Cold brew is coffee that was never brewed hot, and that single difference is why it tastes rounder, sweeter, and far less acidic. What separates it from iced coffee, the grind and ratio that matter, how long concentrate keeps, and which roasts actually survive a cold steep.
Coffee Education
Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for twelve hours or more, and the low temperature is the whole point. Heat is what pulls the sharp, bitter compounds out of coffee, so leaving it out produces a cup that is rounder, sweeter, and markedly lower in acidity. It is also the easiest brewing method to get right, because nothing happens fast enough to go wrong.
What Cold Brew Is, and Is Not
Cold brew is coffee that was never brewed hot. Coarse grounds sit in cold or room temperature water for twelve to twenty-four hours, and the extraction happens slowly at low temperature.
Cold brew and iced coffee are different drinks. Iced coffee is brewed hot and then chilled, so it carries all the acidity and bitterness that hot water extracted, just cold. Cold brew never gets hot, so those compounds are never pulled out in the first place. That is why the two taste nothing alike even when they use the same beans.
What the Cold Water Changes
Temperature decides which compounds dissolve. Hot water is an aggressive solvent and pulls almost everything, including the acids and the bitter compounds. Cold water is selective, and works slowly enough that time replaces heat as the driver.
Lower acidity. This is the most reliable difference and the reason cold brew suits sensitive stomachs. Covered further in our piece on acidity in coffee.
More perceived sweetness. With less acidity and bitterness competing, the sugars and chocolate notes come forward.
Heavier, rounder body. Cold brew reads thicker in the mouth than the same coffee brewed hot.
Muted brightness. The trade is real. Delicate floral and citrus notes largely do not survive a cold steep, which is why light roasts tend to read flat as cold brew.
Making It at Home
You need coarse grounds, cold water, a container, and something to strain with. That is the whole equipment list.
Grind coarse. Coarser than French press, roughly the texture of coarse sea salt. Fine grounds turn the strain into a mess and push the cup bitter. Our grind size chart puts cold brew at the extra coarse end.
Use a 1 to 4 ratio for concentrate. One part coffee to four parts water by weight. For a ready-to-drink brew rather than a concentrate, go 1 to 8.
Stir once, then leave it. Make sure every ground is wet, then stop touching it. Agitation during the steep pulls bitterness.
Steep 12 to 24 hours. In the fridge is the safer choice and gives a cleaner result. At room temperature it extracts faster, so stay closer to twelve hours.
Strain twice. Once through a fine mesh sieve to catch the grounds, then through a paper filter or cheesecloth if you want it clear rather than silty.
If straining is the part that puts you off, our Cold Brew packs skip it entirely. Two pouches into a 48 ounce pitcher, four cups of cold filtered water, do not stir, twenty to twenty-four hours in the fridge, then pull the pouches out and add two to three cups of water to taste. It is the BoneFrog Blend, so the cup lands on milk chocolate and caramel.
Concentrate, Dilution, and Storage
Concentrate is simply cold brew made at a stronger ratio and diluted when you pour rather than when you brew. It is the more practical way to make it, because it takes less fridge space and lets you set the strength cup by cup.
Form
Ratio
Keeps refrigerated
Concentrate, undiluted
1 part coffee to 4 parts water
Up to two weeks
Ready to drink, diluted
1 part coffee to 8 parts water
Three to seven days
Dilute concentrate roughly one to one with water or milk and adjust from there. Over ice, start stronger, because melt will thin it as you drink.
Choosing the Beans
Medium through dark roasts are the standard recommendation for cold brew, and the reason is the one above: a cold steep mutes brightness, so the qualities that make a light roast worth drinking are the first to go. Chocolate, caramel, nut, and earth notes survive the process and get more prominent.
Cold Brew packs
The purpose-built option. Pre-portioned pouches of the BoneFrog Blend, no grinding and no straining. Medium bodied, low acidity, milk chocolate and caramel.
Frogman Blend
A dark roast for a heavier, chocolate-forward concentrate. The classic method, and the one to reach for if you drink cold brew with milk.
Goat Locker
The very dark end. Smoky and toffee-like, and intense enough that it holds up to heavy dilution and ice without disappearing.
What to avoid
Light roasts, unless you are curious. They can make interesting cold brew, but the delicate notes you paid for mostly will not make it through the steep.
Start a Batch Tonight
Twelve hours from now it is ready. Roasted daily, shipped the same day. A portion of every purchase supports Naval Special Warfare Foundations.
Cold brew coffee is coffee made by steeping coarse grounds in cold or room temperature water for twelve to twenty-four hours instead of brewing with heat. The slow, low-temperature extraction produces a smoother, sweeter cup with noticeably less acidity and bitterness. It is different from iced coffee, which is brewed hot and then chilled.
Is cold brew less acidic than hot coffee?
Yes, cold brew is less acidic than the same coffee brewed hot. Heat is what extracts most of the acidic and bitter compounds from coffee grounds, so a cold steep never pulls them out in the same quantity. This is why cold brew is often recommended to people who find hot coffee hard on the stomach.
Does cold brew have more caffeine than regular coffee?
Cold brew concentrate has more caffeine than regular coffee by volume, because it is brewed at a much stronger ratio. Once diluted for drinking, it lands in a similar range to hot brewed coffee. The caffeine itself behaves no differently in the body regardless of how the coffee was brewed, so what matters is the dose in the cup rather than the method.
How long does cold brew last in the fridge?
Undiluted cold brew concentrate keeps for up to two weeks refrigerated in a sealed container. Once diluted with water or milk it should be treated as a fresh drink and finished within three to seven days. Flavor fades before safety becomes a concern, so the first few days are the best of it either way.
What grind and ratio should you use for cold brew?
Cold brew needs a coarse grind, roughly the texture of coarse sea salt and coarser than you would use for French press. For a concentrate, use one part coffee to four parts water by weight, and for a ready-to-drink brew use one part coffee to eight. Steep for twelve to twenty-four hours, preferably in the fridge, then strain.
Because our gourmet coffee is roasted fresh and is a perishable food product, we cannot accept returns or refunds on any coffee purchases, and all sales are final.
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First off: super friendly people! Great response to inquiries!
Second: I like very dark, oily bean (re: Starbucks Expresso); I opened up my bag of Bonefrog French Roast Beans—huzzah! Wicked dark, wicked oily!!
I left my settings on the Breville where I had (painstakingly!) set them for the SB beans—grinder spun more quickly, slightly more grind, strong pull—awesome shots!
Since I am on a “Fixed Income” the two-bag purchase was a treat ($$ for beans, $$ for shipping). I am going to switch back to the SB beans for a bag so as to keep the second BF bag for the fall.
If you are a lover of great beans AND great people grab some bags!
In honor of me Father-In-Law (Go Navy!) and all those who serve—thank you!
Tony Harris
Hi Tony, thank you so much for your kind words and detailed review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the French Roast and your experience with our team. Your support means a lot, especially in honoring your Father-In-Law and all who serve. We look forward to serving you again soon!
Cheers,
Tim
