Cold brew coffee is a new trend in the coffee-drinking world. It’s not served hot, but it packs a punch of flavour and caffeine that makes it perfect for year-round drinking, especially in Summertime.
Many coffee roasters are now sharing detailed recipes, secret tips and step-by-step guides on how to make cold brew coffee from the comfort of your own home.
In this blog post, I will explore different ways to prepare cold brew coffee and share a recipe that is perfect for summer!
What exactly is cold brew coffee, you ask?
Cold brew coffee is brewed with cold (or room temperature) water instead of hot water.
This method of brewing leads to less acidity and bitterness, which results in a smoother tasting cup of joe. It does, however, take much longer.
The brewing process
The process involves extracting the flavour from ground beans by letting them steep in water for up to twenty-four hours.
It is actually brewed at room temperature and for that reason takes much longer to extract the flavour from the beans – approximately 12-24.
The best way to make this type of beverage is by using a cold brew coffee maker. And once steeped, it can be kept refrigerated for up to 10 days.
This process also results in a smoother taste than traditional hot brewing methods.
So, if you’re looking for something different in your coffee routine, try cold brew today – or should I say – make it today and taste it tomorrow!
Why cold brew?
Cold brew coffee is a type of coffee that can be enjoyed year-round and offers a different taste than hot brewed coffee.
I know it sounds a little strange, but it’s actually very delicious.
Depending on the coffee beans used, it can have a deeper taste and if you compare it to iced coffee or hot brewed coffee, the flavours are much cleaner.
Some people also find that they can’t drink as much hot brew when sitting outside in the heat because they get too jittery from all of the caffeine!
Plus, there are some people who just prefer their drinks at room temperature rather than chilled.
Which Coffee Beans are best?
Choosing your beans is an important step to making your new drink taste the best it can be. The best option is to buy whole beans and then grind the coffee yourself with a coarse grind.
Be sure to check out the flavour profile of your beans too. For example, you may want to find one with notes of chocolate for richness or baked apple for sweetness because these are the types of flavours that a cold brew method will extract the best.
If you buy your coffee from specialist coffee roasters, they should be able to advise on which are the best for this brewing method. They may even have a blog post on their website too.
An Easy Cold Brew Recipe
What you will need
- Freshly ground coffee
- Water
- Something to brew it in (cold brew maker)
Method
- For this cold brew recipe, we’re going to go for a ratio of 1:16. That is 1 part coffee and 16 parts water for a 1 litre yield.
- Start with grinding 62.5 grams of coffee on a very coarse setting,
- Mix 1 litre of water with the coffee in your chosen brewing vessel (I recommend the Hario Mizudashi)
- Leave at room temperature and steep for 18-24 hours.
- After 24 hours, refrigerate until chilled or pour over ice then add milk or sugar to taste and enjoy!
- For a smaller quantity of cold brew, if so desired, simply halve the amount of coffee and water used.
