is the easiest way to maintain the intended ratio.
Does 350 grams of water mean 350 grams of finished coffee?
No. Grounds soak up some liquid, and filters hold back a little more. The recipe is designed around the input water amount; final yield varies.
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