Coffee continues to be a hot favorite with people of all ages. But its making has become varied. We remember drinking hot brew coffee and iced coffee.
And now the latest trend is cold brew coffee. What does this term imply? How is it different from iced coffee?
Cold brew coffee
Many of the fast food chains in the world have started dispensing cold brew coffee and it has picked up with the masses.
People are enjoying this new form of coffee and relishing it. But how does this coffee differ from hot brew coffee and ice cold coffee or iced coffee?
The difference lies in the method of making. Hot brewed coffee is one in which the coffee powder has been brewed in hot water.
Whereas iced coffee is one in which the coffee has been brewed in hot water and later ice cubes are added to it to make it cold. Or it has been chilled too cold.
Cold brew coffee with milk (Source: The Spruce Eats)Whereas cold brew coffee differs in the fact that it is brewed in water at room temperature or cold water. This is a long steeping process involving many hours. Usually, it is 12 to 24 hours.
If we read the description of this coffee, the terms experts use to describe it are smooth, low acid, and heavier than the hot counterparts.
Rising trend of this coffee
The national coffee association did a survey in 2019 that showed that 20% of respondents drank this coffee occasionally. And 80% at least knew what it was. Brent Wilczynski, Head Brewer of Cold Brew Production for Stumptown Coffee Roasters states:
“That was not the case in 2010,”
“Communicating the difference between iced coffee and cold brew was difficult, let alone trying to convince people that this thing called cold brew that comes in an amber stubby bottle isn’t beer.”
Cold brewed coffee (Source: Eating bird food)The company now bottles coffee in cold brew form. It commenced in 2011 and at that time it was a novel idea. And it is gaining popularity now. And you can make it at home too in easy and simple steps.
Grind coffee coarsely, add water, let it sit, and then strain. This is a concentration. You can dilute it with water, ice or milk to the desired level to get coffee of your taste. There are good brew coffee makers also available in the market.
Coffee type and this brewing method
You can use any coffee to make it. All go well with this brewing technique. But coffee that has a fruity flavor is particularly good. Brent explains:
“I think the acidity of lighter roasted coffee really shines in cold brew against the sweet profile that cold water extraction provides,”
“It’s really down to personal preference and how you take your coffee.”
More important is the water used in the making of the coffee. According to Brent,
“Good water is huge. Coffee is ~98% water so it’s super important that you think the water you’re brewing with tastes good.”
Less acid-tasting coffee (Source: With salt and wit)You can use French Press to make it. Cold brew coffee is made by using 340 g of coffee in 1814 g of water. Whereas in hot brew it is 1 g of coffee in 14 to 18 g of water.
Thus the former is more concentrated. But to make coffee you will dilute it 1:1 with water. Hence the final product has less caffeine compared to hot brew coffee.
Also, read How to make Cold Brew Iced Tea? (Refreshing Drink)
If you use clean equipment to make, a cold brewed coffee can last for 7 to 10 days. Brent recommends:
“I would encourage people to play around with a few of their favorite coffees and experiment with different filtration methods and dilution levels,”
“Some coffees really do great at a super high concentration and it’s nice to have just four ounces of a super syrupy, heavy cold brew over ice. Other coffees taste great at a really low concentration and the added water opens up access to entirely new flavors.
A fun exercise is to line up a few cups of the same batch, all diluted at different levels, and compare them all to see what you like best.”