Want to make some delicious cold brew but aren’t sure what the right ratio is for you? Here’s what you want to know.
For brewing cold brew coffee concentrate use a ratio of 1:4. For cold brew coffee that’s ready to be served over ice without diluting first a ratio of 1:7 yields the best results. The ratio might have to be adjusted slightly for personal taste and the type of coffee that’s used.
Let’s get into what ratios you could use, how to use them. Below you can also find a handy chart that tells you exactly how much water and grounds you need to brew cold brew coffee.
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What Is The Right Ratio For Cold Brew
There is no ‘right’ ratio for cold brew coffee. You can use a range of ratios from 1:3 to 1:10. Which ratio you should use depends on your taste, the coffee you use and how you want to use the cold brew coffee.
Here’s which ratios are best for certain purposes.
Cold Brew Ratio For Concentrate
For brewing cold brew concentrate a ratio of 1:4 is the most popular but 1:3 to 1:5 can be used. This concentrate should be diluted before serving.
Cold brew concentrate is a very strong version of cold brew that has to de diluted with water before drinking. This is often done to be able to brew less coffee (take up less space) and then be able to serve larger servings when necessary. Many coffeeshops brew cold brew this way because it’s a bit more efficient.
However, it’s also very possible to do this at home if you don’t want to take up a lot of space in your fridge.
To dilute concentrate, add as much water as concentrate to the cup. So 1 milliliter of (cold) water for every milliliter of concentrate. Of course you can vary this based on your personal taste. Also keep in mind that if it’s served over ice, you can dilute a little less since ice will melt and dilute the concentrate further.
Cold Brew Ratio Ready To Drink
Prefer to drink your cold brew without having to dilute it first? It’s better to use a higher ratio in that case. That means you use less grounds or more water to brew a weaker cup which is then ready to drink.
1:6 to 1:8 is a good ratio for serving over ice. Ice will dilute the cold brew slightly, especially the longer you wait before drinking it. Personally I like 1:7 when served over ice. If you’re not sure which is right for you, start on the stronger end. It’s much easier to dilute than to make coffee stronger.
For drinking it straight from the fridge without ice a 1:8 to 1:10 ratio is good. A lot also depends on your taste and the coffee you’re using. Some coffees can be brewed stronger and still taste great while others are better a little weaker.
If you want your cold brew served over ice but don’t want to dilute it after serving, simply turn a part of the cold brew into ice cubes and serve it over these cubes. This way, when the ice melts, it doesn’t dilute the coffee.
How To Use Cold Brew Ratios
Not sure what these ratios actually mean? Here’s what you need to know.
Ratio just tells you how many grams (or any other weight unit) of water to use per gram of grounds. The first number is the grounds, the second the water. The lower the second number, the stronger the coffee. So if you like stronger cold brew, you add less water to the same amount of grounds and vice versa.
Ratios are good to use for brewing different amounts of coffee. A certain ratio is the same whether you’re brewing 500 ml or 10 liter.
To use a ratio, simply start by deciding how much water you want to use. This is usually dictated by the size of the container (use a little less water than the container fits to keep room for the grounds. Then divide the amount of grams (or ml) of water by the second number of the ratio to get the amount of grams you need.
For example, to brew 1000 ml of cold brew with a 1:6 ratio, divide 1000 by 6. You’ll see that you need 166,6 grams of grounds to do this.
How Much Coffee To Use For Cold Brew
You don’t want to think about ratios and get your calculator out? Here’s an easy chart you can use to see how much coffee grounds to add for a specific amount of water. You’ll need a scale to get the best results.
For an explanation about how to make cold brew without a scale, click here.
| Amount of Water in milliliters | Grams of grounds for 1:4 Ratio | Grams of grounds for 1:6 Ratio | Grams of grounds for 1:8 Ratio | Grams of grounds for 1:10 Ratio |
| 250 | 62,5 | 41,7 | 31,3 | 25,0 |
| 500 | 125,0 | 83,3 | 62,5 | 50,0 |
| 1000 | 250,0 | 166,7 | 125,0 | 100,0 |
| 1500 | 375,0 | 250,0 | 187,5 | 150,0 |
