Easy Homemade Cold Brew: A Step-by-Step Toddy Guide

Want rich, low-acid cold brew – organic, if you'd like – without the coffee shop price tag? Here's the system I actually use, in under 10 minutes of hands-on time, with a steep you can set and forget overnight.

Cold brew is one of those things that sounds like it requires more effort than it does. It doesn't. The Toddy Cold Brew System makes genuinely excellent, smooth, low-acid concentrate with almost no active effort – and it produces enough to last your household two full weeks. Once you try it, you will wonder why you ever paid a coffee shop to make it for you.

What is cold brew – and how is it different from iced coffee?

Cold brew and iced coffee are not the same thing, even though they end up in the same glass. Iced coffee is brewed hot – standard drip or pour-over coffee – and then chilled or poured directly over ice. It is quick, but the hot extraction pulls out the acidic and bitter compounds in the bean, which don't disappear when you add ice.

Cold brew, by contrast, is never heated. Coffee grounds steep in cold or room-temperature water for 8–24 hours. This slow, cold extraction pulls flavor and caffeine without the acidity and bitterness that heat produces. The result tastes noticeably smoother, less harsh, and – for a lot of people – easier on the stomach. It is also more forgiving to make at home, because over-extracted cold brew doesn't taste burnt the way over-extracted hot coffee does.

Cold brew equipment: what you'll need

Ingredients for cold brew

• 12 oz (340g) coarsely ground coffee (dark roast recommended)
• 8 cups (1.9L) cold or room-temperature filtered water

Cold brew equipment options

Option 1 – The Toddy Cold Brew System (recommended): Toddy brewing container + silicone stopper + reusable felt filter + glass decanter (all included). No fancy equipment beyond this, nothing to plug in, nothing complicated to clean.

Option 2 – No equipment at all: A large mason jar or pitcher, a fine-mesh strainer or sieve, and a paper coffee filter or cheesecloth. No cold brew maker required. More on this below.

On the coffee itself: where to source it

For my money, Trader Joe's is the easiest and most cost-effective option. Most TJ's locations carry a solid range of dark roasts, and – this is the part most people don't know – many locations have in-store grinders. You can buy whole coffee beans and grind them on the spot. For coarseness, I've had the best results at the second-to-coarsest setting, which is sometimes labeled "PERC" on in-store grinders. See the graphic below for reference.

If you can't make the Trader Joe's run, Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee on Amazon is our go-to order. It's USDA Certified 100% Organic Arabica, pre-ground coarse and micro-sifted specifically for cold brew – with several roast profiles to choose from. The Dark and Bold blend is particularly good in the Toddy.

If you want to go a step further: look for coffee labeled biodynamic or mold-tested. Standard coffee beans are one of the more mold-prone agricultural products, and mycotoxin levels can vary significantly between sources. For those of us paying attention to what we put in our bodies, it is worth the extra look – especially since you're making a concentrate that has a lot of this coffee in it.

How to make cold brew at home: step-by-step Toddy cold brew instructions

This is Toddy's original 1964 method – Method 2: Classic – using only the reusable felt filter. No paper filter bag needed. It produces a polished, virtually sediment-free concentrate, and it is the method I've used consistently with the best results.

Total active time: under 10 minutes. Steep time: 12–24 hours (I prefer the full 24).

Step 1: prep the Toddy

Insert the silicone stopper into the outside bottom of the brewing container – this holds everything in while it steeps. Dampen the disc-shaped felt filter with water and place it into the inside bottom of the container. The damp filter seats more securely and starts filtering right away.

Step 2: first layer – water and coffee

Pour 1 cup (250mL) of cold filtered water directly into the bottom of the brewing container. Add 6 oz (170g) of your coarse ground coffee.

Step 3: second pour

Slowly pour 3 cups (700mL) of water over the grounds in a gentle circular motion. This saturates the coffee evenly from the top, which matters for the quality of the extraction. Then wait 5 minutes. This gives the grounds time to absorb the water before the next layer goes in.

Step 4: second layer – remaining coffee and water

Add the remaining 6 oz (170g) of ground coffee. Then slowly pour in the final 4 cups (950mL) of water.

Important: do not stir. This is the one non-negotiable with Method #2. Stirring can disturb the felt filter and cause clogging. Instead, lightly press the top layer of grounds with the back of a spoon to make sure everything is fully saturated. That's all it needs.

Step 5: steep

Steep at room temperature for 8–24 hours. The 12–18-hour range gives a balanced flavor. Personally, I go the full 24 – the result is a stronger, more complex concentrate without any additional bitterness. Cold brew simply doesn't get over-extracted the way hot-brewed coffee does, which is what makes a longer steep genuinely worthwhile.

Cover the container and leave it on your counter. Go to sleep. You've done the work.

