Cold coffee
Iced coffee is a delicious option for a refreshing and stimulating drink on hot days. But not all cold coffees are created equal. Cold coffee is not the same as chilled coffee.
We explain the difference between making coffee with a cold brew or " cold brew " and making coffee with a hot brew and letting it cool. This is important because the organoleptic properties change.
We also explain how to make cold brew coffee at home and offer a simple recipe so you can make it yourself.
Cold brew coffee or chilled coffee?
What we understand as cold brew coffee is a cold brew coffee extraction . This means that no heat has been used to extract the chemical compounds from the ground coffee and dissolve them in the water.
This is what is generally known as a “ cold brew ” or “cold brew coffee”, that is, cold coffee extraction.
On the other hand, when the chemical compounds are extracted from ground coffee and dissolved in water using heat —the common way of making coffee—and then allowed to cool, we call this cooled coffee.
Chances are you're interested in cold brew coffee and how to make it. Making cold brew coffee isn't any more complicated than making a good cup of coffee (as if that were so easy!) and letting it cool. If so, in this post, we'll explain how to make cold brew coffee .
But is there really a difference between cold coffee and iced coffee?
Cold brew coffee versus chilled coffee
Niny Z. Rao, Ph.D., a researcher at Thomas Jefferson University, wanted to make cold brew coffee at home after tasting a delicious cold brew coffee. But the results weren't as good as she'd hoped.
True to his profession, he decided to investigate the reasons why this had happened and realized there was little scientific literature on the subject. This led him to plan an experiment applying the scientific method to see if there really was a difference between cold brewing and hot brewing coffee.
Any specialty cold brew coffee lover could tell you the difference. Generally, cold brew has less acidity than hot brew, creating a smoother tasting profile. But now we have the evidence to prove it .
What this researcher found was that a hot brew extracts more antioxidants from coffee , and this difference increases with darker roasts. More antioxidants, in this case, equals more acidity .
So, on the one hand, cold brew coffee is less acidic than hot brewed coffee. And on the other, the sweet notes are enhanced, making for a noticeably more balanced and sweet final cup.
Making cold brew coffee by immersion
Making cold brew coffee is relatively simple. We explain it in detail in this post , and we recommend reading it if you're interested. This is the classic immersion method, and the basic recipe is as follows:
- Coffee 40 g
- Water 600 g/ml
- A mesh or silk
- A glass container
And the recipe to make cold coffee at home or cold brew:
- Grind the coffee to a medium grind- Pour the coffee directly into the mesh- Place the mesh into a glass container- Pour the water into the container through the mesh with the coffee- Stir gently- Cover the container- Let it rest for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator (be careful of strong odors!)- After this resting time, remove the mesh with the coffee and it will be ready.
Cold brew coffee with a cold brew machine
Using the method and recipe we've outlined above—and with a little practice—you should make excellent cold brew coffee. In our online specialty coffee shop, you'll find the coffees we recommend for making cold brew coffee and the specific recipe for that coffee. All this information is on the same product sheet under the "cold brew" tab.
There are some inventions that facilitate this immersion method:
1) The Toddy Cold Brew system uses a special container into which ground coffee and cold or room-temperature water are added. After 12-24 hours of steeping, the rubber stopper is removed and the coffee is filtered into a decanter, separating the grounds from the coffee. This system is appreciated for its ability to reduce coffee acidity and the flexibility it offers for preparing a variety of beverages.
2) The Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew is an all-in-one cold brew coffee system. You simply add ground coffee to the built-in mesh filter, then fill the carafe with cold water. The coffee then steeps in water for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator. After this steeping period, you remove the mesh filter, leaving behind a smooth, refreshing coffee ready to drink.
Cold drip coffee or Kyoto Style
Kyoto-Style or Kyoto Drip is a cold or ice water drip brewing method . Instead of mixing the water and coffee and then letting it steep for a long period of time, cold water slowly drips onto a bed of ground coffee and then filters drop by drop into a collection container.
This process is done using a drip tower consisting of three parts: a water (ice) reservoir at the top, a coffee chamber in the middle, and a collection container at the bottom.
Water is poured into the upper reservoir, and a regulator allows it to drip slowly (usually one drop per second) onto the coffee grounds in the middle chamber. The filtered coffee then drips into the collection container.
This process can take several hours, but the result is a smooth, sweet cold brew coffee that has a very different flavor profile than other cold brew methods.
Making cold brew coffee at home
Now we know why cold brew coffee is not the same as cold brew coffee. Generally, cold brew coffee has less acidity and a smoother tasting profile than coffee brewed hot and allowed to cool.
In our online specialty coffee shop, we have a special selection of coffees we've tested for cold brewing and recommend using for the recipe we've suggested for making cold brew coffee at home.
Now all that's left is for you to try it.
