The Absolute Best Steep Time For Cold Brew, According To An Expert

For the days where work seems endless, a cold brew is the proper drink to fuel a busy day. Costing around $5 to $6 at your favorite coffee shop, buying this elixir daily is not the most sustainable option for your wallet. The solution is easy: Save money by making this rocket-fuel coffee at home. Trust us — the process is super simple. But there are a few cold brew mistakes to be aware of before you begin, such as the steep time. 

To understand what the best steep time for cold brew is, Chowhound spoke exclusively to an expert, Taylor Young, an ACS certified Chemist and the Quality Director at Copper Moon Coffee. Young claims that "the optimal steep time is 12 to 18 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator." This is a pretty generous window of time, so you'll find it difficult to ruin cold brew. 

If you've attempted homemade cold brew but the mixture didn't taste quite like the coffee shop version, the steep time was likely a factor. Young shares that this window of time is important because too short a steep time results in weak, sour coffee, while too long a steep makes a bitter, muddy brew. By managing the steep time correctly, cold brew coffee leaves bitter and acidic components behind, while still having a smooth, full-bodied flavor and a higher caffeine level than the average cup. 

Every barista and coffee blog has an ideal recipe and steep time, so know that the 12-to-18-hour time limit is not a rule set in stone. Some people brew up to 24 hours, but it's rare to steep less than 12. For example, Starbucks steeps its cold brew for 20 hours. It's okay to taste during the steeping process to determine if the brew needs to sit for longer or if it's ready to be strained.

When taking the dive into making homemade cold brew, your first batch may not be your best batch. It might take some time to figure out what adjustments suit your taste. A lighter brew at 12 hours might be ideal for drinking black, or a more concentrated brew at 18 hours could be perfect with a splash of oat milk creamer. It's better to have a stronger brew, which can always be diluted with water or milk.

Start with a steep time somewhere in the middle — perhaps around 15 to 16 hours — and tweak from there. Young encourages this as well. "You may need to experiment a little bit until you find out exactly what you need to do to create your own ideal taste. As long as you keep the basic principles regarding grind size and soak time in mind, you can easily fine-tune anything." 

If you've already made adjustments to the steep time and the flavor is still not where you want it, consider other components. Young lists a number of factors that might influence the steep time, including "your particle size, volume of water, type of coffee, type of water, etc." As for the grind size, stick to a medium coarse grind, which would be a bit coarser than what is normally used for a cold brew. Use a ratio of 1 cup of coffee grounds to 4 cups of water for a good cold brew recipe; this ratio can easily be multiplied to prep larger amounts for the week. 

For a stronger coffee, keep to the suggested steep time window, but increase the amount of grinds slightly. If you've added more water in this aforementioned ratio, say 1 part coffee to 5 parts water, then it's possible to extend the steep time. Up to 24 hours of steeping is sometimes done to ensure the maximum flavor is extracted from the beans when a smaller amount is used. 

Finally, the type of coffee matters too: A medium or dark roast tends to be the top choice for cold brew due to their deeper, roasted flavors that shine through. Light roasts offer more subtle, unique flavors, and this roast can be steeped on the longer side to better extract the flavor.