What is Cold Brew Coffee? Cold Brew Coffee Making Process Steps vs Iced Americano?

Summer arrives so quickly it catches us off guard. Among the many iced coffees of the season, cold brew, also called cold drip, has made iced Americanos feel a little "threatened" (just kidding).

Compared with iced Americanos, cold brew is especially beloved by younger consumers. FrontStreet Coffee believes this comes down to its clean, full-bodied taste, which makes it perfect for drinking straight or building into a range of specialty coffee drinks. It lets you appreciate the beans' distinctive flavors while playing a balanced yet distinctive role in coffee creations.

How Cold Brew Differs from Iced Americano

Cold brew is a coffee liquid extracted in a low-temperature environment. Without the molecular movement that heat creates in water, heavy molecular substances and thick-bodied materials are less likely to be released, so bitterness is hard to develop. At the same time, light molecular compounds, the acidity and sweetness, are fully released through the extended low-temperature soak.

The advantage of cold brew, then, is its clean, full-bodied profile. Light to medium roast beans perform exceptionally well, and the method is very simple. The drawback is that it needs 8-12 hours of steeping to extract a delicious cup.

An iced Americano is a coffee liquid extracted under pressure, at high temperature, and in a fast flow through very finely ground coffee, then diluted with water. The thick-bodied substances in the grounds are extracted quickly, and with a small extraction ratio the taste becomes very rich and intense, which is why it is called espresso.

The name "Americano" comes from American soldiers in Italy who found espresso too strong and added water to taste, thus creating the drink. Its advantages are speed and the ability to adjust concentration with water; its drawback is that a poorly extracted espresso can turn burnt and bitter.

Cold Brew Preparation Steps

In this article, FrontStreet Coffee uses its own roasted Flor de Mayo coffee bean from the Boquete region of Panama for the demonstration. The bean is 70% Geisha plus 30% Caturra/Catuai. Because they are grown in the same region, it also counts as a single-origin coffee bean.

Coffee amount: 40 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:13

Water temperature: 0°C - 4°C

Time: 8-12 hours

Grind size: medium-fine, about 75% retention through a standard #20 sieve

FrontStreet Coffee grinds the beans to the size of granulated sugar and places them in a clean, sealable container. Room-temperature water is added so it fully contacts the grounds. The mixture goes into the refrigerator to steep for 8-12 hours, after which a high-density filter mesh or filter paper is used to strain out the grounds.

The filtered cold brew can be enjoyed straight or mixed with other ingredients. The Flor de Mayo cold brew presents a full-bodied, rich texture with a prominent green tea aftertaste, bright citrus acidity, white-flower freshness, and honey-like sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

When choosing beans for cold brew, FrontStreet Coffee recommends its Sun-Dried Huakui from Ethiopia. Because cold brew amplifies floral and fruity notes while muting roast and woody tones, a light-to-medium roasted, naturally processed bean like Huakui shines: steeped cold, it shows magnolia, cream strawberry, dried mango, guava, and black tea. For a brighter, juice-like cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Little Tomato, a washed SL28 and SL34 bean, is another excellent choice.