All Things Cold Brew - Concentrates, Ready-To-Drink, Homemade, Pros, Cons, Flavor, And More

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All Things Cold Brew - Concentrates, Ready-To-Drink, Homemade, Pros, Cons, Flavor, And More

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All Things Cold Brew - Concentrates, Ready-To-Drink, Homemade, Pros, Cons, Flavor, And More

14 min read SEP 17, 2026

Key Takeaways

Cold brew continues to grow in popularity on cafe menus around the world, especially throughout North America (1). You can also easily find cold brew concentrates on grocery shelves, and at-home brewing instructions are plentiful. But, deciphering the differences between varying water to grounds ratios, concentrates, etc. can be confusing. So here, we’re detailing the differences between each option, including a look at the pros, cons, flavor, and quality of this chilly, delicious brew.

What’s So Great About Cold Brew - cold brew science, what makes this brew so smooth, etc.
You’ve Got Options: Concentrates, Grounds, And How-To’s - difference between store bought concentrates and ready-to-drink options, ratios used in at-home recipes, how to make cold brew
Cold Brew QC: Pros, Cons, Flavor, And More - pros and cons of concentrates vs ready to drink homemade cold brew, including flavor, quality, etc.

Cold brew coffee has taken the world by storm - well, at least North America - and this chilly cup’s popularity is growing by the day (1).

But, as trendy and delicious as it is, cold brew can also bring with it a bit of confusion.

Sure, it’s simple enough when you’re ordering from a cafe menu, but when you’re looking to make it at home, or searching for a prepared brew in the aisles of your favorite grocery store, there seems to be more to this cup than meets the eye.

Store bought options are often listed as concentrates, but what does that mean? Are you supposed to add water like those old school cans of orange juice concentrate from the freezer section?

Then, if you add water, can you still add milk and other flavorings, or will this dilute your brew too much?

Of course, if you search the web for cold brew instructions, you’ll likely find a variety of water to beans/grounds ratios, but why? Isn’t cold brew…just cold brew?

Do these differences boil down to preference?

Do the larger beans/grounds amounts yield a larger batch of brew alone?

Do the smaller ratios you find in cold brew recipes simply yield a weaker cup?

And, when it’s all said and done, once we detail the purpose behind each method or product, which is best…and why?

Let’s find out…

What’s So Great About Cold Brew?

Glass of iced cold brew coffee with ice cubes, surrounded by coffee beans, a jar of cold brew, and fresh greenery on a wooden coaster.

First things first - cold brew is often served over ice, but cold brew is not iced coffee.

In fact, if you’re a cold brew fan, especially if you’ve been drinking this smooth brew option consistently, then you’re likely able to detect with a single sip whether or not your cafe cold brew order was accidentally swapped with an unintentional iced coffee.

How could this be?

Well, while taste is subjective, most often you’ll find that folks love a good cold brew for its distinct smoothness and naturally sweet flavor compared to traditionally brewed coffee (2).

To add, many also find cold brew to taste less acidic, lacking the classic bitterness or bite associated with regularly brewed hot or iced coffee (2).

And, these penchants are each brought about through the brewing process incorporated to make this tasty cup.

Traditionally, brewing coffee involves adding very hot water to ground coffee beans.

The use of heat here serves to extract the natural sugars, flavor oils, and aromatic compounds as well as the bitter tannins and sharp acids in coffee (3).

Though many coffee lovers appreciate the complexity of a cup brewed in this manner, the absence of those less desirable qualities, such as bitterness and acidity, make cold brew an intriguing alternative.

You see, when making cold brew, time is the operative extraction agent in this method instead of heat, with each batch requiring cold or room temperature water to be added to coarsely ground coffee, the mixture then steeped for anywhere between 12 and 24 hours (3).

Instead of simply brewing traditionally and cooling off your cup (as in iced coffee), this absence of heat in the brewing process means the bitter and acidic compounds of coffee remain locked in the grounds, allowing you to only experience the more desirable coffee qualities such as the natural sugars and inherent smoothness (3).

Some folks even make a grammatical or technical distinction regarding cold brew, insisting it’s not actually a brew at all, instead listing this cup as more of a “cold steep or cold infusion” (4), due to the absence of heat in preparation.

No need to trip over a technicality though. So instead, let’s address the other praiseworthy quality of cold brew - acidity.

I’m gonna burst a few bubbles on this one, even my own, but here we go…

I’ve always heard/seen cold brew listed as a less acidic option compared to traditionally brewed coffee.

In fact, you could search multiple sites online and find this exact info, but what may be more accurate is that this brew only tastes less acidic (5).

I know, I know…but, please don’t shoot the messenger.

I’ve found site after site that lists “less acidity” as a clear perk of cold brew, some even going as far as saying that it is up to 70% less acidic than hot coffee (6).

And, there are a few studies that do indicate there are more non-deprotonated acids in hot coffee compared to cold brew (7), validating such assertions.

However, I’ve also found research covering multiple roasts as well as coffees from a variety of growing regions which indicates that while cold brew is indeed less sour or less bitter tasting, it is “not necessarily less acidic chemically” (5).

