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Cold Drip Coffee Brewing Ratios, Taste, and Flavor Characteristics - Coffee Bean Grind Size and Water-to-Coffee Ratio for Cold Drip

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style) Many people let their phones eat first, taking photos before eating and not knowing what they've consumed even after finishing. Accustomed to unconscious eating, without visual aids, would you still know what you're eating? Having taste

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Summer's Essential: Cold Brew vs. Iced Drip Coffee

The distant cicadas chirp endlessly as the dog days of summer begin. Heat waves roll through the streets, and even the household taps run with hot water. At FrontStreet Coffee, our barista had barely opened the door when customers rushed in asking if we had cold brew coffee. To survive the remaining forty hottest days of the year, without a refreshing cup of iced coffee, life would be unbearable.

Cold brew coffee sounds refreshing and invigorating, but when FrontStreet Coffee's barista asked our customers about the difference between iced drip coffee and cold brew coffee, they couldn't answer. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will explain what iced drip coffee is, what cold brew coffee is, and how to make a cup of iced coffee at home.

Understanding Iced Drip Coffee

As summer arrives, more and more coffee shops are adding iced drip coffee back to their menus. What is iced drip coffee? So-called iced drip coffee uses an ice-water mixture that drips drop by drop onto coffee grounds. Because the extraction process for iced drip coffee is very slow, typically taking 6 to 12 hours, the price of iced drip coffee is relatively high.

On FrontStreet Coffee's menu, due to equipment limitations, cold brew coffee only offers iced drip coffee as an option. At the same time, because the equipment for making iced drip coffee is too complex, it discourages many people from making iced drip coffee at home.

FrontStreet Coffee's equipment for making iced drip coffee is placed next to the espresso machine. The equipment is mainly divided into five parts: water container, adjustment valve, coffee powder cup, serpentine tube, and coffee liquid container. Each part serves its own function: the water container holds the ice-water mixture, the adjustment valve regulates the dripping speed, the powder cup holds coffee grounds, the serpentine tube allows observation of the coffee liquid's color, and the bottom container collects the extracted coffee liquid.

FrontStreet Coffee's Iced Drip Coffee Method

FrontStreet Coffee's specific steps for making iced drip coffee are as follows:

Coffee Amount: 60g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:10
Grind Size: 85% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve
Time: 6-8 hours

Take out the powder cup, wet the bottom and place filter paper, ensuring it adheres tightly
Pour the ground 60g coffee powder into the powder cup, level the surface and place circular filter paper on top
Pour a small amount of ice water or room temperature water to wet the coffee grounds
Add appropriate amount of ice-water mixture to the water container
Adjust the valve to a speed of 5 drops per 10 seconds
After extraction is complete, transfer the coffee liquid to a sealable container and refrigerate overnight before drinking

Due to the high cost and time investment of iced drip coffee equipment, many people are not enthusiastic about making iced drip coffee at home. However, this is not a reason for not being able to make cold brew coffee at home.

Cold Brew Coffee: The Accessible Alternative

Even without specialized equipment for making iced drip coffee at home, this shouldn't be an excuse for not making cold brew coffee. Literally understood, cold brew coffee is coffee extracted from coffee grounds using low-temperature water. In this understanding, iced drip coffee is a type of cold brew coffee, and cold brew coffee is also a type of cold brew coffee.

Therefore, enjoying refreshing coffee at home is extremely simple to achieve. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce you to the method of making cold brew coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Cold Brew Method

FrontStreet Coffee's specific steps for making cold brew coffee are as follows:

Coffee Amount: 60g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:10
Time: 8-12 hours
Grind Size: 85% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve

Choose a sealable container
Pour the ground coffee powder into the container
Pour room temperature water according to the 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio
Refrigerate for 8-12 hours
Remove and filter
Seal the filtered coffee liquid and refrigerate for 12 hours before drinking

About Grind Size

Because cold brew coffee uses relatively low water temperatures, significantly lower than the approximately 90°C typically used for pour-over coffee, and because low-temperature water extracts coffee grounds much more slowly due to reduced material exchange rates, besides extending extraction time, the coffee beans must be ground finer to increase the surface area contact between water and coffee particles, extracting as much of the desirable flavor compounds as possible.

However, if coffee particles are too fine, too many flavor compounds will be extracted, including some unpleasant bitter flavors; if coffee particles are too coarse, it will result in unclear flavors and a texture that is too light. FrontStreet Coffee found through multiple experiments that using a grind size with 85% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve is ideal.

About Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Different strokes for different folks. Since each coffee drinker has different preferences for coffee concentration—some like it strong, others prefer it light—FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio when making iced drip coffee and adds ice cubes when serving. Those who prefer stronger coffee can drink it quickly, while those who prefer lighter coffee can wait for the ice cubes to slowly melt; as the ice melts, the coffee concentration decreases accordingly.

About Coffee Beans

Because cold brew coffee is extracted at low temperatures over extended periods, more small molecular substances such as floral aromas and fruit acids are extracted from the coffee beans, while large molecular substances like tannins that cause bitterness are difficult to extract. Additionally, because the extracted coffee needs to undergo 12 hours of low-temperature refrigeration fermentation, it has a distinct fermented flavor and the inherent sweet aroma of the coffee beans, with a viscous, smooth, and refreshing texture.

Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee typically selects coffee beans with good acidity or unique flavors for cold brew coffee. Among these, Kenyan and Honduras Sherry coffee beans are excellent choices.

Recommended Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee: Kenya Small Tomato Coffee Beans

Region: Thika, Kenya
Processing Station: Asali Honey Processing Station
Altitude: 1550-1750 meters
Varieties: SL28, SL34
Processing Method: K72 Washed Processing

FrontStreet Coffee: Honduras Sherry Coffee Beans

Region: Marcala, Honduras
Estate: Finca Moca
Altitude: 1500-1700 meters
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai, Pacas
Processing Method: Fine Washed & Whiskey Barrel Fermentation

Flavor Profiles

FrontStreet Coffee's iced drip coffee made with Kenya coffee beans has flavors of plum, cherry tomato, and caramel, with an overall sweet and tart profile that is very refreshing, perfect for quenching thirst and cutting through richness in the scorching summer.

FrontStreet Coffee's iced drip coffee made with Sherry coffee beans has rich flavors of vanilla, cream, and oak barrel, enhanced by low-temperature extended fermentation, creating an overall experience reminiscent of sherry whiskey, making it exceptionally unique.