Cold brew ratio calculator
Updated
Pick your strength, set your jar size, and get the exact grams of coffee and water — plus the steep time for a smooth, sweet, low-acid batch.
Cold brew style
You need
200g coarse coffee
steeped in 1000g cold water for 18 hours → ~2000ml served after a 1:1 dilution (≈ 6.7 iced drinks)
Use a coarse grind (like French press), steep in the fridge, then strain. Concentrate keeps 7–10 days sealed; dilute only what you'll drink in a day or two.
Cold brew ratio chart: concentrate vs ready to drink
Concentrate runs about 1:4 to 1:6 by weight and gets diluted; ready-to-drink cold brew runs about 1:12 to 1:15 and goes straight over ice. Ratios are coffee to water by weight, with grams of coffee per litre of water.
| Recipe | Ratio | Per litre | Steep | To serve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong concentrate (calculator preset)BrewSift calculator | 1:4 | 250 g | set in the calculator | cut 1:1 or more |
| Concentrate (calculator default)BrewSift calculator; the NCA gives 1:4 to 1:5 | 1:5 | 200 g | 18 hours by default | cut 1:1 |
| Toddy home recipeToddy brewing guide (12 oz coffee, 64 fl oz water) | 1:5.6 | 180 g | 8–24 hours, room temperature | 1 part to 2 parts water or milk |
| Concentrate, gentler startour cold brew bean guide | 1:8 | 125 g | 12–18 hours, fridge | dilute to taste |
| Ready to drink (calculator preset)BrewSift calculator | 1:12 | 83 g | set in the calculator | no dilution |
| Hario Mizudashi potHario manual (80 g coffee, about 1,150 ml water) | 1:14.4 | 70 g | about 8 hours, fridge | no dilution |
Dilution is the other half of strength. Toddy's concentrate cut 1 to 2 works out to about 60 g of coffee per litre of finished drink, close to Hario's ready-to-drink 70 g; the calculator's 1:5 concentrate cut 1 to 1 is nearer 100 g, a stronger glass (all before the water the grounds soak up). Pick concentrate if you want a week of coffee in a small jar, and ready-to-drink if you want to pour and go. For beans that suit the long steep, see the best coffee for cold brew.
Sources: National Coffee Association — cold brew (1:4 to 1:5, about 12 hours, coarse grind); Toddy Cold Brew System brewing guide (12 oz / 340 g coffee + 64 fl oz / 1.9 L water, 8–24 h, 1:2 to serve, 2 weeks); Hario Mizudashi coffee pot manual (80 g coffee, about 1,150 ml water, 8 h, medium-fine grind).
Brew it better
A tidy brewer and a coarse, even grind make cold brew easier and smoother:
Common questions
What is the best ratio for cold brew?
It depends on whether you dilute it. For concentrate, the National Coffee Association gives 1:4 to 1:5 coffee to water by weight, and Toddy's home recipe of 12 oz of coffee to 64 fl oz of water works out near 1:5.6. For cold brew you drink straight, Hario's Mizudashi pot uses 80 g of coffee to about 1,150 ml of water, close to 1:14. Weigh both for a repeatable batch.
How long should cold brew steep?
Toddy's guide steeps 8 to 24 hours at room temperature, the National Coffee Association typically about 12 hours, and Hario's Mizudashi about 8 hours in the fridge. Cold water extracts more slowly, so fridge steeps sit at the longer end; this calculator defaults to 18 hours. Taste a batch early, then lengthen or shorten next time.
What grind size is best for cold brew?
Coarse is the usual answer, and the National Coffee Association recommends starting coarse and adjusting. The exception is a fine-mesh pitcher: Hario recommends a medium-fine grind for its Mizudashi because coarse grounds extract too weakly in its short fridge steep, while fine grounds pass through the mesh.
How much coffee for 1 litre of cold brew?
At a 1:5 concentrate ratio, 1,000 g (1 litre) of water needs 200 g of coffee. For ready-to-drink strength at 1:12, the same litre needs about 83 g. Set your jar size in the calculator to get the exact number.
Do I dilute cold brew concentrate?
Yes, concentrate is brewed strong on purpose. Toddy recommends starting at 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water or milk, then adjusting to taste. This calculator assumes a 1:1 cut when it counts drinks, so a 1:2 cut gives you more. Ready-to-drink cold brew needs no dilution.
How long does cold brew concentrate last?
Toddy says its concentrate stays fresh for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Keep it sealed and dilute only what you will drink in a day or two.