Could this mean what we thought we knew about cold brew has been wrong?

Or could this simply mean further studies need to be conducted before we (collectively as coffee lovers) speak definitively on the subject?

Personally, I lean towards the latter.

So then, with a focus on the undeniable (in science and taste preference) smoothness, sweetness, and less acidic or bitter flavor of cold brew, let’s now take some time to decipher the offerings we commonly come across as we seek the perfect cold brew cup.

You’ve Got Options: Concentrates, Grounds, And How-To’s

We’re going to keep this section pretty basic - no conflicting studies, no details on how brewing methods extract oils, acids, and other compounds (or not) - just options, including what these offerings mean and how you can make each (concentrated and ready-to-drink) from the comforts of your own kitchen.

First, let’s peruse the aisles of a typical grocery store.

Oftentimes, here, you’ll find refrigerated, bottled cold brew selections, and typically with such options you’ll find the word(s) concentrate, or concentrated, somewhere on the label.

Concentrated cold brews are simply those which are brewed or steeped with a higher ratio of coffee to water, yielding a stronger (or more concentrated) brew (8). In other words, it’s likely you wouldn’t enjoy a cup straight (8).

Logistically, concentrates make sense for grocers and cafes as these take up less space and ship more efficiently, allowing either the barista or consumer to dilute the brew when preparing (8).

But, you may have also seen, when looking for cold brewing instructions, that some recipes or how-to’s list details for making concentrates from home.

Then again, you may have also come across instructions for making ready-to-drink cold brew.

Likewise, those single serve cans or bottles of cold brew that I love from Whole Foods are ‘ready-to-drink’ as well, so what gives?

As you might have guessed, the at-home brewing instructions for cold brew concentrate simply incorporate (like store bought concentrates) a higher ratio of coffee to water when brewing to yield a more intensely concentrated cold brew which you can then dilute when you’re ready to enjoy.

And, any single serve or ready-to-drink store bought cold brews or at-home instructions for ready-to-drink cold brew each utilize a more modest ratio of coffee to water in preparation to yield a brew that can be consumed as-is, no dilution necessary (9).

Or, if you prefer the CliffsNotes version:

Cold brew concentrates you typically find at the grocery store require dilution with either water or milk as these are brewed with a higher coffee to water ratio.
Ready-to-drink store bought cold brew options are prepared with a mild or moderate coffee to water ratio, negating the need for dilution.
At-home cold brew concentrate recipes require a higher coffee to water ratio to yield a very strong brew which typically requires dilution with milk or water prior to consumption.
At-home cold brew recipes with smaller or lesser coffee to water ratios can generally be consumed ‘as-is’ without dilution, often termed ready-to-drink.

You may have also noticed that store bought and cafe cold brew selections are oftentimes more expensive than traditionally brewed and chilled (or iced) coffee, and this is because without heat, extracting natural flavors, sweetness, etc. requires more coffee (beans/grounds) and more time, both of which account for the higher price tag (10).

To get a better picture of the differences between cold brew concentrates and ready-to-drink options, let’s make a few batches of cold brew at home (3) to get a closer look at those ratios.

Cold Brew Concentrate (1:4 ratio, coffee to water)
1 cup coarsely ground coffee
4 cups cold, filtered water

Combine coarsely ground coffee and cold, filtered water in a large jar, pitcher, or French press.
Give the water and grounds a gentle stir to ensure all the grounds are saturated.
Cover and place in the refrigerator (or leave at room temperature for an even stronger brew).
Allow the mixture to steep for 12-24 hours.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, paper filter, or using the plunger of your French press.
Store the concentrate in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, dilute the concentrate with a 1:1 ratio of milk or water. In other words, equal parts concentrate and milk/water.

Ready-To-Drink Cold Brew (1:8 ratio, coffee to water)

1 cup coarsely ground coffee
8 cups cold, filtered water

Repeat the instructions listed above without dilution.

When ready to enjoy, you can sip as-is, or add a simple splash of milk or creamer.

**A note about grind size…

You’ll notice we’ve listed coarsely ground coffee for each cold brew preparation method.

When making cold brew, pre-ground coffee typically isn’t suited for making cold brew unless specified otherwise.

This is because finer grind sizes, both a medium grind and a fine grind, have more surface area, meaning more water makes contact with the grounds resulting in an over-extraction of the oils in the coffee, yielding a more bitter brew (11).

A coarse grind, on the other hand, has less surface area, meaning less extraction and a sweeter, smoother brew (11).

Cold Brew QC: Pros, Cons, Flavor, And More

Now that we’re familiar with the cold brew basics, including how to make both cold brew concentrate and/or some ready-to-enjoy cold brew at home, how do you know which option is best for you?

And, if both options seem to have their place, how do you know when to choose concentrate and when a ready-to-drink cold brew is better suited for your circumstances?

