fbq('trackCustom', 'view_shop_coffee'); var trackEvent = 'shop_coffee'; I was excited when my local coffee drive-through started…
Sasha Pavlovich is a coffee expert with years of experience as a barista, and she knows quite a bit about caffeine and coffee. She manually curates every single page on CaffeineStats.com to make sure that you are getting the right information at your fingertips.
Sasha's expertise is backed by a strong foundation of credentials. She is a certified Coffee Roast Master, specializes in Green Coffee Analytics, and is a certified Sensory Cup Taster.
Coffee is the most loved drink because of its refreshing taste. There are many ways to make coffee including hot coffee and cold brew coffee. You can even enhance the taste of your drink by using a specialty coffee like Balance Coffee. It makes the drink less bitter and more naturally sweet and refreshing.
In this article, we will discuss cold brew coffee. It’s a perfect refreshing summer drink and has some health benefits too. If you do not know about cold brew coffee yet, this article is for you.
So let’s start the discussion without any further ado!
Cold-brew coffee is one of the most popular drinks of coffee lovers. But the price of cold-brew is can put some people off.
Well quality cold brew takes a long time to make as it goes through a very labour intensive process. This increases the cost somewhat as that time is priced into the drink.
However, the price doesn’t stop true coffee lovers who absolutely love to drink coffee cold on a hot day.
What is so special about cold brew coffee that everyone loves it? The main reason is the taste. It’s generally very rich in flavour and works really well with ice as it begins to slightly dilute. To maintain the best taste this chilled coffee is brewed in cold water instead of hot water.
But this is not enough. There is a lot more that you should know about this highly-loved summer coffee drink. In addition, we will also tell you how you can make cold brew coffee at home. So let’s continue on shall we?
As we touched upon, cold-brew coffee takes time to be prepared. You have to spend at least 12 hours preparing the coffee.
All you need is to steep pre ground coffee in room temperature water. Make sure the coffee you use is pre ground to a medium-to-coarse setting. You’ll need to allow coffee to soak water for 12 or more hours at a given rate. This is because cold brew takes time to extract coffee’s caffeine, sugars, and oils.
Do not expose the coffee to heat. To drink the coffee, first filter it out and then enjoy. If you’re making coffee at home then you need to be very prepared.
This gradual and long process can take up to 24 hours depending on what equipment you are using and how you’re brewing. Once you’ve navigated the setup part, you can just combine the coffee and water and forget it. After around 12 hours the coffee will be ready to drink.
The flavour result of cold-brew coffee is smooth, with a low level of acidity, and rich infusion. Cold-brew coffee is helpful for weaker digestive systems too.
Because of the rich taste associated with cold brew, people love to drink it on all occasions for different purposes.
The brewing process is simple yet as we’ve shared, does take additional time when compared to other coffee brewing methods such as espresso coffee or filter coffee. However, you can offset this duration and effort by preparing a huge batch so that you have a good supply.
What a perfect solution for a party, family gatherings or business event.
Cold brew coffee creates a convenient, refreshing, and caffeinated drink every morning. The other benefit is a reduction in acidity because of the slow brewing method. Yes, you have heard it right. Cold-brew is less acidic as compared to hot-brew coffee. The reason is the heat. It has a big impact and is an important factor in the extraction process. By using the same coffee beans you can make both hot brew and cold brew coffee.
But the difference is that cold brew is smooth, flavorful, fresh, and far more mellow in flavour when compared to hot brew. Furthermore, you can save cold brew for multiple days when stored correctly which actually makes it very convenient.
Cafes in hot countries love selling this product, for obvious reasons. Cold brew also has some positive benefits for your health too.
These components make the cold brew coffee healthy and digestible. The best part about it is that Balance Coffee proves to be the best choice for buying freshly roasted coffee beans ahead of your cold brew preparation.
You can use the same coffee beans for the hot and cold brew. But the results will provide a very different ph value.
Therefore, cold brew has less acidity that allows people with sensitive stomachs to enjoy coffee at ease. Here are some reasons that decrease the acidity when using cold brew compared to hot. Have a look.
The grind size used is an important factor that affects the acidic level during brewing. Acidity occurs when the oils from the beans get released. The acidity level will be higher if you use more finely ground coffee beans. So if you want a low ph level then using a more coarse grind will create a better ph value fo your stomach.
Each step of the coffee making process has an impact on the end result. Coffee Roasting is no different and is the second factor to affect the acidity in cold brew coffee. With a lower roasting time (lighter) the ph level is high. When roasting for longer (darker) the beans will be less acidic.
Therefore, you can determine which is your preference and choose coffee that is to a given roast profile for both flavour and acidity reasons.
When you’ve ground your coffee beans to your given grind size, you are ready to brew. One big factor that affects coffee acidity is the water temperature. If you brew the coffee in a hot cup of water then it will be more acidic.
