Cold Brew Cafetiere Recipe
A cafetiere already has a built-in metal filter, so it doubles as a steeping vessel and a strainer, no extra cold brew equipment needed. The long cold steep pulls flavor and caffeine out of the grounds slowly, without the heat that extracts the bitter, acidic compounds you get from hot brewing.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 720 min
- Total
- 725 min
- Servings
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup coffee beans, coarsely ground
- 4 cups cold filtered water, for steeping
- 4 cups cold water or milk, for diluting to serve
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 0
- Protein
- 0g
- Carbs
- 0g
- Fat
- 0g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →
Instructions
- 1Grind the coffee beans coarsely, to about the texture of raw sugar or coarse sea salt. If using pre-ground coffee, choose a coarse grind labeled for French press or cold brew.
- 2Add the ground coffee directly to the empty cafetiere carafe.
- 3Pour the cold filtered water over the grounds. Stir gently with a spoon or chopstick until every bit of coffee is saturated and no dry clumps float on top.
- 4Set the plunger and lid on top but leave the plunger pulled all the way up, don't press down yet. Move the cafetiere to the refrigerator and let it steep for 12 to 18 hours.
- 5After steeping, slowly and evenly press the plunger down to separate the spent grounds from the liquid below.
- 6Pour the brewed concentrate through a fine paper coffee filter or a few layers of cheesecloth into a clean jar to catch the fine silty sediment that slips past the cafetiere's metal filter.
- 7To serve, dilute the concentrate with cold water or milk in roughly a 1:1 ratio, adjusting to taste, and pour over ice.
Tips & variations
- Use a coffee-to-water ratio of about 1:4 for a strong concentrate meant to be diluted, or 1:8 if you want to drink it straight over ice without adding more water.
- Steeping longer than 18 hours doesn't add much more caffeine but does pull out more bitterness, so don't leave it much past that window.
- For a sweeter, less acidic cup, try a medium-roast, low-acid bean like a Brazilian or Sumatran coffee rather than a light roast.
- Add a splash of vanilla extract or a cinnamon stick to the grounds before steeping for a lightly flavored cold brew without syrup.
Storage & reheating
Store the strained concentrate in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It doesn't need reheating; keep it cold and dilute individual servings as you pour them so the whole batch doesn't get watered down at once.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Stirring the grounds well right after adding the water matters more than people expect, dry clumps that never get wet just sit there unextracted and waste coffee.
- If the cafetiere's lid seal is loose, cover the top with plastic wrap before refrigerating so the coffee doesn't pick up other fridge smells over the long steep.
FAQ
Can I use a regular French press for cold brew, or do I need a special cold brew maker?
A standard cafetiere works fine. The main difference from a dedicated cold brew maker is that you'll need to strain the coffee a second time through a paper filter, since French press mesh alone lets fine grit through.
Why does my cold brew taste weak?
Weak cold brew usually means too little coffee for the water or too short a steep. Increase the ratio toward 1:4 and make sure it steeps a full 12 hours before plunging.
Can I steep the cafetiere at room temperature instead of the fridge?
Yes, and it will finish faster, often in 8 to 12 hours, but refrigerator steeping is more forgiving of timing and less likely to develop sour, over-extracted notes.
Does cold brew have more caffeine than hot-brewed coffee?
Concentrate for concentrate, cold brew is often stronger simply because it's typically made with more coffee grounds per cup of water; once diluted to drinking strength, the caffeine per cup is comparable to a strong drip coffee.