Let’s take a closer look…

Cold Brew Concentrate

These options are often available for purchase in grocery stores, which means you can buy a concentrated bottle, store it in your refrigerator, and prepare a cup with ease.
Cold brew concentrates can allow for easy customization. Since these require dilution, you can opt for a simple addition of water to enjoy a cup of cold brew black, or if a latte is more your style, you can choose to skip the water and dilute your cold brew directly with the milk component of your latte.
Concentrates give you more control over the final product. Since you’re starting with a very strong brew, you can dilute it a little bit, taste it, then decide if you want more milk/water or if the brew is great as-is (12).
Concentrates are often viewed as preferable options when making coffee cocktails and fancy cafe-style beverages at home as the strength of the concentrate holds up well to a variety of additions (12).
However, since you’re making a concentrate, this does require a greater amount of coffee to use upfront.
Most would advise against drinking a cold brew concentrate straight, so you do need to add the extra step of diluting your brew prior to enjoying.
Some folks can still detect bitter or sour notes in cold brew concentrates, and these are likely evident due to the need for a greater amount of coffee when making (13).
Cold brew concentrates tend to be more easily over-steeped, resulting in the negative outcomes listed above, which is why cafe, store bought, and even homemade concentrates can often have a more harsh taste, one which may fail to highlight any delicate flavor notes in your brew (13).

Ready-To-Drink Cold Brew

You can also find ready-to-drink cold brew options at many grocery stores, and these are convenient when you’re in a rush.
Making ready-to-drink cold brew at home is just as simple as making a concentrate, as you’re only using coarsely ground coffee and filtered water.
When making cold brew with a lesser coffee to water ratio you don’t need to use as much coffee upfront.
Ready-to-drink cold brew means you don’t have to do any guesswork later regarding dilution…no measuring, just pour, then flavor to your liking with milk, cream, sugar, etc. and enjoy (12).
Since you’re omitting the dilution process, making ready-to-drink cold brew should yield a consistent cup each time…predictable quality and flavor (12).
Speaking of flavor, with a ready-to-drink ratio for preparing cold brew, you can often still detect the light, more delicate flavor profiles of coffee, those flavors and qualities that concentration can potentially obscure (13).
Ready-to-drink cold brew ratios unfortunately do require a greater amount of space in your refrigerator when making large amounts (such as making enough for the week). And, in the same way, this type of cold brew also requires more frequent brewing if you’re not planning to make enough for the week due to fridge space (12).
A lesser coffee to water ratio when making ready-to-drink cold brew also yields a less versatile brew, meaning you won’t be able to add a lot of extras to your cold brew without altering flavor and strength (12).

Keep in mind, you can easily make both cold brew concentrate and ready-to-drink cold brew from the comforts of your own kitchen, or you can opt for store bought options of both in a pinch.

Of course, we prefer the at-home efforts here as this means we can make delicious cold brew using any of our favorite Lifeboost Coffee selections (classic roasts or flavored options).

*A note about caffeine content…

You may have heard that cold brew contains more caffeine than traditionally brewed coffee, so let’s do a little comparison as we wrap up.

A traditionally brewed, 8 ounce, cup of coffee contains roughly 85 mg of caffeine (14).

A 16 ounce cup of cold brew (whether ready-to-drink or an appropriately diluted concentrate) contains roughly 200 mg of caffeine (14).

Of course, this sounds extreme until you do the math, which shows that an equally portioned 16 ounce cup of traditionally brewed coffee would roughly contain 170 mg of caffeine.

So, a side-by-side 16 ounce comparison has cold brew coming in at roughly 30 mg more caffeine.

No matter how you choose to cold brew, concentrated and diluted or ready-to-drink, this chilly, smooth, and subtly (naturally) sweet brew is one that seems to be here to stay! Yum!

*Note: caffeine content can vary depending on personal brewing measurements and methods.

FAQ

1- How long does homemade cold brew (concentrate or ready-to-drink) last in the refrigerator?

The shelf life for each at-home cold brew option is roughly 7-10 days under refrigeration (3).

2- Can you make cold brew (concentrate or ready-to-drink) using flavored coffee?

You can easily make cold brew with flavored coffee selections using the same instructions and ratios mentioned here today.

Personally, I love using Lifeboost Highlander Grogg Coffee to make a cold brew concentrate which I frequently use when making homemade coffee ice cream (the concentrated flavor holds up well in recipes).

And, I love using Lifeboost Cinnamon Cappuccino Coffee to make a ready-to-drink cold brew for my daily brew. Here, I just add ice, a splash of heavy cream, a pinch of cinnamon, and I’m ready to go!

Disclaimer: Coffee contains caffeine and you should consult with a health care professional with any concerns you might have on the effects of coffee on your health and well being. Additionally, the way coffee is grown, low acid coffee, decaf coffee, as well as different roast types (light, medium, dark, etc.) can alter caffeine levels. If you have questions about the caffeine levels or pH levels of our coffee, please reach out to our support team for clarification. If you have any concerns with how our coffee, or any product will affect you or your health, consult with a health professional directly.

Becky Livingston Vance Content writer

Becky is a mother, educator, and content writer for Lifeboost Coffee. She has had three years’ experience as a writer, and in that time she has enjoyed creatively composing articles and ebooks covering the topics of coffee, health and fitness, education, recipes, and relationships.

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