Cold brew (immersion)

Coarse coffee steeped for many hours in cold water, then filtered. Low heat means low acidity and a smooth, sweet profile; the trade-off is time and a large dose of coffee.

Cold

Ratio
1:4.0to 1:16.7
Temperature
4–22°C
Time
8–24 h
Grind
Coarse

How it works

Cut away, step by step
Cold water:time does the extracting
10 h 52 min

Steep 12-24 hours, refrigerated or at room temperature

Parameters

Working ranges
Ratio, coffee to water
1:4.0 to 1:16.760–250 g per litre
Dose
50–500 g
Water
500–4,000 ml
Water temperature
4–22 °C39–72 °F
Contact time
8–24 h
Grind
Coarse
Pressure
Atmospheric
Filter
Cloth, paper or mesh

Ranges are this atlas's summary of common practice, not a standard. Published standards are listed separately below, with their sources.

Where it sits among 29 methods

Temperature 0°100°
Time 10 s25 h
Strength 0 g/L650 g/L

Pale bars are the other methods; strength is grams of coffee per litre of water.

Published standards

Numbers as facts, with their source

No competition or certification body publishes figures for this method.

Origins and brewers

Origins of the method

Year
not published
Where
not published

Traditional; the Toddy cold-brew system (1964) and Japanese and Dutch slow-drip traditions are commonly cited; not confirmed by a primary source

Brewers

Cold brewImmersion