How to Make Mason Jar Cold Brew Coffee from Cleo Coyle's Dead Cold Brew

Cold Brew Coffee is a smooth and refreshing beverage. The flavor is outstanding, never weak or watery as many iced coffees can be. Cold Brew is also insanely easy to make.

Although there are many recipes for Cold Brew, our favorite is this Mason Jar Method. The jar’s lid seals the coffee in an airtight lock, keeping it fresh as you steep it—and after you filter it. This process is easy, practical, and (best of all) inexpensive. So let’s make some Cold Brew!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Click for the Free Recipe PDF.

☕ To download a free PDF of this recipe right now, click here.

☕ To view the video version of this post, click here to keep reading...

A Note from Cleo

Cleo Coyle writes two bestselling
mystery series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

If you're a reader of our Coffeehouse Mysteries, then you may remember this recipe from our recent bestseller Dead Cold Brew, the book where our amateur sleuth Clare finally agrees to marry again.

The Cold Brew method we shared is the very same one we use at home: Coarsely ground coffee is stirred into cold water and allowed to steep in a sealed Mason jar for roughly 12 hours. After steeping, the grounds are strained into a clean jar. Then the Cold Brewed Coffee can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

Free Recipe Guide

Click for Free Recipe Guide

If you're new to cold brew, remember that it's a coffee concentrate, and you should dilute it before serving. Some people use water. Others simply pour it over ice. You might also add chilled milk, half-and-half, or light cream. Sugar or other sweeteners, including flavored syrups, are delicious additions, as well. However you make and serve your Cold Brew Coffee, Marc and I hope you drink with joy! ~ Cleo

Mason Jar Cold Brew Coffee

*
Recipe Text and Photos by Cleo Coyle

Makes about 3 2/3 cup of concentrated Cold Brew, which will give you about 48 ounces of drinkable beverage, once diluted

Ingredients:

2 wide-mouth Mason jars, quart size, 32 oz. (see or buy examples here)

3/4-cup (50 grams) coarsely ground coffee

4 cups cold water (filtered or bottled for best quality)

Coffee filter cone (pour-over cone), size #2 (see or buy example here)

Paper coffee filters, cone shaped, size #2 or #4 (see or buy example here)

Cleo Tip: We like to replace the metal lids on the wide-mouth quart jars with re-usable plastic lids. See or buy examples here.

Directions:

Step 1—Choose and grind your coffee: The best coffee to use for Cold Brew is one with a strong, bold flavor, which is why we suggest a medium-dark or dark roast. Be sure to use freshly roasted coffee and grind your coffee fresh, on the coarse setting, as you would if making hot coffee in a French press.

Step 2—Steep your coffee: Place your ground coffee into the wide-mouth Mason jar. Add your water. Note that because of the amount of coffee grounds, you will not be able to fit all four cups of cold water into the quart-sized jar, and that’s okay. Stir the grounds between pours and you will be able to fit more water in. Pour all the way to the top of the jar and stir well.

Seal the jar, gently shake it, and stand it in the fridge with a label that indicates when 12 hours have elapsed.

Step 3—Flip and shake again for good mixing: After a few hours, we like to gently shake the jar again and turn it upside down, just to make sure the grounds stay well mixed.

Step 4—Filter the coffee: After the Cold Brew has steeped, filter it. While you can use cheesecloth and a kitchen strainer, we suggest that you invest in the purchase of an inexpensive coffee filter cone (aka pour-over cone) size #2. This is the perfect size for placing right over the mouth of your Mason jar. (FYI: This size cone also can be used over a coffee mug to make a single, pour-over cup of hot coffee.) You will also need disposable paper filters (cone-shaped size #2 or #4), to place inside your plastic cone.

Slowly pour the steeped Cold Brew through the filter, into your second, clean Mason jar. This process will take a few minutes, as the coffee drips down into the jar, leaving the grounds and silt in the filter.

Step 5—Coffee concentrate service: As mentioned above, this is a concentrated coffee. To drink it, you will need to dilute it. You can add cold water; and/or pour it over ice; and/or add half-and-half (or milk or cream). Sugars and syrups are up to you. Experiment with what makes your taste buds happy.

WHERE DO I GET IT?

We are often asked where to buy materials. Our best answer for a national audience is an online store. Click the links below to learn more or purchase these items, or look for them in a local store...

*Wide-Mouth Quart-Size

(32 ounce) Canning Jars
(Mason Jars)