What Makes Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee Special? How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home

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Cold brew coffee has gained tremendous popularity over the past two years. The slow, low-temperature extraction process makes coffee richer and more aromatic, with slightly less caffeine. It can be stored for about two weeks, and the coffee undergoes fermentation, even developing subtle wine-like notes! Let FrontStreet Coffee teach you how to make Starbucks-style cold brew coffee, plus bonus tips for pour-over coffee beginners that guarantee success. You'll become a coffee expert too!

Characteristics of Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is produced by slowly extracting coffee grounds mixed with cold water in specific proportions. Coffee made through the cold brew process has lower acidity and astringency. The low temperature conditions and extended contact time with coffee grounds allow only small-molecule flavor compounds to be extracted, such as floral and fruity notes, while larger-molecule flavor compounds like smoky flavors are difficult to extract.

Low-temperature extraction and long brewing time are two key characteristics of cold brew coffee, and also the main differences between cold brew and hot-brewed coffee. Hot-brewed coffee is extracted using hot water at temperatures between 82-95°C and typically takes no more than 3 minutes. Cold brew coffee can fully showcase the subtle flavor characteristics of coffee. Due to its mild acidity, sweet taste, bright mouthfeel, and smooth flavor, it presents the distinctive flavor profiles of specialty coffee growing regions.

Coffee Beans Suitable for Homemade Cold Brew

The primary condition for a good cup of coffee is high-quality coffee beans, and the beans selected for cold brew should also be premium products. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "Freshly Roasted Quality Coffee," hoping every customer enjoys freshly roasted, aromatic coffee beans. All shipped beans are freshly roasted within 5 days. Below, using FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu as examples, let's introduce which coffee beans are suitable for homemade cold brew.

If you prefer cold brew with sweet and sour flavors, FrontStreet Coffee recommends Guodingding, Strawberry Candy, and Flower Queen specialty coffee beans. These not only contain rich fruit aromas but also present delicate sweet and sour notes under low-temperature extraction. If you prefer a balanced taste, FrontStreet Coffee, Diamond Mountain, Kaffa Forest, and Geisha Village Chaka are recommended, offering a good balance of acidity, bitterness, and sweetness. However, if you're someone who only loves rich, dark-roasted coffee, then you should start with Queen Manor, Paradise Bird, Golden Mandheling, and Huilan single-origin coffees.

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Guodingding

Yirgacheffe Guodingding

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone

Altitude: 1900-2300m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing: Washed Grade: G1

Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee Same Production Method

Coffee Beans: FrontStreet Coffee Guodingding Cooperative

Dose: 20g

Water-to-Coffee Ratio: 1:12

Grind Size: Coarse grind (slightly coarser than normal pour-over grind to avoid over-extraction)

Steeping Time: 8-10 hours

① First, grind the coffee beans and pour the grounds into a jar, then add 240ml of water.

② Place in the refrigerator for 13 hours to extract, allowing the coffee grounds to fully contact with cold water.

③ Filter the coffee liquid using a filter cloth or filter paper.

FrontStreet Coffee Flavor Description

Floral, citrus, berry. After continuing to refrigerate for 5 hours, the berry aroma becomes more prominent. The entry is refreshing citrus with clean sweetness and a clean mouthfeel.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cold Brew Coffee

Advantages: FrontStreet Coffee believes that cold brewing amplifies the flavor and aroma of coffee while reducing acidity - the colder, the better. Without hot water brewing, low-temperature cold water doesn't extract impurities and bitterness from coffee beans, resulting in a clean, pure taste that's refreshingly sweet and smooth.

Disadvantages: FrontStreet Coffee notes that due to the extended contact time between water and coffee grounds, the caffeine content is quite strong, making it perfect for moments when you need to stay highly alert. Roughly calculated, a cup of cold brew coffee (200ml/20g beans) contains about 200mg of caffeine.

Will cold brew coffee become sour? Yes. In hot brewing, oils and acids in coffee beans degrade and oxidize faster than in cold water, which increases the coffee's acidity and bitterness. The low temperature and long brewing time of the cold brew process capture more sweet compounds soluble in cold water, without the oils and acids.