Brewing Cold Brew Coffee with Nescafé

Quick Answer

• Use coarsely ground coffee.
• Aim for a 1:8 coffee-to-water ratio.
• Steep for 12-24 hours at room temperature or in the fridge.
• Filter thoroughly for a smooth concentrate.
• Dilute your concentrate to taste.
• Don’t use instant coffee for traditional cold brew.

Who This Is For

• You’re looking for a smoother, less acidic coffee experience.
• You want to make a coffee concentrate to enjoy over several days.
• You’re curious about Nescafé’s role in cold brew, even if it’s unconventional.

What to Check First

Brewer Type and Filter Type

For cold brew, you’re not really using a traditional brewer like a drip machine or French press in the usual way. You’re essentially steeping coffee grounds in water. A simple jar or pitcher works fine. For filtering, a fine-mesh sieve is a start, but cheesecloth or a dedicated cold brew filter bag will give you a cleaner result. Paper filters can work too, but they might clog easily with cold brew grounds.

A simple glass pitcher works fine for steeping your coffee grounds.

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For filtering, a fine-mesh sieve is a start, but a dedicated cold brew filter bag will give you a cleaner result.

Water Quality and Temperature

Use filtered water. Tap water can have off-flavors that will come through in your brew. For cold brew, the “cold” part is key. You want to steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator. No hot water here, that’s for hot coffee. Room temp is fine for most folks, but the fridge can slow things down a bit and might yield a slightly different profile.

Grind Size and Coffee Freshness

This is a big one for cold brew. You need a coarse grind, like breadcrumbs or coarse sea salt. Too fine, and you’ll get sludge and over-extraction. Freshly ground beans are always best, but for cold brew, the longer steep time means freshness is a bit less critical than for a quick pour-over. Still, avoid stale coffee if you can.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

A good starting point is a 1:8 ratio of coffee to water by weight. So, if you use 100 grams of coffee, you’ll use 800 grams (or ml) of water. Some people go stronger, like 1:4 or 1:5, for a super-concentrated brew. It really depends on how you plan to drink it. Remember, this is a concentrate you’ll dilute.

Cleanliness/Descale Status

Make sure your steeping vessel and any filters are squeaky clean. Any residual oils or flavors from previous brews will mess with your cold brew. If you use a coffee maker for any part of the process (like grinding), ensure that’s clean too. Regular descaling of any appliances is always a good idea for consistent results.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Cold Brew Coffee with Nescafé

This guide focuses on making cold brew with ground coffee, which is the standard method. Nescafé is primarily known for instant coffee, which isn’t ideal for traditional cold brew. If you’re using Nescafé instant coffee, you’d just dissolve it in cold water, which is a different drink altogether. This is how you’d make a proper cold brew concentrate using ground coffee, and you could use Nescafé’s ground coffee offerings if available.

1. Measure Your Coffee: Weigh out your coarsely ground coffee. A good starting point is 1 part coffee to 8 parts water by weight. For example, 1 cup of coffee grounds (about 100g) to 8 cups of water (about 800ml).

• What “good” looks like: Evenly measured grounds, ready for steeping.
• Common mistake: Guessing the amount. This leads to inconsistent strength. Use a scale if you can.

Common mistake: Guessing the amount. This leads to inconsistent strength. Use a coffee scale if you can for precise measurements.

2. Add Coffee to Vessel: Place your coarse coffee grounds into a clean jar, pitcher, or cold brew maker.

• What “good” looks like: All the grounds are in the vessel, ready for water.
• Common mistake: Spilling grounds. Take your time and pour carefully.

3. Bloom the Coffee (Optional but Recommended): Pour just enough cold water over the grounds to saturate them. Let it sit for about 30 seconds. You’ll see the grounds expand and release CO2.

• What “good” looks like: The grounds look wet and slightly puffed up.
• Common mistake: Skipping this step. You miss out on a more even extraction.

4. Add Remaining Water: Slowly pour the rest of your cold, filtered water over the grounds.

• What “good” looks like: All the grounds are submerged in water.
• Common mistake: Pouring too fast, which can create channels where water bypasses the grounds.

5. Stir Gently: Give the mixture a gentle stir to ensure all the coffee grounds are fully saturated and there are no dry pockets.

• What “good” looks like: A uniform mixture of coffee and water.
• Common mistake: Over-stirring. This can agitate fine particles and lead to a muddier brew.

6. Cover and Steep: Cover your vessel tightly. You can steep at room temperature on your counter or in the refrigerator.

• What “good” looks like: The vessel is sealed to prevent contamination and evaporation.
• Common mistake: Leaving it uncovered. This invites unwanted flavors and can dry out the grounds.

7. Steep Time: Let it steep for 12 to 24 hours. Longer steeping generally means a stronger, more intense flavor. 18 hours is a popular sweet spot.

• What “good” looks like: Patience! The water is slowly extracting flavor.
• Common mistake: Rushing the process. Cold brew needs time to work its magic.

8. Prepare for Filtering: Set up your filtering system. This might be a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, a dedicated cold brew filter, or even a pour-over cone with a paper filter (though this can be slow).

• What “good” looks like: Your filtering setup is ready to go over a clean container.
• Common mistake: Using a filter that’s too fine initially, which will clog instantly.

9. Filter the Concentrate: Slowly pour the steeped coffee mixture through your chosen filter into a clean container. You might need to do this in batches.

• What “good” looks like: A clear, dark liquid concentrate.
• Common mistake: Pouring too quickly, causing grounds to overflow the filter. Go slow.

