Slow-Steeped Cold Brew Concentrate (Coffee-Shop Strength)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The 1:5 concentrate that third-wave coffee bars keep in a keg under the counter, made in a pitcher on your counter instead. Coarse-ground medium roast steeps 18 hours at room temperature, then gets a two-stage strain — mesh first, paper second — so the finished concentrate is sweet, chocolatey and completely grit-free. One batch lives in the fridge for two weeks and turns into iced lattes, americanos or a splash-of-cream desk coffee in about 30 seconds.

Ingredients

• 300 g whole medium-roast coffee beans (about 3 3/4 cups once coarsely ground)
• 6 1/4 cups filtered water, cool or room temperature (1.5 L)
• 1 pinch fine sea salt (optional, about 1/8 tsp)

• ice
• cold whole milk, oat milk, or heavy cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for simple syrup)
• 1/2 cup water (for simple syrup)
• 1 strip orange peel or 1 vanilla bean, split (optional, for the syrup)
• flaky salt or grated nutmeg, for finishing

Instructions

1. Grind the beans coarse — noticeably coarser than drip, closer to raw sugar or coarse breadcrumbs. If you're buying pre-ground, ask for cold brew or French press grind. Fine grounds are the single biggest cause of muddy, bitter concentrate and a strain that takes forever.
2. Put the grounds in a 2-quart pitcher, large jar, or French press. Add the filtered water in two or three pours, stirring gently with a long spoon after each addition until every ground is wet — dry pockets floating on top means weak, uneven extraction. Add the pinch of salt if using; it quietly rounds off any harshness.
3. Cover the vessel (plastic wrap, a lid set loosely, or the French press plunger left up) and let it steep at room temperature, out of direct sun, for 18 hours. Range: 16 hours for a brighter, fruitier cup, up to 20 for maximum body. Do not stir again during the steep. If your kitchen runs above 78°F, steep 4 hours on the counter then move it to the fridge and extend the total to 24 hours.
4. Strain stage one: set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour the slurry through, letting it drip on its own. Do not press or squeeze the bed of grounds — that's where the bitterness and silt live. Let it drain 5 minutes, then discard the grounds (they're great in the compost).
5. Strain stage two: line the rinsed sieve with a paper coffee filter, a double layer of cheesecloth, or a nut-milk bag, set it over a clean pitcher or wide-mouth jar, and pour the liquid through in batches. This pass takes 10 to 20 minutes and is what separates flat-tasting homemade cold brew from café-clean concentrate. If a filter clogs, swap in a fresh one rather than pushing the liquid through.
6. You should end up with about 4 to 4 1/2 cups (1 L) of very dark, syrupy concentrate. Seal it and refrigerate. It's good immediately and holds its sweetness for 10 to 14 days; after that it starts tasting flat and papery.
7. Optional simple syrup: combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, add the orange peel or vanilla bean, and heat over medium, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves and it comes to a bare simmer, about 3 minutes. Cool, discard the peel or bean, and refrigerate up to 1 month.
8. To serve an iced americano: fill a 16-ounce glass with ice, add 1/2 cup concentrate and 1/2 cup cold water, and stir. For an iced latte: 1/2 cup concentrate over ice topped with 3/4 cup cold milk. For a small, punchy desk coffee: 1/4 cup concentrate, 1/4 cup hot water, and a splash of cream. Sweeten with 1 to 2 teaspoons syrup and finish with flaky salt or nutmeg if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem