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.

• Ensure that all soap, grounds, and oily residue are thoroughly rinsed off 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).