Recommended Coffee Beans for Cold Drip Coffee - Making Methods, Grind Size, Coffee-to-Water Ratio, and Time

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In the coffee industry, iced coffee is extremely popular, especially during hot summer days when its popularity rivals that of fans surrounding their favorite idols. When it comes to iced coffee, besides simple pour-over iced coffee, there's also cold drip coffee that requires patience and time for meticulous extraction. The principle of making cold drip coffee is quite simple: it uses ice and water mixed in specific proportions, then controls the dripping rate of ice water for low-temperature extraction. Typically, extraction takes 6-8 hours, followed by refrigeration and fermentation, requiring considerable patience. Therefore, a good cold drip coffee is worth the wait. Have you ever wondered about the origin of cold drip coffee? Below, FrontStreet Coffee will share the story of cold drip coffee, as well as coffee bean selection and brewing methods.

Cold Drip Coffee History

The story of cold drip coffee begins with the Netherlands. Back then, the Netherlands was a colonizer of Indonesia. Besides transplanting coffee trees in Indonesia and promoting coffee cultivation there, the Dutch also invented this cold drip coffee method.

In 1699, due to frequent sea voyages, the Dutch couldn't regularly make hot coffee on their ships. Additionally, coffee wasn't easy to preserve, and they believed that coffee's acidity caused physical discomfort. Under these circumstances, they began seeking ways to reduce coffee's acidity. Since hot water was the cause of extracting coffee's acidity, they experimented with using cold water to extract coffee, hoping to reduce the acid content. Cold water doesn't easily dissolve acidic fats in coffee, effectively reducing the extraction of acidic flavors while slowing down oxidation, allowing for longer preservation. This cold water brewed coffee was invented on the island of Java in Indonesia.

Cold water brewed coffee has another advantage: during the drip filtration process, low temperatures prevent the volatilization of aromas. Unlike hot water brewing which releases noticeable fragrances, this method preserves the coffee's aromas within the liquid. When we taste the coffee, the temperature in our mouth and chemical reactions with proteins release the trapped aromas. The English translation of cold drip coffee is "Dutch Cold Water Coffee," where "Dutch" refers to the Dutch people.

Coffee Bean Selection

For selecting coffee beans for cold drip coffee, it depends on personal taste preferences. For those who want floral and fruity aromas with a light, clean taste, choose washed process coffees such as FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Butterfly, FrontStreet Coffee's Fruit Ding, or FrontStreet Coffee's Kafa Forest. For those who prefer nutty and chocolatey flavors with a rich, smooth taste, choose medium-dark roast coffees such as FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Huilan, FrontStreet Coffee's Bird of Paradise, or FrontStreet Coffee's Queen Manor.

There are also the popular fermented process coffee beans from recent years, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Sherry Cask and FrontStreet Coffee's Sidra. These coffees have rich fermented wine-like aromas, perfect for those who enjoy such flavors. It's best to communicate your preferences clearly when purchasing at the store to avoid buying beans you might not like. Let me recommend several different flavored coffees for your reference!

Floral and fruity aromas, bright acidity, light and clean taste: FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Washed, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Small Tomato, FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Geisha (all light roasts)

Nutty, chocolatey, rich taste: FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Cerrado, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Huilan (all medium-dark roasts)

Balanced sweet and sour, subtle fermented aroma, fruity notes: FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Bahia, FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Natural Red Cherry (all medium-light roasts)

Rich wine aroma, unique flavors: FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras Rum Cask Sherry, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Rose Valley, FrontStreet Coffee's Big Navel, etc.

Extraction Principle

The working principle of cold drip coffee utilizes the slow extraction characteristics of cold water. Ice mixed with filtered water gradually melts at room temperature. By controlling the dripping speed and frequency of the resulting ice water, the cold water slowly drips onto the coffee grounds. Through prolonged soaking, the flavor compounds in the coffee grounds are dissolved and extracted. This is why cold drip coffee requires 8-12 hours to prepare.

Equipment Components

1. Water Container: Container for holding ice and water

2. Adjustment Valve: Used to control the dripping speed of ice water

3. Coffee Grounds Container: Container for holding coffee grounds

4. Liquid Collection Container: Container for collecting the filtered coffee liquid

5. Stand: Different containers are positioned on the stand

Next, let's move on to preparation. Using FrontStreet Coffee's Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain as an example, we'll make a delicious cold drip coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain
Region: Boquete
Altitude: 1500-1600 meters
Variety: Geisha
Processing: Washed

Brewing Parameters

Coffee dose: 60g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:10
Water to ice ratio: 1:1
Total coffee liquid: 600ml
Grind size: Slightly finer than fine sugar

Brewing Method

First, place a filter paper at the bottom of the coffee grounds container, moisten it with water, then press it firmly with a stir stick to ensure better adhesion. Then add freshly ground FrontStreet Coffee's Diamond Mountain coffee grounds into the container, shake to level the surface, and place another filter paper on top of the grounds. Place it in the stand.

Put the proportioned ice and water in the water container and stir to combine. Adjust the valve to let water quickly moisten all coffee grounds first, similar to a bloom process. After full saturation, readjust the valve to control the dripping rate between 5-7 drops every 10 seconds, then wait for the coffee liquid to finish dripping.

Flavor: Floral aroma, berry fruit notes, low acidity, delicate and light mouthfeel, clean without impurities, smooth

Generally, for flavor experience and health safety considerations, whether it's cold drip or cold brew, FrontStreet Coffee recommends consuming within 5 days (counting from the preparation day) for any extraction method performed in low-temperature environments.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473