10. Second Filtering (Optional): For an extra-smooth brew, you can filter it a second time, perhaps through a finer filter like a paper filter.

• What “good” looks like: Even clearer concentrate with minimal sediment.
• Common mistake: Thinking the first filter is always enough. Some sediment is normal, but you can refine it.

11. Store Your Concentrate: Transfer the filtered cold brew concentrate to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It should last for about 1-2 weeks.

• What “good” looks like: A well-sealed container in the fridge, ready for enjoyment.
• Common mistake: Leaving it out or in a non-airtight container. This degrades the flavor quickly.

12. Dilute and Serve: When you’re ready to drink, dilute the concentrate with water or milk to your preferred strength. A common starting point is 1:1 ratio of concentrate to water/milk, but adjust to your taste. Serve over ice.

• What “good” looks like: A perfectly balanced, refreshing coffee drink.
• Common mistake: Drinking the concentrate straight. It’s too strong!

Common Mistakes (and What Happens If You Ignore Them)

Mistake	What It Causes	Fix
Using instant coffee for steeping	It dissolves, not steeps. You won’t get cold brew.	Use ground coffee. If you have instant, just dissolve it in cold water for a different drink.
Using a fine grind	Muddy, bitter coffee, clogged filters.	Use a coarse grind, like sea salt.
Not steeping long enough	Weak, watery coffee with underdeveloped flavor.	Steep for at least 12 hours, up to 24.
Steeping for too long (over 24 hrs)	Can develop bitter or “off” flavors.	Stick to the 12-24 hour window.
Using tap water	Off-flavors from chlorine or minerals.	Use filtered water for a cleaner taste.
Not stirring after adding water	Uneven extraction, some grounds might be dry.	Give it a gentle stir to ensure all grounds are wet.
Filtering too quickly or aggressively	Grounds get pushed through the filter, cloudy brew.	Filter slowly and patiently. Consider a double filter for clarity.
Not cleaning equipment	Stale oils and flavors ruin the new batch.	Wash everything thoroughly after each use.
Storing concentrate improperly	Flavor degrades quickly, potential spoilage.	Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.
Drinking concentrate straight	Overpowering, bitter, and can upset your stomach.	Always dilute with water, milk, or ice.
Using hot water	You’re making hot coffee, not cold brew.	Stick to cold or room temperature water for steeping.

Decision Rules

• If your cold brew tastes weak, then increase your coffee-to-water ratio or steep for a bit longer next time because cold brew extracts slower.
• If your cold brew is too bitter, then try a coarser grind or reduce your steeping time because over-extraction causes bitterness.
• If your filtered coffee is still cloudy, then use a finer filter for the second pass or a more robust filtering method like a nut milk bag because fine particles are the culprit.
• If you want a stronger concentrate, then use more coffee grounds relative to water, like a 1:4 or 1:5 ratio, because this increases the coffee solids in the brew.
• If you’re short on time and need coffee now, then make hot coffee instead because cold brew requires significant steeping time.
• If your cold brew has an unpleasant sour taste, then check your water quality or try a longer steep time because sourness can indicate under-extraction or mineral issues.
• If you notice sediment at the bottom of your concentrate, then filter it again or use a finer filter because this indicates fine particles made it through.
• If you’re unsure about the coffee-to-water ratio, then start with 1:8 and adjust from there because it’s a balanced baseline.
• If your brew tastes “flat,” then ensure you’re using fresh beans (even for cold brew) and consider a slightly longer steep time because freshness and extraction play a role.
• If you want to experiment with flavor, then add spices like cinnamon sticks or vanilla beans to the grounds before steeping because they will infuse during the long brew.

FAQ

Can I use Nescafé instant coffee to make cold brew?

No, not for traditional cold brew. Nescafé instant coffee is already brewed and dehydrated. To make a drink with it, you just dissolve the granules in cold water, which is a different beverage altogether.

What is the best coffee to use for cold brew?

Medium to dark roasts generally work well, offering rich, chocolatey notes. A coarse grind is essential. While Nescafé makes ground coffee, any good quality, coarsely ground coffee bean will do.

How long does cold brew concentrate last?

Stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, cold brew concentrate typically lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks. Its flavor will gradually diminish over time.

Why is my cold brew bitter?

Bitterness often comes from using too fine a grind, over-extraction (steeping too long), or using water that’s too hot. Ensure a coarse grind and stick to the 12-24 hour steep window.

Can I make cold brew without a special maker?

Absolutely. A simple glass jar or pitcher, along with some cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve, works perfectly. The key is the steeping and filtering process.

How do I dilute cold brew concentrate?

Start with a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to water or milk. Taste it and adjust to your preference. Some people prefer a stronger 2:1 concentrate-to-liquid ratio.

Is cold brew healthier than hot coffee?

Cold brew is generally less acidic, which can be easier on your stomach. The nutritional content is very similar, assuming you’re drinking it black.

What does “bloom” mean in cold brew?

Blooming is when you pour a small amount of water over the grounds first to let them release CO2. It helps ensure a more even extraction of flavor from all the grounds.

What This Page Does Not Cover (and Where to Go Next)

• Detailed comparisons of specific Nescafé ground coffee products for cold brew.
• Advanced techniques like nitrogen-infused cold brew.
• Recipes for specific cold brew cocktails or coffee drinks.
• The science behind coffee extraction and flavor compounds.
• Troubleshooting issues with commercial cold brew makers.