Cold Brew Coffee

5 mins

Firstly, what is cold brew coffee?

Often confused with iced coffee, cold brew coffee is usually brewed using cold water instead of hot water while the opposite is for iced coffee usually being brewed with hot water.

The finished product for cold brew coffee has a different flavour compared to coffee brewed using hot water as the bean’s chemical profile changes in different ways during the brewing process.

Coffee that is cold brewed tends to be naturally sweeter and smoother than coffee brewed with hot water. That’s because cold brewing doesn’t generate the bitter-tasting compounds that are created when ground coffee is heated.

Why do people drink cold brew coffee?

There are many reasons as to why this cold beverage is growing in popularity, here are a few reasons:

Cold brew coffee is easy to make

It only takes a few minutes to prepare a large batch of cold brew coffee. Once you have a bottle of cold brew in your refrigerator, you can pour yourself a glass in seconds. You won’t have to spend hours perfecting your coffee making technique as you might when working with an espresso machine!

Cold brew coffee is less acidic

As mentioned earlier, cold brew coffee is less acidic than traditionally brewed coffee. This is handy if you suffer from heartburn or you are trying to reduce the number of acidic foods that you ingest.

Cold brew coffee has a smoother flavour

The first thing you will notice when drinking cold-brewed coffee is how smooth it tastes. It’s smoother because cold brew doesn’t heat the coffee bean, which can cause the release of several bitter-tasting compounds including bitter oils, esters, ketones, and amides. Without those compounds dominating your brew, you will get enjoy a much sweeter cup of coffee.

Flexibility over coffee strength

By changing the steeping time and dilution, you can precisely alter the strength of your coffee. If you want a strong coffee, you will be happy to learn that cold-brewed coffee can be made EXTREMELY strong by simply brewing it longer and changing the dilution ratio.

How To Make Cold Brew Coffee: Step by Step Instructions

Making cold brew coffee is surprisingly easy. The simplest method for making cold brew coffee is as follows:

Step 1: Gather your ingredients and equipment

To make cold brew coffee, you will need:

  • 80 grams of coarsely ground coffee
  • One litre of water
  • Two containers with lids, each large enough to hold your cold brew
  • Coffee filters or cheese cloth
  • A funnel (optional, can make it easier to transfer coffee between containers)

Step 2: Combine your ingredients

Pour the ground coffee and water into one of the containers and give it a stir. Ideally, your container should be filled as close to the top as possible and it should have a lid to limit the amount of oxidation that occurs during brewing.

A large mason jar with a lid works well for making cold brew coffee. Some people use a French press for brewing their cold brew, simply wrapping the top in plastic wrap to seal it.

Step 3: Brew

Let the coffee steep for at least 12 hours (at room temperature). You can place your container in the fridge while it is steeping if you like, but that will extend brewing time to between 15 to 17 hours.

Step 4: Strain your cold brew coffee

Strain your cold brew coffee into your other container, passing it through a coffee filter to catch the spent coffee granules. It is now ready for consumption. Most people will keep their cold brew coffee in the refrigerator to maximise its lifespan. If properly sealed, your cold brew coffee will last for 1 to 2 weeks.

Step 5: Drinking cold brew

Cold brew coffee can be enjoyed in several ways:

Straight Up

If you like your coffee strong, drink it straight from a glass.

Iced

If its a warm day, add a few ice cubes and enjoy instant iced coffee

Iced Cold Brew Latte

Add some ice cubes and a small amount of milk (sugar optional)

Diluted

If the brew is too strong, add a splash of water and have it Americano style.

Cold Brew Soda

Mix some cold brew with soda water, almond coffee syrup, and ice

Pro-tips: cold brew ratios

Remember, there are two factors that go into determining how strong your cold brew coffee will be:

  • The ratio between coffee and water
  • How long you leave the brew to steep for

You can play with the ratio of coffee to water to obtain a coffee that you enjoy. Most people find that 80 grams of coffee to one litre of water is the sweet spot for cold brew.

However, if you are planning to add milk to your cold brew, you might prefer to a stronger ratio like 120 grams per litre of water, for more flavour.

We hope you enjoyed reading about how to make cold brew coffee – why not give it a try using on of our best coffee subscription plans?

Explore by topic

Next read