Cold brew at home with a coarse grind
November 5, 2026 · 2 min read
Cold brew is made by leaving coarse ground coffee in cold water for 12 to 18 hours, then straining it. You do not need a coffee maker or anything special. You get a smooth concentrate that is less acidic and naturally sweet, perfect for the Acapulco heat.
What you need
- 100 g of coarse ground coffee
- 1 liter of cold or room temperature water
- A jar or pitcher with a lid
- A fine strainer and a paper filter or cheesecloth
Step by step
- Put the coffee in the jar and add the water a little at a time, stirring so all of it gets wet.
- Cover and let it steep in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours. The longer it sits, the stronger it gets.
- Strain it first through the strainer and then through the filter, so it comes out clean.
- Keep the concentrate in a closed jar in the fridge. It lasts up to a week.
How to serve it
It is a concentrate, so you dilute it. Mix one part coffee with one part water or milk and serve over plenty of ice. For a stronger drink, use less water.
Why a coarse grind
With a fine grind, the coffee gives off too much over so many hours and turns bitter. The fine particles also clog the filter and cloud the drink. A coarse grind, like coarse salt, makes a clean coffee that is easy to strain.
Three variations worth trying
- With piloncillo: dissolve 100 g of piloncillo in half a cup of hot water with a cinnamon stick. Let it cool and sweeten your cold brew with that syrup.
- Olla style: add a cinnamon stick and a strip of orange peel to the jar while it steeps.
- With milk and ice: half concentrate, half cold milk. That is all.
Which coffee to use
A medium or medium dark roast works very well, because the cold brings out chocolate and caramel flavors. And since the coffee steeps for so long, you can really taste whether it is fresh.
At Café Wadi ask for it coarse ground for cold brew and take home just enough for the week's jar.
