Cold brew coffee is one of this year’s hottest trends, and chances are you can find it at your local café, whether that is a Starbucks or the corner shop. Its popularity isn’t simply due to the waning summer warmth—trendy cold brew coffee is distinctly different from iced coffee, which is simply regular hot coffee or espresso served over ice.
The name says it all when it comes to cold brew. Instead of steeping the coffee grounds with hot water over a short period of time, cold brew takes up to 24 hours to steep and uses cold or room temperature water. No heat is involved at all. This significantly changes the way the coffee grounds and water interact. Many people find cold brew to be a smoother, sweeter, and less acidic drink than coffee or espresso. You can be the judge!
Some cafés and bars are mixing things up even more by adding nitrogen gas to coffee and serving it on tap. The mouthfeel of this nitro cold brew will be more akin to a creamy stout than a cup of coffee.
If you want to make cold brew at home, you probably already have the tools you need. Here’s the key steps to a great cup of cold brew coffee:
- Decide how much coffee you want and then measure your coarse coffee grounds and cold or room temperature water in a 1:8 ratio. So, if you’d like 12 ounces of coffee, you’ll need 1.5 ounces of grounds and 12 ounces of water.
- Mix the grounds and water together in a bowl, French press, Mason jar, or anything else you have handy. If you don’t have a lid, cover the container with plastic wrap.
- Leave it be for 12-24 hours. You can put the container in the refrigerator if you want, but that’s not necessary.
- Strain the contents of the container through a coffee filter or, if you’re using a French press, just press the plunger to the bottom. Discard the grounds and pour the strained liquid into your glass.
- Enjoy! Because cold brew coffee has less acidity, many people drink it black. You can also add milk or sugar if that’s more to your liking.
Cold brew coffee stores great in the refrigerator, so it’s easy to make a big batch over the weekend for a quick grab and go cup during the week.
Comment on our Cold Brew Facebook Post and tell us if you like Cold Brew or prefer standard iced coffee! A lucky poster will receive a Cooks Innovations gift!
