What is the method for making cold brew coffee? Which coffee beans make the best cold brew?

The Rising Trend of Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is taking the world by storm. You may have noticed that in many coffee shops, cold brew coffee tends to be more expensive. Have you ever wondered why?

In fact, what makes cold brew coffee more expensive is the time required to make it. Typically, brewing some hot coffee takes less than 10 minutes, including grinding time. Cold brew coffee, on the other hand, requires at least three to five hours. Certain processes may take up to 24 hours.

Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee

Many people distinguish cold brew coffee from iced coffee because what we understand as iced coffee is traditionally made by using hot water for extraction, then adding ice or chilling it to transform the hot temperature into iced coffee. The biggest difference with cold brew coffee is that it uses ice water throughout the entire process for low-temperature extraction.

Although extraction is slower at low temperatures, flavor-wise, high temperatures more easily cause the tannic acid in coffee to decompose into pyrogallic acid, creating acidity and bitterness. Cold brew coffee, by comparison, offers a mellower flavor that is quite popular.

Unique Characteristics of Cold Brew

Due to the low-temperature method, cold brew coffee can effectively avoid the emergence of undesirable substances, resulting in a distinctive and unique flavor profile. Low-temperature extraction also facilitates storage – it can be kept refrigerated for 1-2 weeks. As time passes, it's said that the coffee liquid will undergo slight natural fermentation, and when consumed at that point, it will have a charm similar to fine wine.

The flavor of coffee extracted at low temperatures changes depending on factors such as coffee roast level, water quantity, water temperature, dripping speed, and coffee grind coarseness. The perfect ratio requires time and experience to adjust. Cold brew coffee tastes mellow, has lower acidity, milder bitterness, and gains more complexity after fermentation. However, it also tends to lose some special flavors that are only released at high temperatures, so the selection of bean variety and roast level also requires special consideration.

Of course, cold brew coffee can also be mixed with moderate amounts of milk or syrup to adjust the flavor. These variations are very flexible, but many connoisseurs still choose the original taste of coffee. This way, the coffee flavor is less likely to be covered up by various juices or dairy products, losing the authenticity of the coffee's flavor profile.

The Sensory Experience

Delicious iced coffee, while its aroma when smelled may not be as uplifting and expansive as hot coffee, reveals various wonderful flavors, aromas, and textures the moment it enters your mouth, enriching our palate and satisfying our soul. But this isn't just iced coffee with ice cubes added – it's cold brew coffee slowly extracted through cold or ice water that subverts the general imagination of coffee, allowing you to enjoy a mellow flavor like fine wine and the pleasure of refreshing coolness.

As coffee has become a daily necessity for many people, beyond the differences in coffee bean growing regions and varieties, the distinction between light and dark roasts, and the various hot coffee brewing methods, there's another way to enjoy coffee – cold brew coffee. During scorching summer days, the fermented aroma and cooling sensation of iced coffee are particularly captivating.

Methods of Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee can be roughly divided into three methods – drip-style, ice-drip style, and cold-brewing style. Due to different extraction conditions, these three methods produce different flavors and textures, but all belong to the category of cold brew coffee. The principle of cold brew coffee is the same as cold brew tea – it uses low-temperature, long-time soaking to slowly extract the flavors from the coffee.

Drip Method: Extracted with room temperature water and consumed directly, reminiscent of a rich and mellow whiskey.

Ice-Drip Method: Extracted with ice water and consumed directly, like a refreshing cocktail.

Cold-Brewing Method: The extracted coffee is refrigerated for fermentation, or coffee grounds are soaked at room temperature then refrigerated for fermentation, similar to aged Chinese rice wine.

Tea Bag Infusion Method: Similar to tea bags, soaked in cold water and refrigerated for fermentation, like refreshing cold brew tea.

Choosing Coffee Beans for Cold Brew

What coffee beans are suitable for cold brew coffee?

These are all based on personal preference, and there are no strict requirements for specific beans – as long as you like them, that's what matters. However, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using some natural process or honey-processed beans, as this will result in cold brew coffee with higher sweetness that is more popular.

FrontStreet Coffee uses [Hartmann] and [Flower Queen] beans, which can produce a cup of cold brew coffee with rich fermented aroma.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473