Cold brew coffee: smooth, bold, refreshing, and surprisingly easy to make at home.
If you've ever wondered how to make cold brew without complicated gadgets or barista-level skills, the Hario Mizudashi makes it a simple, satisfying ritual that delivers reliably good results.
Whether you're new to cold brew or looking to upgrade your setup, this guide walks you through everything, from choosing your beans to storing your batch for the week ahead.
Why Cold Brew Is So Popular
Unlike iced coffee, which is brewed hot and then chilled, cold brew is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for an extended period, usually 18 to 24 hours. The result is a naturally sweeter, less acidic, and smoother cup that's great over ice, blended into lattes, or mixed into cocktails.
Cold brew is loved for its:
- Smooth flavour with lower bitterness
- Versatility, enjoyed black, with milk, or as a base for other drinks
- Convenience, since one batch stores for up to a week
- Caffeine kick, a concentrated brew that's easy to dilute to taste
Meet the Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Pot
The Hario Mizudashi is one of the easiest, most elegant tools to start brewing cold brew at home.
Key features:
- Built-in mesh filter, no paper filters or extra gear needed
- Borosilicate glass body, heat-resistant, durable, and stylish
- Slim design that fits easily in a fridge door
- Available in 600ml or 1L sizes
- Minimalist Japanese design built for everyday use
What You'll Need
- A Hario Mizudashi cold brew pot
- Freshly ground coffee beans (coarse grind)
- Cold or room-temperature filtered water
- A spoon or stirrer
- Time and patience, about 18 to 24 hours
No fancy equipment, no heat, and no complicated process. Just coffee, slowly steeped to perfection.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Cold Brew with Hario Mizudashi
Step 1: Choose the Right Coffee Beans
Look for a medium to dark roast for deeper, chocolatey notes, ground to a coarse consistency, similar to raw sugar, using a reliable burr grinder. A coarse, even grind helps with smoother extraction and easier filtering.
You can also experiment with light roasts for a fruitier, more acidic brew, though darker roasts tend to produce the smoothest results for cold brew specifically.
Step 2: Measure Your Coffee and Water
A good starting ratio is 1:10, coffee to water by weight (for example, 60g coffee for 600ml water). Weighing this out on a coffee scale keeps your results consistent batch to batch.
If you like it strong, to dilute later, go with 1:8. For a lighter brew you'll sip straight, 1:12 works well.
Fill the Mizudashi's filter basket halfway to two-thirds with grounds, depending on your taste preference and the pot's size.
Step 3: Add Water and Stir
Slowly pour cold or room-temperature filtered water over the grounds in a circular motion to saturate them evenly. Gently stir with a spoon to eliminate dry pockets, and make sure the water level doesn't exceed the max fill line.
Step 4: Steep for 18 to 24 Hours
Put the lid on and place the pot in the refrigerator. Let it steep for at least 18 hours, going up to 24 hours for a bolder, more concentrated brew.
The longer you steep, the stronger the result. If you plan to dilute with milk or water, steeping the full 24 hours gives you more room to do that without losing flavour.
Step 5: Remove the Filter and Enjoy
After steeping, remove the filter basket and discard or compost the used grounds. No straining or extra cleanup needed.
Serve over ice, mix with milk or oat milk, add a splash of vanilla syrup, or drink it straight. Store any remaining cold brew in the fridge for up to 5 to 7 days.
Troubleshooting Your Cold Brew
- Tastes weak or watery: Your ratio was likely too diluted, or the steep time was too short. Increase to a 1:8 ratio or extend the steep closer to 24 hours.
- Tastes bitter: Uncommon with cold brew, but over-steeping past 24 hours or using too fine a grind can cause it. Coarsen the grind and stick closer to 18 hours.
- Cloudy or has sediment: Usually excess fines from an inconsistent grind. A burr grinder set to coarse produces far fewer fines than a blade grinder.
- Tastes flat after a few days: Cold brew concentrate does lose some brightness over time. This is normal; it's best consumed within the first 5 to 7 days.
How to Customize Your Cold Brew
- Try different beans: Single-origin coffees add fruity, floral, or nutty notes. Ethiopian and Colombian beans are especially popular for cold brew.
- Flavour it up: Add cinnamon sticks, orange peel, vanilla pods, or cardamom to the grounds before brewing for a subtle infusion.
- Make cold brew lattes: Mix your concentrate with equal parts milk or plant-based milk, using a milk frother if you want a frothy finish. Add sweetener or syrup if you like it flavoured.
- Turn it into a cold brew tonic: Mix with tonic water and a wedge of lime for a refreshing, fizzy summer drink.
Why the Hario Mizudashi Works So Well for This
There are plenty of DIY cold brew methods, mason jars, French presses, cheesecloth filters, but the Mizudashi simplifies the process considerably:
- No mess, thanks to the built-in filter
- No extra gear needed, no paper filters, presses, or decanters
- Elegant, fridge-friendly design
- Durable and reusable for regular, everyday brewing
- A trusted, globally respected name in specialty coffee gear
How Long Does Cold Brew Last?
Once brewed, store your cold brew in the fridge for:
- 5 to 7 days for best flavour
- Up to 10 days if kept sealed and chilled
This makes it a genuine “brew once, enjoy all week” solution, ideal for busy schedules and effortless mornings. You can batch-brew a larger stock for smoothies, lattes, cocktails, and more.
The Perfect Cold Brew, Simplified
- Cold brew is smoother, less acidic, and highly customizable
- The Hario Mizudashi makes brewing it at home genuinely easy
- All you need is coarse coffee, water, and time, no complicated gear
- Brew time: 18 to 24 hours in the fridge
- Stores well for 5 to 7 days
