What is Cold Drip Coffee - Characteristics and Flavor Profile of Cold Drip Coffee - Differences Between Cold Drip and Cold Brew Coffee

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There are many ways to brew coffee, with pour-over coffee being the most common. However, pour-over coffee requires attention to many small details. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce you to a relatively simple coffee brewing method.

Everyone knows that pour-over coffee is brewed with hot water, but sometimes you might want an iced coffee to experience that refreshing feeling. FrontStreet Coffee has mentioned that different brewing temperatures produce distinctly different coffee flavors. Coffee brewed with hot water will have varying flavors as the temperature changes, but if not done properly, it can easily extract undesirable flavors. Coffee brewed at lower temperatures tends to be cleaner and brighter in flavor, with fewer unpleasant tastes that come from high-temperature brewing.

What is Cold Drip Coffee

Cold drip coffee originated in Europe. Since the coffee distillation device was invented by the Dutch, some people call it Dutch Coffee, distilled coffee, or water-drop coffee. Cold drip coffee utilizes the natural compatibility between coffee and water, relying mainly on the condensation of natural water pressure over about 8 hours to extract drop by drop. It's a coffee that brews over time, and different water temperatures will produce different flavors. At low temperatures, the astringent substances in coffee are less likely to be extracted. Using ice water for long-term extraction, and then fermenting in the refrigerator after extraction is complete, cold drip coffee that has undergone slight fermentation has a subtle fermented aroma and a fuller body. FrontStreet Coffee thinks: you can put the coffee in the refrigerator at night and drink it the next morning - instant awakening! Isn't that feeling particularly refreshing!

Some people might ask FrontStreet Coffee: Why can cold drip coffee last so long without going bad?

Pour-over coffee only takes a few minutes to complete, while cold drip coffee requires several hours or more. However, after brewing pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee always reminds that coffee should be consumed as soon as possible, because the shelf life of hot-brewed coffee is extremely short - its flavor begins to deteriorate after more than 45 minutes. Cold drip coffee, because it hasn't undergone a heating process and the long extraction time extracts many flavor molecules but doesn't release them properly. Therefore, when cold drip coffee extraction is complete and placed in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours, the carbon dioxide pressure inside the bottle helps release the flavor molecules. This is also why cold drip coffee becomes more concentrated the longer it stays in the refrigerator.

Of course, FrontStreet Coffee doesn't recommend keeping cold drip coffee for a week, as it's difficult to guarantee the condition of coffee stored for long periods due to bacteria in the air or bottles. The recommended consumption period for cold drip coffee is within 72 hours. Don't feel wasteful about cold drip coffee that's been stored for more than 72 hours - drinking such old coffee is not beneficial.

FrontStreet Coffee wants to tell you: Cold drip coffee has another advantage! For people with sensitive stomachs who really want to drink coffee, it's practically a blessing. FrontStreet Coffee generally recommends cold drip coffee to them. Because many people with sensitive stomachs experience stomach pain from regular coffee and avoid coffee as a result. Cold drip coffee contains fewer irritating molecules found in hot-extracted coffee and has lower caffeine content at the same concentration, making it a healthier choice.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee usually refers to cold brew coffee, which is made by adding the right amount of coffee grounds to cold water and extracting through low temperature for a long time. The Dutch were the first to come up with the cold brew method, which later spread to Japan. At that time, the Dutch would transport coffee from their colony Indonesia back to Europe, and invented the cold brew method because there was no hot water on the ships. Interestingly, people at the time thought cold coffee was gentler on the stomach, but didn't realize it was because hot water extracts more acidic substances from coffee, while cold brew coffee is less acidic in comparison.

Cold brew coffee is made with room temperature or lower temperature water, typically below room temperature at around 20-22°C. Due to the lower water temperature, the coffee making process is very long, usually requiring 12-48 hours, even longer than cold drip coffee. Cold brew can only extract small molecular substances, such as floral and fruit flavor compounds, while large molecular flavor compounds like smoky and roasted notes are not easily extracted, and acidity is also greatly reduced. However, the most critical drawback of this extraction method is its weak extraction capability, requiring water and coffee grounds to be in contact for a longer time.

Some people might ask FrontStreet Coffee: Besides the difference in time, what other differences are there between cold drip coffee and cold brew coffee, since both are brewed with low-temperature water? What about the differences in flavor?

FrontStreet Coffee believes that theoretically, cold drip coffee is also a type of cold brew coffee, just with a few differences:

1. Different Extraction Methods

Cold brew is immersion-style, where coffee grounds are placed in cold water and statically soaked for 16-20 hours, then filtered through filter paper to create coffee liquid. Cold drip is percolation-style, where cold water slowly drips into the coffee grounds and passes directly through filter paper to become coffee liquid.

2. Different Flavors

Cold brew has a very heavy body, almost like espresso, with intense flavors. Unless filtered multiple times, cold brew always leaves some sediment. Cold drip has a very light body, almost close to tea, with very clean flavors that fully release floral and fruit notes, with less bitterness and acidity.

Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the front, middle, and back segments of cold drip coffee extraction have completely different flavors, resulting in a coffee with a bright, layered character reminiscent of freshness. Although cold drip coffee usually only takes 5-8 hours to make, you can put the finished coffee in an odor-free refrigerator to stabilize and develop overnight, which will produce unexpected aromas.

3. Different Equipment

Cold brew doesn't have many equipment requirements. Cold drip typically uses a cold drip pot. As for whether cold brew coffee or cold drip coffee tastes better, FrontStreet Coffee thinks: both are delicious! Cold brew coffee is more concentrated, while cold drip coffee is brighter and more layered. Everyone's taste is different, so it depends on personal preference!

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations:

For brewing any coffee, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the freshness of coffee beans is a very important factor for making good coffee. Because the freshness of coffee beans allows you to fully experience the rich flavors of coffee. All coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are roasted within 5 days, because FrontStreet Coffee deeply understands that coffee bean freshness greatly affects flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The resting period for coffee is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

Of course, some customers need FrontStreet Coffee to grind the beans for them, which is also fine. But FrontStreet Coffee reminds you that if coffee beans are ground in advance, they need to be brewed promptly. If they're already ground into coffee powder, there's no need for a resting period, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide buildup in the packaging also helps round out the coffee flavors, so you can brew and drink the coffee powder immediately upon receiving it. Since coffee powder oxidizes quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee's flavors will dissipate more quickly, the coffee won't taste as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends buying whole beans and grinding them fresh before brewing to better appreciate the coffee's flavors.

No matter what brewing method you choose, FrontStreet Coffee can teach you! Besides teaching you how to brew coffee, FrontStreet Coffee can also teach you how to taste coffee!

Important Notice :

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