Step 6: filter and store

Set the brewing container over the glass decanter and remove the stopper. The concentrate drips through the felt filter into the decanter – let it drain fully without rushing. Once complete, store the decanter in the fridge. Your concentrate stays fresh for up to 2 weeks.

Each 12 oz batch yields approximately 45 oz (1.3L) of concentrate – just above the Toddy logo on your decanter when full.

Step 7: serve

The concentrate is not meant to be drunk straight. Start with a ratio of 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water, milk, or your milk of choice and adjust to taste. It dilutes beautifully with everything: filtered water, oat milk, almond milk, whole milk, or cream.

Iced: Pour concentrate over ice cubes, add water or milk, done.

Hot: Stir concentrate into steaming hot water in the same 1:2 ratio. Genuinely one of the gentlest, smoothest cups of hot coffee you can make.

How to make cold brew at home without fancy equipment

No Toddy? No cold brew maker? No problem. The mason jar method works well, costs nothing, and produces good cold brew – it just requires a little more hands-on effort at the filtering stage.

What you need: A large mason jar or pitcher (at least 1 quart), coarse ground coffee, cold filtered water, a fine-mesh strainer or sieve, and a paper coffee filter or a piece of cheesecloth.

How to do it:

1. Add 12 oz (340g) of coarse ground coffee to your mason jar or pitcher.
2. Pour 8 cups (1.9L) of cold water over the grounds. Stir gently to make sure everything is wet.
3. Cover loosely and steep at room temperature for 12–24 hours.
4. Set a fine-mesh strainer or sieve over a second jar or pitcher. Line it with a paper coffee filter or cheesecloth. Pour the brew through slowly.
5. Store the strained concentrate in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

The main trade-off versus the Toddy: the felt filter in the Toddy produces a cleaner, more polished concentrate with virtually no sediment. The mason jar method can leave a little more residue depending on your strainer setup – a good paper filter helps. A French press is another option: steep in the press, then plunge and pour into a jar for storage. All of these get you to great-tasting cold brew without spending anything on new equipment.

Pro tips for better cold brew

• Grind coarse, always. Fine or medium grounds are the most common cause of a clogged filter, whether that's a felt filter in a Toddy or cheesecloth in a mason jar setup. Coarse grounds let the water flow through cleanly. If you're buying pre-ground coffee, make sure it's labeled coarse – or ask for a French press grind at a coffee shop.
• Longer steep, better taste. A longer steep means more depth and complexity, not a bitter cup. Cold extraction simply doesn't produce bitterness the way heat does, so 24 hours is a genuine upgrade over 12.
• Dilution is personal. The 1:2 ratio is the starting point. I often go closer to 1:1.5 for something that drinks more like regular brewed coffee. Adjust to your own taste and caffeine preference.
• Store it right. Keep undiluted concentrate in a sealed pitcher or decanter in the fridge. Once you dilute a serving, drink it. Don't mix and store.
• Toddy filter care. After each batch, rinse the felt filter with clean water (no soap), put it in a resealable bag, and store it in the freezer. Each filter lasts up to 10 uses; replace after 3 months regardless of use count.
• Filtered water makes a difference. Cold brew is mostly water. If your tap has strong mineral content, it will come through in the final flavor. Filtered water keeps the taste clean and consistent.

Why Toddy?

There are a lot of cold brew systems out there. The Toddy has been around since 1964 for a reason.

• No electricity, no heat, no machinery. A container, a stopper, and a filter. Nothing to plug in, nothing to babysit.
• 67% less acid than hot-brewed coffee. Cold extraction skips the heat that pulls out bitter and acidic compounds. The result is easier on your stomach, easier on your teeth, and genuinely smoother in taste. This is particularly meaningful if you have acid reflux, GERD, or gastritis – conditions where high-acid drinks can cause real discomfort. Plain black cold brew is also free of added sugars and syrups, which makes it a reasonable option for people managing blood sugar levels or diabetes who want coffee without the glycemic impact of café-style drinks.
• Anti-inflammatory potential. When you start with organic, mold-tested coffee beans – free from mycotoxins and pesticide residue – you're reducing the inflammatory load your body has to deal with every morning. Pair that with cold brew's naturally low acid profile, and you have a cup that works with your body rather than against it.
• Consistent results. Once you dial in your grind size and steep time, the Toddy produces the same great concentrate every single batch.
• Made in the USA. Manufactured in Loveland, Colorado.
• Eco-friendly and low-waste. Method #2 uses only the reusable felt filter. No disposable paper, no plastic pods, nothing to throw away beyond the spent coffee grounds.
• Two weeks of coffee from one 10-minute prep. One batch on Sunday night means covered through the following week and into the next – far cheaper than a daily coffee shop habit.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to brew? Grab a Toddy at Amazon and try it tonight – your future self (at 6am on Tuesday) will thank you.

Reviewed by Dr. Kelly – perinatal and pediatric chiropractor, ICPA Webster Certified, and Certified Professional Midwife, serving families in the Twin Cities, MN.