Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (2024)

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Sous Vide cold brew coffee base is perfect for when you want iced coffee without the wait.

Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (1)

Another advantage of this method is you can make multiple jars of the cold brew base at one time without taking up precious refrigerator space. Refrigerator space is always at a premium in my house.

In the fall and winter months, I will add Gingerbread Syrup to my cup and for all the fall festive feels.

Once you have fallen in love with sous vide cold brew you will want to try homemade limoncello using the sous vide method as well as sous vide eggnog. The eggnog recipe will give you the confidence to serve eggnog to your guests without fearing to serve them scrambled eggs in their nog. Be sure to check out my complete collection of sous vide recipes.

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  • Want To Save This Recipe?
  • Advantages to make cold brew with sous vide
  • How to make sous vide coffee base
  • Is it possible to cold brew coffee with sous vide?
  • Want To Save This Recipe?
  • 🍱 More Sous Vide Recipes To Explore
  • Sous Vide
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock
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Advantages to make cold brew with sous vide

Sous vide coffee provides a convenient and consistent way to brew coffee with enhanced flavor and reduced bitterness.

  • Consistency: With sous vide coffee, you can precisely control the temperature and time, resulting in consistent brews every time.
  • Enhanced flavor: The sealed environment in which the coffee is brewed helps to extract more flavor from the coffee grounds, resulting in a richer, fuller flavor profile.
  • Reduced bitterness: Because the coffee is brewed at a lower temperature than traditional brewing methods, it reduces the risk of over-extraction, which can lead to bitter-tasting coffee.
  • Easy to clean up: The sealed bags or containers used in sous vide coffee make for easy clean-up compared to traditional brewing methods, which require cleaning of multiple components.
  • Convenience: Sous vide coffee can be brewed overnight or while you're away, meaning you can wake up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee without having to wait for it to brew in the morning.

How to make sous vide coffee base

Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (2)
  1. Measure out the coffee grounds and water into a closed container.
  2. Set the sous vide water bath temperature.
  3. Steep for two hours. Cool completely.
  4. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter and enjoy!

Is it possible to cold brew coffee with sous vide?

Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (3)

Sous vide coffee, also known as immersion brewing or precision brewing, involves using a sous vide machine to heat water to a precise temperature and then brewing coffee in a sealed bag or closed container for a shorter period of time versus a regular cold brew cooking technique. The sous vide cooking tecnhique calls for 2 hours instead of the typical 12 to 24 hours called for in other homemade cold brew drink recipes.

I know what you are thinking, sous vide uses hot water and when you cold brew coffee you are supposed to use cold water, right. Sort of. I am going to call this a compromise technique. The water does not get as high as a drip coffee brew but is not as cold as refrigeration.

The heat is consistent and low enough to pull the flavor from the coffee grounds without making the coffee bitter. PLUS coffee is cold brewed in two hours and not overnight! Perfect for when you forgot to make it the night before!

Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (4)

Your sous vide cold brew coffee is now ready to serve over ice or with your favorite cream and flavors.

Can I use a resealable plastic bag to make sous vide coffee?

You are definitely able to use a food-safe zip-top bag to make your cold brew coffee instead of a mason jar. You will have the same results. I just like to suggest using the water displacement method to remove the air from the bag before completely closing it.

What type of grind for cold brew?

I like to do a course grind with I make my cold-brew coffee. The flavor is able to be extracted beautifully and there is not a grittiness to the coffee that you sometimes get with you use a fine grind.Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (5)

Can yousous vide on the stove?

The technical answer is yes. The practical answer is no. It is possible to cook using the sous vide method on a stovetop but maintaining a consistent water temperature without an immersion circulator is very hard, if not impossible to do.

Stovetop method: use a large pot or Dutch oven filled with water and a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Heat the water on the stove and adjust the heat to maintain the desired temperature. You will need to periodically check the temperature with the thermometer and adjust the heat as needed, stirring the water to help maintain a consistent water temperature.

What type ofgrind forcoldbrew?

