How much coffee grounds to use for Shelbru Cold Brew System

One of the most common questions we get about the Shelbru Cold Brew System is the amount of coffee grounds to use. 

The Shelbru System is designed to brew cold brew concentrate as well as ready-to-drink (no dilution needed). Simply adjust your coffee-to-water ratio to get the strength you like.

Cold brew concentrate

If you’re planning on making cold brew concentrate, simply fill the Dual Filter with 3.5 oz of coarse ground coffee. (If you don’t have a scale, there’s a 3.5oz guide mark on our filter) Add 24 fl oz. of filtered water. This should fill the carafe to the top. This is approximately 1:7 in ratio. Then brew 12-24 hours on countertop or in the fridge. When you’re ready to drink it, dilute with water, creamer, or milk of your choice!

Related: Making cold brew: on the counter or in the fridge?

Ready-to-drink

If you want cold brew straight out of the fridge without diluting, then you can make ready-to-drink with less coffee grounds and more water. Add 2 oz coarse ground coffee and 26 fl oz of water. This will yield a 1:13 ratio. 

Adjust as you go

Of course, the ratio we provided above is not just our recommendation, but it’s a good place to start if you’re just getting started with cold brew. The more you brew, you’ll start to get a feel for your preferred ratio. And that’s great! 

Also, don’t forget to experiment with brewing time too. The longer the brew time, the stronger your cold brew will be. And the shorter the brew time, the weaker your cold brew will be. 

Tell us - do you prefer cold brew concentrate or ready-to-drink? And if you already have your ratio down, what works for you?