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Cold Brew Coffee Parameter Recommendations: Make Delicious Sweet Cold Brew Coffee at Home in Just 6 Steps

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, 1. Coffee Bean Selection Cold brew is a concentrated extraction method suitable for medium or medium-dark roast coffee beans; if using dark roast or French roast beans, it will result in coffee that is too concentrated and bitter. 2. Coffee Grind Size The appropriate coffee grind size for cold brew is equivalent to that for pour-over single-origin coffee, as long as

1. Coffee Bean Selection

Cold drip is a method of concentrated coffee extraction, suitable for medium or medium-dark roast coffee beans, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Paradise Bird, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian Queen Estate, FrontStreet Coffee's Huilan Coffee, etc. If using dark roast or French roast coffee beans, it will result in coffee that is too strong and bitter.

To highlight the unique mellow wine-like quality of cold drip while avoiding the aftertaste impurities caused by long dripping times, FrontStreet Coffee specifically selects high-quality single-origin beans rich in fruit aromas. Under the support of slow dripping and low-temperature maturation, the resulting cold drip not only carries the bright charm of fruit-acid coffee but also exudes a fermented texture similar to fruit wine, rich and fragrant yet refreshing.

Medium-light roast coffees here can be divided into two categories: those with prominent fermentation aromas, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Sherry Coffee, Costa Rica's Musician Series - Mozart, Colombia's Flower Moon Night and Rose Valley, etc. Another type is fresh and clean with floral and fruity sweetness, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Natural Red Cherry, Panama Washed Butterfly, Kenya Small Tomato.

2. Coffee Grind Size

The coffee grind size suitable for cold drip is equivalent to that for pour-over single-origin coffee. Any coffee ground between settings 3-5 on a grinder can be used for cold drip, with a coarseness equivalent to Taiwan Sugar No. 2 sugar. If too fine, it will cause cold drip water to pass slowly through the coffee bed, extending the extraction time and resulting in overly strong coffee; if too coarse, the water flow will be too fast, resulting in weak coffee.

3. Golden Ratio of Coffee to Ice Water

The ratio of coffee to ice water can be adjusted according to personal preference, approximately 1:10 to 1:12. You can also add a small amount (about 30g) of ice cubes to the ice water to maintain its temperature.

If using fresh coffee grounds that absorb water easily (ground from coffee beans within 7 days of roasting), it's recommended to reduce the coffee grounds by 5-10g, allowing the coffee grounds to fill about 8/10 of the container, to prevent the coffee from expanding and overflowing the brewing chamber after absorbing water.

4. Even Extraction to Avoid Channeling

Before starting the cold drip process, you can use a small amount of room temperature water (for example, use 1200ml of water for 600g of coffee grounds) and pour 3 circles clockwise or in the same direction from the center of the coffee grounds surface to wet the entire coffee bed. This allows the subsequent ice water drops to spread evenly, resulting in more uniform coffee extraction. Additionally, placing filter paper or a filter screen on the coffee grounds surface has the same effect.

5. Setting the Optimal Drip Rate

Place the coffee grounds in the middle brewing chamber, put ice water in the upper pot, then use a stopwatch to adjust the water flow regulator to maintain an ice water drip rate of 5-7 drops per 10 seconds. If the drip rate is too fast, it will cause flooding and blockage; if too slow, it will extend the overall cold drip time. The entire process takes approximately 6-8 hours.

If the cold drip machine has no water flow regulator, simply use all ice water and place it in the refrigerator throughout the process. Its hole design will automatically maintain 5-7 drops per 10 seconds.

6. Tips for Better Flavor

Freshly made cold drip coffee has a relatively refreshing taste. If you want a richer and mellower flavor, you can seal the container with cold drip coffee using plastic wrap or pour it into a clean glass bottle, and refrigerate for 2-3 days for fermentation. Depending on the coffee bean variety, it may develop other flavors such as wine aroma, berry notes, etc.