Medium coarse ground coffee is the best grind for cold brew concentrate. The length of time that the ground beans are in contact with the water to make cold brew is such an extended amount of time versus the amount of time a regular cup of coffee is brewed, a smaller grind would be overpowering in taste with the end results.

🍱 More Sous Vide Recipes To Explore

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📖 Recipe

Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (9)

Sous Vide Coffee Recipe

Sarah Mock

Sous Vide cold brew coffee base is perfect for when you want cold brew coffee with out the wait.

4.70 from 40 votes

Print Recipe

Note From Sarah

There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Prep time for the recipePrep Time 1 minute min

Cook time for the recipeCook Time 2 hours hrs

total time to prep and cook the recipe.Total Time 2 hours hrs 1 minute min

Course Drinks - Non Alcoholic

Cuisine French

Makes 28 ounces

Per Serving 13 kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup ground coffee
  • 32 oz. water

Instructions

  • Set up your Sous Vide to 150 F and be sure the water covers the top of the jar.

  • In a 32 ounce (1 quart) mason jar, fill the jar with 32 ounces of fresh water and top with the coffee grounds.

  • Place a lid and a ring on the jar and give it a good shake. Make sure the lid is finger tight.

  • Brew for 2 hours.

  • Strain out the grounds and use them in your compost bin or around your flower beds.

  • Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Notes

This is so much faster than the 12-24 hours that traditional refrigerator cold brew takes!

Another advantage of this method is you can make multiple jars of the cold brew base at one time without taking up precious refrigerator space. Refrigerator space is always at a premium in my house.

Nutrition

Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 13kcal | Sodium: 2mg | Calcium: 1mg

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

First published 2018.

Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (10)

👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

    More Ultimate Collection of Sous Vide Recipes

    • Best Sous Vide Brisket Recipe (24 Hour Smoked Brisket)
    • Sous Vide Short Ribs (Red Wine Reduction) 48 Hour Beef Short Ribs
    • Sous Vide Pork Ribs Recipe (24 Hour Sous Vide Ribs)

    About Sarah Mock

    Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply

    1. Erica

      Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (15)
      Thank you for posting this recipe. Makes the process so much easier.

      Reply

      • Sarah Mock

        You are welcome! I love when what I write makes recipes easier for my readers. Enjoy your cold brew Erica!

        Sarah

        Reply

    2. Stacy

      I had no idea! Thanks so much. I LIVE on cold brew coffee and up until now it took FOREVER to make!

      Reply

    3. Paula

      Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (16)
      I had no idea I could make cold brew coffee with my sous vide. thanks!

      Reply

    Sous Vide Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Recipe) Savoring The Good® (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the perfect ratio for cold brew coffee? ›

    A ratio of 1:8 of coffee to water will produce a nice coffee ready to drink after around 24 hours at a coarse grind. Another option is to create a much stronger cold brew (named cold brew concentrate), by using a ratio anywhere from 1 part coffee to 4 parts water, up to around 1 part coffee to 2 parts water.

    What temperature should cold brew sous vide be? ›

    Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the jars completely and place a sous vide immersion cooker into the water. Set temperature to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) according to manufacturer's directions.

    What not to do when making cold brew coffee? ›

    Cold Brew Common Mistakes You Would Never Make
    1. Using the Good Beans. ...
    2. Grinding the Beans Too Fine. ...
    3. Using the Wrong Ratio. ...
    4. Freaking Out about the Water Temperature. ...
    5. Not Diluting the Concentrate. ...
    6. Storing it Too Long in the Fridge.
    Jun 16, 2016

    What makes cold brew taste better? ›

    Let the coffee steep for at least 12 hours. This will extract more flavor and caffeine from the beans. Try adding a pinch of salt to the coffee grounds before steeping. This can help to enhance the flavors and balance out the acidity.

    How many cups of coffee grounds for 1 gallon of cold brew? ›

    The recommended coffee-to-water ratio for cold brew is usually 1:8. Therefore, for 1 gallon (128 fluid ounces) of cold brew, you would need approximately 16 ounces (1 pound) of coffee grounds. However, you can adjust the amount based on your personal preference for the strength of the cold brew.