Why? Because the beans have a higher concentration of oils and hot water helps extract and produce these oils. Which is why coffee is typically described as more acidic. It’s the most popular way that people like to enjoy coffee.
On the other hand, brewing coffee in cold water reduces the acidity of beans. When brewing with cold water, you can reduce around 70% of the acidity level from the coffee when compared to hot coffee.
Most people think that cold brew coffee and ice coffee are the same. But this is not true. Both are different and we’ll explain how and why these coffees are very different.
Iced coffee is exactly what the name suggests. It is a simple espresso or brewed drip coffee which includes ice. This is concentrated coffee which is diluted by ice to find a middle ground or ‘balanced coffee’. Here’s some info on Flash Brewing.
The quality of the iced coffee increases due to the following two methods that flash brew uses.
It is completely different from iced coffee as it uses cold water during the brewing process. It has low acidity and rounded smooth flavors. The benefit for people with sensitive stomachs is that they can easily digest the coffee.
Cold brew is a slow process, so you’ll typically brew up batches in bulk quantities to avoid wasted time. You can store the coffee for some time which you aren’t able to do with hot coffee. Because it’s cold, on a hot day it’s the perfect way to refresh your mornings.
Iced coffee on the other hand does not provide this benefit. If you don’t drink it immediately, it will begin to oxidise and the taste will disappear and the acidity will increase, becoming unpleasant.
Cold-brew is quite costly as compared to iced coffee because of the length of the process. Therefore, you can save money by brewing this at home.
Here are some reasons as to why you might prefer to make and enjoy cold brew at home instead of buying it in a cafe environment.
Brewing cold brew coffee is a simple process if you consider the following tips!
That’s it. There is nothing complicated about making cold brew coffee once you get the hang of it.
If you’re looking to make cold brew coffee for the first time, you might have the following questions in mind:
If you want to answer these questions, then read on as we got you covered. To make sure you enjoy the perfect cold brew coffee taste at home let’s have a look at the simple steps that will help you to prepare the most delicious cold brew.
First, set the grinder on the most coarse setting. Use the grinder to grind 1 cup of coffee beans. Preferably weigh them out for maximum flavour results and consistency.
Make sure you do not grind to fine like cocoa powder as this will change the brew time, create more coffee oils and ultimately, over extract the brew creating bitter flavours.
Take a jar and fill it with 4 cups of room temperature or cold water. Add the coffee grounds into the jar and mix them with a spoon. Cover the jar with a lid.
After covering the lid, wait for 12 to 24 hours. You can keep the jar in the room or the refrigerator. Do not open the lid within 12 hours as the cold brewing process is slow.
Use a strainer to strain the coffee grounds from the water. You can strain twice to make sure there is no coffee ground in the water. But make sure you strain the coffee after 12 hours for an improved taste.
After you strain the coffee, store it in a separate jar and enjoy. You can keep the coffee for multiple days whilst enjoying the same refreshing taste.
Follow these 5 easy steps to get a cafe-ready cold brew coffee at home.
The cold brew coffee ratio is flexible. You can use the measuring cups or scale to accurately measure the ratio of water and coffee beans.
So have a look at the various methods you will need to make the cold-brew coffee.
With one cup of water, you need the 1-ounce coarsely ground coffee. 1 ounce is equal to 28 grams which mean around 1/4 cup. With this ratio, you can have 1/2 cup coffee.
This is the ideal ratio although you can increase the amount of water and coffee respectively to make more coffee or adjust the flavour profile slightly.
The reason why the water amount decreases is that coffee grounds absorb water during the brewing process.
For a quality taste, it is important to select the right Coffee Beans.
To make the cold brew coffee you can use the two roast types of coffee beans.
Medium-dark roasted coffee naturally has more oils when compared to lighter roast coffees. If your taste preferences are roastier, woodier coffee flavours this might be the best roast profile to use when brewing cold brew coffee at home.
Cold-brew coffee lovers generally prefer to use sweet and fruity coffee beans. This is because it adds a naturally sweet flavour into the coffee and doesn’t leave an unpleasant undertaste.
According to your taste preference you can select the coffee beans you want to enjoy the best coffee at home.
Here are some questions that people have asked about cold brew coffee.
Cold-brew coffee can be made stronger or lighter according to your preferences. Use the normal coffee and water ratio to make the light coffee. But if you want to make the coffee stronger then add the extra coffee into the water.
You can keep the cold brew coffee for a week or so in the refrigerator. But make sure to keep the container tight to keep the refreshing taste. Otherwise, the taste will disappear and you’ll lose the inherent flavour qualities.
Do not adjust the ratio if you are making cold brew coffee for the first time. Test it first, and once you achieve the right taste you can experiment with it further by changing the ratio.
