How to Make Cold Brew at Home (Plus a Caffeine-Free Rooibos Version)

Cold brew isn't just iced coffee, it's a completely different extraction, and it's one of the easiest things you can make at home with almost no equipment. Here's the simple version, and a South African twist on it that swaps in rooibos for anyone cutting back on caffeine.

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What makes cold brew different

Regular iced coffee is hot-brewed coffee poured over ice, cold brew is steeped in cold or room-temperature water for hours, which pulls out flavour far more slowly and gently. The result is naturally sweeter and noticeably less acidic than hot-brewed coffee, since the long, cold extraction doesn't pull out as many of the bitter, acidic compounds that heat extracts quickly. Some of the oils and acids in coffee are simply less soluble in cold water than hot, so you end up with a smoother, rounder cup almost by chemistry rather than by recipe.

The basic method

1. Coarse grind, always. Anything finer will over-extract over such a long steep and turn bitter, and will be a nightmare to filter.
2. Ratio. Roughly 1:8, so 100g of coarsely ground Bliksem Brew or Lekker Brew to 800ml of cold water, for a concentrate you'll dilute later. Adjust to taste from there.
3. Steep. 12–18 hours in the fridge, or on the counter if your kitchen isn't too warm. Longer isn't really better past that point, it just gets more bitter.
4. Strain and dilute. Filter out the grounds, then cut the concentrate roughly 1:1 with water or milk over ice, to taste.

A dedicated cold brew maker with a built-in filter makes this considerably less fiddly than a jug and a sieve, since it separates the grounds from the concentrate in one motion rather than requiring a separate straining step. The Takeya is the reliable, no-nonsense option most people land on, and it's the current best-seller in the category for good reason. If you'd rather it looked the part sitting out on the counter, the ovalware glass carafe version does the same job with a proper glass vessel instead of plastic.

The rooibos twist

South Africa has its own version of a milky coffee-shop drink that isn't coffee at all, a red cappuccino, made with strong rooibos instead of espresso. Take that idea cold, and you've got a proper afternoon drink that's naturally caffeine-free.

Steep a generous handful of rooibos in cold water for 8–12 hours, the same way you would coffee, rooibos is forgiving and doesn't turn bitter or tannic the way black tea can over a long steep. Strain, pour over ice, and stir through a spoonful of honey while it's still slightly warm from steeping so it dissolves properly. A splash of milk on top if you like it creamy.

If you want something in between, a half-and-half cold brew, half rooibos, half Lekker Brew grounds, steeped together, gives you a gentler, rounder cup with less caffeine than a straight coffee cold brew but still that coffee backbone. Worth experimenting with your own ratio to find what suits you.

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