How to Make Cold Brew Concentrate for the Week

May 20, 2026

Large glass jar of cold brew concentrate steeping in refrigerator beside weekly prep setup

Making cold brew concentrate once a week is one of the smartest coffee habits you can develop. Spend 10 minutes on Sunday, and you have smooth, ready-to-drink coffee for every morning of the week — no brewing, no waiting, no mess. Here's exactly how to make a week's worth of cold brew concentrate at home.

Why Concentrate?

Cold brew concentrate is brewed at 1:4 or 1:5 ratio (much stronger than normal coffee) and then diluted when serving. This means:

A smaller batch makes more servings
It stores longer in the fridge (up to 2 weeks)
You can customize strength by adjusting dilution
It works for hot coffee too — just dilute with hot water

The Weekly Batch Recipe (Makes 7–10 servings)

Ingredients

120g coarsely ground coffee
480ml cold filtered water

This 1:4 ratio produces a strong concentrate. Dilute 1:1 with water or milk when serving for a standard-strength drink, or 1:2 for a lighter cup.

Equipment

Large glass jar or pitcher (at least 1 liter)
Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
Storage bottle for the finished concentrate

Step-by-Step

Grind your beans coarsely — similar to raw sugar texture. Coarse grind prevents over-extraction and bitterness during the long steep. Use the 1Zpresso K-Ultra Manual Coffee Grinder set to its coarsest setting.
Combine coffee and water in your jar. Stir gently to ensure all grounds are saturated.
Cover and refrigerate for 12–18 hours. 14–16 hours is the sweet spot for most beans — smooth, full-flavored, and not over-extracted.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with a paper filter or cheesecloth. This removes all grounds and produces a clean, clear concentrate. Strain twice for maximum clarity.
Transfer to a storage bottle and refrigerate. Label with the date.
Use within 2 weeks for best flavor.

Best Beans for Cold Brew Concentrate

Medium to dark roasts work best for cold brew — their lower acidity and fuller body shine in cold extraction. The Diving Moose Coffee Sumatra Gayo Organic Medium Dark Roast produces an exceptionally smooth, rich cold brew concentrate with notes of dark chocolate and low acidity. The Organic Swiss Water Process Decaf Cold Brew Coffee is perfect for an evening cold brew that won't affect sleep.