Tool
Cold-brew dilution calculator
Concentrate to finished drink, in either direction — for whichever dilution you prefer, since there is no correct one.
There is no single correct dilution ratio for cold brew — this only computes the arithmetic for whichever ratio you choose. Start around 1:1 and adjust to taste.
How it works
A dilution of 1:2 means one part concentrate to two parts water or milk. Added liquid is the concentrate multiplied by the dilution; the finished drink is the two added together. Going the other way, concentrate is the target serving divided by one plus the dilution.
What the inputs mean
- Dilution
- Parts of water or milk per part of concentrate. This is a serving decision made after brewing, and is a different thing from the ratio the concentrate was brewed at.
Worked examples
A black cold brew from concentrate
- Concentrate 100 ml
- Dilution 1:2
Result: 200 ml of water, for a 300 ml drink.
Common mistakes
Confusing dilution ratio with brew ratio
The brew ratio decides how strong the concentrate is; the dilution decides how much you water it down afterwards. Two concentrates brewed differently need different dilutions to land in the same place.
Diluting to taste over ice and then repeating the recipe without it
Melting ice adds a substantial amount of water. The same numbers without ice will taste much stronger.
What the result does not mean
- Dilution says nothing about how the concentrate was extracted. A weak concentrate diluted less is not the same drink as a strong one diluted more.
What this does not account for
- There is no single correct dilution ratio — this only computes the arithmetic for whichever one you choose.
- Ice is not counted. It dilutes as it melts, so a drink built over ice ends up weaker than the numbers here.