Cold Brew Troubleshooting

If Coffee is Too Bold:

Grind your coffee at a coarser grind level, and/or steep for less time.

• The Cold Brew Coffee Maker produces a coffee concentrate.
• To serve at the proper strength, dilute your coffee concentrate with water or any dairy/dairy-free milk of your choice.

Watch the video below for our recommendation on the coffee concentrate to achieve a smooth and balanced flavor:

If Coffee is Too Weak:

Either grind your beans to a finer consistency or brew for more time.

• Cold Brew Coffee uses more coffee to brew than other methods.
• Make certain you use at least 250 grams of coarsely ground coffee to brew.
  • The grounds should come close to touching the fill guideline on the steeper.
• Kitchenaid® recommends using the Burr Grinder Scale Jar to weigh your coffee.

If the Coffee Tastes Bitter or Unpleasant After Use:

Taste can be impacted if the Cold Brew Coffee Maker isn't thoroughly cleaned.

• Make certain that all soap, grounds, and oily residue are thoroughly rinsed off of all parts after each use.

Watch the video below for more instructions on how to clean your cold-brew coffee maker:

Grounds in Coffee

Make sure coffee is ground coarsely. Too fine a grind can leave grounds in the coffee.

The classic cold brew coffee brewing method uses coarsely ground coffee steeped in cold water for 12-24 hours. This no-heat brew method produces a smooth, balanced flavor that's less bitter. If using the KitchenAid Burr Grinder then use settings 1-3.

Cold-brewed tea is steeped in cold water for 4-12 hours. For tea, your package may have recommended brew times, but a general guideline is 4-6 hours for green and white teas and 8-12 hours for black and oolong teas.

For best results, use coarsely ground coffee or loose-leaf tea leaves. If you have a kitchen scale, you can use the chart below to determine how much coffee or tea to use. Or, use the coffee fill guideline on the steeper (see at left) as a rough guide when making coffee.

Leaking From Underneath:

The seal must not get wrinkled or rolled up upon disassembling and reassembling.  

• The seal should lay flat and stick out an equal amount on each side (be centered over the opening).