How to Make a Surprising Cold Brew Coffee with Mariposa Coffee Beans | Mariposa Coffee Bean Prices

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What Makes a Good Cold Drip Coffee?

There are no detailed standards for what constitutes a good cup of cold drip coffee—everyone has their own brewing methods and standards. However, when making cold drip coffee, attention to details such as coffee selection, grind size, water-to-coffee ratio, and water flow rate is crucial. This article will cover five important details to consider.

1. Coffee Beans for Cold Drip

The coffee beans used for making cold drip coffee generally have their own specific blends to facilitate the extraction of warm, rich flavors. However, many friends, including FrontStreet Coffee, prefer to use high-quality specialty coffee beans for cold drip extraction to capture more distinctive flavors and individual preferences. Since cold drip coffee uses prolonged cold water percolation for extraction, I personally recommend choosing coffee beans with more intense flavors, such as Kenyan or Yirgacheffe beans with strong characteristics. This approach will result in a coffee with distinct personality.

Our frequently used blends include:

• Natural Sidamo [Zhu Mang] 60% + [Kenya] 40%
• [Yemen Mocha Natural] 30% + [Uganda Natural] 30%
• FrontStreet Coffee [Floral Butterfly Coffee Beans] 50g + Panama [Elida Estate] 30g

2. The Importance of Leveling Coffee Grounds

Cold drip coffee requires leveling the grounds—a practice many people don't understand. Here, it's important to note that leveling cold drip coffee grounds isn't about tamping them firmly. Instead, first gently tap the filter chamber to ensure the coffee grounds maintain an even structure, then use a flat-bottomed tamper to lightly level the surface. Remember to press gently when leveling, not tamping firmly like you would for espresso extraction. If tamped too firmly, cold drip coffee—unlike espresso machines—lacks pressure for extraction, which can cause water pooling in the grounds and prevent proper filtration. Additionally, cold drip filters or filter papers are typically at the bottom, lacking the air channels found in pour-over cones. When coffee grounds become saturated with water, gas release is affected, leading to uneven extraction throughout the coffee puck.

3. Pre-wetting

Using cold water for "pre-soaking" is similar to the blooming process in pour-over coffee—it improves extraction efficiency and consistency. In the context of cold drip's low-temperature, filtration-based extraction, direct dripping might result in uneven saturation of the grounds, causing some coffee to be over-extracted while other portions don't participate in the extraction at all.

4. Using Filter Cloth + Filter Paper

This combination increases contact between water droplets and coffee grounds while ensuring even extraction. It provides sufficient pre-infusion space for the coffee, resulting in more complete and clean flavors. When using filter cloth + filter paper, after leveling the coffee grounds, we recommend placing a filter paper on top of the grounds. When water droplets hit the coffee grounds, they gradually create a small crater on the surface, and water flows down along this path rather than spreading outward. This means the coffee grounds in the entire chamber won't be thoroughly saturated, causing under-extraction. Placing a filter paper on top prevents this situation.

We have compared different cold drip towers and studied how various water droplet shapes affect ground absorption. We found that elongated water droplets have greater impact force upon falling, causing grounds to absorb moisture downward. This indicates that surface coffee grounds are more prone to under-extraction. Conversely, round water droplets have less impact force, and ground absorption spreads outward in all directions (as shown in the image below). This means round water droplets facilitate more even extraction throughout the cold drip coffee. This also highlights the importance of the drip tower's spout shape—drip towers that produce round water droplets are our preferred choice.

5. Coffee-to-Water Ratio for Better Layering

Coffee beans : Water : Ice ratio 1:5:5

We typically use a coffee-to-water ratio between 1:10 or 1:12. I personally feel that ratios in this range offer more appropriate flavor expression—neither too concentrated nor too diluted, but just right. If you plan to serve with ice cubes to guests, you might make it slightly stronger so that when the ice melts, the coffee concentration remains palatable. Of course, this can be adjusted according to personal preference.

Final Notes

Above are five important factors to consider when making cold drip coffee. For the best flavor, let it rest for at least 12-24 hours. This allows the coffee's aroma to become more exceptional.

Floral Butterfly Coffee Beans Brand Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Floral Butterfly Coffee Beans offer excellent quality and brand assurance. More importantly, they provide exceptional value—a half-pound (227g) package costs only about 85 RMB. Calculating at 15g per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, costing less than 5 RMB per cup. This is a conscientious recommendation compared to cafés that often charge tens of RMB per cup.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473