    What ratio does Starbucks use for cold brew? ›

    Tall (12 oz)- 2 oz of cold brew concentrate, 4 oz of cold water, 6 oz of ice. Grande (16 oz) - 2.67 oz of cold brew concentrate, 5.33 oz of cold water, 8 oz of ice.

    What temperature do you sous vide coffee at? ›

    Sous vide cold-brew coffee falls in between. CREA recommends cooking the sealed coffee mixture in a water bath set to 176°F (80°C) for 4 hours. After cooking, strain the mixture through a coffee filter to prevent the beans from continuing to steep in the water.

    How do you brew coffee in a sous vide? ›

    Set your sous vide circulator to 150°F and preheat the water bath. Add the ½ cup fresh coffee grounds and 4 cups water to a mason jar and seal the top. Once your sous vide bath has reached the target temp (150°F), set the timer for 2 to 4 hours and place your sealed jar of coffee and water into the sous vide container.

    Is it safe to sous vide at 135? ›

    Cook at food-safe temperatures.

    To make sure vegetative forms of pathogenic bacteria will be destroyed, always sous vide food at a temperature of 132.8℉ (56℃) or higher.

    How do you make cold brew coffee less bitter? ›

    If you find your cold brew to be a little bitter, it's likely that the concentrate was over extracted by too much time or too fine of a grind. For immersion, you can reduce the brew time or use a coarser grind. For slow drip, try a coarser grind.

    Why is my homemade cold brew bitter? ›

    Grinding the coffee too fine.

    A fine grind for this coffee will leave you with a bitter cold brew. Try this: Grind the beans to a coarse grind, about the texture of coarse sugar, grinding in batches if needed for a big batch (trust us — you'll want to make a big batch of this stuff).

    Why does my homemade cold brew taste bad? ›

    Sour cold brew happens when your coffee grounds are too coarse. Coarse grinds take a while to extract—which is why they're ideal for cold brew. But, if you overshoot the grind size, you won't be able to extract all of the tasty solubles in the right amount of time, leaving you with a sour and likely acidic drink.

    How do you enhance cold brew? ›

    7 Important Tips for Better Cold Brew Coffee
    1. Use good coffee beans. Look, I'm not saying you should buy a 12-ounce bag of coffee beans for $20 just for cold brew. ...
    2. Grind them right. ...
    3. Try using filtered water. ...
    4. Soak it overnight. ...
    5. Strain it slowly. ...
    6. Keep it stored tight. ...
    7. Dilute it.

    Is cold brew healthier than iced coffee? ›

    As far as health benefits go, cold brew also has all the heart-healthy polyphenols and metabolism-boosting powers as regular or iced coffee (just fewer antioxidants as described above), but it's likely to be gentler on your tummy since it's less acidic.

    How long should cold brew steep in fridge? ›

    Because the water is cooler, it takes a longer time to brew. For example, making cold brew in the refrigerator can take 18 hours, but brewing on the countertop may only require 12 hours (hot coffee, on the other hand, takes just a few minutes to brew).

    How many tablespoons of coffee for cold brew? ›

    Use 4 Tbsp (22 g) of grounds for every cup (6 fl oz) of water.

    What is the 1 10 ratio for cold brew? ›

    If you go for a standard ratio, like 1:10 (1 part coffee, 10 parts water), you'll get a cold brew that you can drink right from the carafe. It will be smooth and delicious, and the perfect strength. If you go for a stronger ratio of 1:5, you'll end up with a cold brew concentrate, and this opens a few more doors.

    What is the ratio of caffeine in cold brew coffee? ›

    Caffeine: How Much Do They Contain? Cold Brew: Cold brew usually contains around 200 mg of caffeine per 16 ounces. Iced Coffee: Iced coffee has an average caffeine level of about 85 mg per 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee.

    What is the best water to coffee ratio? ›

    Get to know the golden ratio

    For drip coffee brewing — which encompasses most home coffeemakers, bulk brewers and pour-overs — Helfen says that the ratio of 60 grams of coffee to one liter of water, or roughly 1:17, is the one most commonly used by coffee pros (and is often referred to as “the golden ratio”).

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