The Right Tool to Wake Up to Cold Brew

Just add water, coffee, and time

We're kicking off the summer with a re-release of the only tool you need for delicious ice-cold coffee: the Blue Bottle Cold Brew Bottle, now in our signature blue. The bottle is designed to deliver failsafe results every time, whether you're a longtime Coffee Subscriber or only enjoy coffee occasionally. It’s easy-to-use removable filter basket immerses just the right amount of coffee into the water, and makes cleanup a snap. That said, if you’d like to give yourself even more control over the final results, read on for a few key cold brewing tips from Blue Bottle experts.

Tip 1: Use the Best Beans

In our humble opinion, Blue Bottle coffees are just as good cold as they are hot. Whether whole bean or Perfectly Ground, picked up in a cafe or delivered to your door, our beans are the ideal foundation for exquisite cold brew.

Tip 2: Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Kevin Thaxton, Blue Bottle Tokyo's quality control manager, advises brewing with 55 grams of coffee per 700ml of water (noted by the upper tick mark on the bottle). The ideal ratio, he says, "results in a quality extraction by keeping all the grounds saturated with water while you brew."

Tip 3: Get Your Grind Right

Knowing how to adjust the strength of your coffee allows you to make sure you get your preferred brew every time. "You can change your strength by adjusting the grind of your beans. Going finer will increase the strength and coarser will decrease it," says Kevin. 

But be forewarned, he says, that you can go too fine: "Finding a lot of sediment in your iced coffee is an indicator you may have to dial back."

Tip 4: Use Filtered Water

Like high-quality beans, filtered water is another key ingredient of delicious cold brew. 

“Water is more than 98% of your finished iced coffee," says Kevin. "If there are any off-flavors or odors in your water, they will absolutely make it into your coffee, and naturally impact the taste. Using filtered water is an easy way to remove these undesired tastes and will help to highlight the flavors of the coffee.”

Tip 5: Refrigeration Time

Simply put, cold brew tastes best when it's fresh. "The flavor will break down over time, so it's always best to brew frequently," says Kevin. "Temperature fluctuations will accelerate this breakdown, so keeping your iced coffee in the refrigerator will help to extend the shelf life."