What is the Ratio for Making Cold Drip Coffee? Illustrated Guide to Cold Drip Coffee Brewing Methods

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For coffee enthusiasts, whether it's pour-over coffee, espresso, or cold drip coffee, each brings a unique coffee experience, yet all are equally enjoyable. As we enter the scorching summer, cold drip coffee becomes particularly popular. Despite its longest preparation time—taking at least a full day—this doesn't diminish customers' love for it. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee explores the cold drip coffee preparation method, how to control the cold drip coffee ratio, and create a rich, refreshing coffee.

Placing Coffee Grounds in the Middle Chamber

Since cold drip coffee cannot extract large amounts of aromatic compounds from coffee grounds using high temperatures, especially the large-molecule aromatic compounds prominent in medium-dark roasts which are difficult to dissolve in ice water, we typically use light to medium roast coffee beans with rich floral and fruit aromas, noticeable sweet and sour notes, or wine-like characteristics. FrontStreet Coffee recommends the wine-like Frontsteet Honduras Sherry coffee beans or the Frontsteet Costa Rica Strawberry Sugar coffee beans with blueberry and strawberry fruit notes. The coffee grounds should be ground to a medium-fine consistency.

Drip with water below 5°C or ice cubes. Special reminder: before starting the dripping process, pre-wet the coffee grounds completely to avoid channeling, which prevents water droplets from passing evenly through all coffee grounds.

Placing Ice Cubes in the Upper Chamber

The water-to-coffee ratio for cold drip coffee is approximately 1:8 to 1:10. For 100 grams of coffee grounds, the ice cube + water mixture placed in the upper chamber should weigh about 800-1000 grams (recommended ice:water ratio = 1:1).

However, FrontStreet Coffee's baristas choose 60 grams of coffee beans to extract approximately 600 milliliters of cold drip coffee, resulting in a coffee-to-liquid ratio of 1:10. The grind size should be slightly finer than pour-over coffee, with about 85% passing through a 0.85mm standard sieve. The finer grind and lower coffee-to-water ratio produce a richer, fuller-bodied cold drip coffee. This approach is designed because ice will be added to dilute the coffee during subsequent serving.

Of course, the 1:10 ratio is considered quite concentrated. Normally, the coffee-to-liquid ratio for cold drip coffee is around 1:12 to 1:14.

If you have a drip brewing device at home for personal use, you can adjust the ratio according to your own taste preferences.

Controlling the Drip Flow Rate

Controlling the drip flow rate is a crucial element in cold drip coffee preparation. If the water drip rate is too fast, it will result in under-extraction, producing weak coffee lacking aroma. Conversely, if the flow rate is too slow, it can cause the coffee to ferment, producing sour or wine-like flavors. Based on experimental results, it's recommended to adjust the cold drip coffee maker's flow controller to the optimal rate: 7 drops every 10 seconds.

Waiting

Many friends ask FrontStreet Coffee how much water and how much ice to add. Regarding this question, FrontStreet Coffee indicates that as long as you ensure the entire process uses an ice-water mixture, it's fine. This is because we adopt the approach of ending extraction when the target coffee liquid volume is reached, so excess ice-water in the upper chamber won't affect the coffee liquid.

The greatest characteristic of cold drip coffee is the extended waiting time. Depending on the amount of coffee grounds and ice cubes, the waiting time typically ranges from 3.5 to 12 hours! FrontStreet Coffee's entire extraction process usually lasts 6-8 hours.

Refrigeration

After the cold drip process is complete, the coffee liquid is typically transferred to a glass jar, tightly sealed, and placed in the refrigerator for some time. The completed cold drip coffee should be stored in the refrigerator for 12 hours before drinking. This process enhances the coffee's aroma, sweet aftertaste, and even wine-like characteristics.

Additional Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's typical cold drip coffee parameters are: 60 grams of coffee grounds, ground finer than pour-over coffee (85% passing through a #20 sieve), drip rate of 7 drops per 10 seconds, producing 600ml of cold drip coffee, with a total time of approximately 6 hours.

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

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