Cold Brew Coffee Brewing Methods and Bean Recommendations - Starbucks Cold Brew vs. Americano: Which Tastes Better

With cicadas chirping and birds singing under the bright sunshine, southern regions are gradually stepping into summer. The hot weather makes cold, refreshing beverages irresistible. Cold brew coffee, with its simple preparation process and no complex procedures, is an excellent summer choice for coffee enthusiasts—you can brew a pot before bed and enjoy it the next morning. But what exactly is cold brew coffee? And what is Starbucks' nitrogen cold brew?

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee, known in English as Cold Brew Coffee, is made by grinding coffee beans and steeping them in cold water for more than 8 hours. For a richer body, the steeping time can be extended to 24-48 hours. After steeping, simply filter out the coffee grounds to enjoy the brew.

The Extraction Principle of Cold Brew Coffee

Low-temperature extraction differs from high-temperature rapid extraction (pour-over). Due to the low temperature, bitter and astringent compounds in the coffee grounds are difficult to extract. Meanwhile, the long slow steeping process allows the sweet and acidic compounds in the coffee to be extracted more thoroughly. This ensures a rich body while improving the overall cleanliness of the coffee.

What is Starbucks' Nitro Cold Brew?

Nitro cold brew is essentially cold brew infused with nitrogen. The moment the coffee is dispensed, it interacts with air, creating a creamy texture reminiscent of drinking non-alcoholic black beer. This cup of nitro cold brew is more about its creamy texture—whether it tastes good is subjective.

How Does FrontStreet Coffee Make Cold Brew Coffee?

If you want to drink cold brew coffee but don't want to go out and buy it, FrontStreet Coffee is here to teach you how to make cold brew coffee at home. Cold brew coffee is a very easy brewing method to master. FrontStreet Coffee's cold brew coffee uses 50 grams of coffee powder as the standard. For grind size, because the water temperature in contact with the coffee grounds is lower than regular pour-over coffee, we choose a slightly finer setting than pour-over coffee—that is, 85% pass-through through a #20 standard sieve.

Place the coffee powder in a glass bottle, then add 400ml of room temperature water and 200 grams of hard ice cubes (totaling 600 grams of ice-water mixture) to the bottle. The powder-to-water ratio is 1:12. Then use a stirring stick to mix the coffee powder and water thoroughly, seal, and place in the refrigerator to cool.

After placing in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours, use filter paper to filter out the coffee grounds to obtain clean coffee liquid. Then store the coffee liquid in a clean sealed bottle and refrigerate for another 4 hours before drinking.

Here, FrontStreet Coffee needs to remind everyone that cold brew coffee is not necessarily better the longer it extracts. Whether it tastes good is very subjective. Some people prefer fresh, clean coffee, while others enjoy heavy, fermented flavors—these preferences vary from person to person.

For those who prefer stronger fermented flavors, FrontStreet Coffee recommends slightly extending the extraction time. As time increases, the fermented flavor of the coffee liquid becomes stronger, but the coffee concentration becomes richer and the flavor layers more complex. If you find the coffee liquid too concentrated when drinking, you can add a couple of ice cubes. As the ice melts, the coffee concentration will decrease accordingly.

Recommended Single-Origin Coffee Beans for Cold Brew Coffee

The liquid produced by cold brew coffee is not as clear as ice-drip coffee and will have a thin layer of oil floating on the surface, giving it a slightly heavier, more balanced flavor profile. It's recommended to choose some light to medium roast coffee beans to best express the cold, clean feeling of cold brew coffee.

① FrontStreet Coffee — Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry Coffee Beans

As the most representative African coffee bean, Yirgacheffe has captivated countless coffee enthusiasts with its rich floral and fruity characteristics. The Red Cherry Project, as a high-quality natural Ethiopian coffee, is very suitable for making cold brew coffee. When made as cold brew, it exhibits very sweet berry flavors, layered complexity, and honey notes.

Region: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Estate: Aletaland Estate

Altitude: 1700m～2200m

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing: Natural

② FrontStreet Coffee — Kenya Asalia Coffee Beans

Kenyan coffee beans attract countless coffee enthusiasts with their full juice-like mouthfeel and small tomato aroma. Because of their bright and solid acidity, when made as cold brew they exhibit small tomato, honey, and preserved plum flavors, with rich layers and full body.

Region: Thika, Kenya

Processing Station: Asali Processing Station

Altitude: 1550m～1750m

Variety: SL28, SL34

Processing: K72 Washed

③ FrontStreet Coffee — Panama Floral Butterfly Coffee Beans

This coffee consists of 70% Geisha and 30% Caturra/Catuai mixed, undoubtedly one of the most cost-effective single-origin coffee beans in the Panama region. When used for cold brew coffee, it expresses clean, fresh floral notes, citrus, and oolong tea flavors.

Region: Boquete, Panama

Altitude: 1600m

Variety: 70% Geisha, Caturra, Catuai

Processing: Washed

④ FrontStreet Coffee — Costa Rica Mozart Coffee Beans

This coffee bean has fermentation aroma with a light orange blossom fragrance. When used for cold brew coffee, it exhibits the sweetness of raisins and a light white floral fragrance, with a smooth mouthfeel.

Region: Tarrazú, Costa Rica

Estate: Canet Estate

Altitude: 1980m

Variety: H1

Processing: Raisin Honey

⑤ FrontStreet Coffee — Honduras Sherry Coffee Beans

This coffee bean is placed in whiskey barrels for low-temperature fermentation. The green coffee beans absorb the whiskey aroma in the barrels, and the roasted coffee beans are filled with rich whiskey fragrance. When used for cold brew coffee, it exhibits whiskey aroma and vanilla cream-like sweetness and smoothness.

Region: Marcala, Honduras

Estate: Moca Estate

Altitude: 1500m～1700m

Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas

Processing: Fine Washed + Whiskey Barrel Fermentation

With such hot weather, how can you do justice to yourself without a cold drink? Don't just think about it—take action. Take out your bottle, grab your coffee beans, and start making your own cup of cold brew coffee right now.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473