How to Make Drip Coffee Without a Drip Brewer - Recommended Single-Origin Coffee Beans for Cold Brew and Drip Coffee

Introduction

In the blink of an eye, it's already May. Children in the south can experience the warm hospitality of the sun as soon as they step outside! Hot weather always reminds people of ice drip coffee. However, making a special trip to buy ice drip coffee can be challenging for those who dislike the heat... Buying an ice drip pot to make it at home might feel like something you won't use often. So, is there a way to make 1-2 servings of ice drip coffee without an ice drip pot? Yes! All you need are two filter cups!

What is Ice Drip Coffee?

Ice drip coffee is the essence extracted as ice water passes through the coffee grounds drop by drop. Typically, the brewing process takes quite a long time, often requiring 6-8 hours to complete 3-4 servings of ice drip coffee.

Unlike pour-over coffee, ice drip coffee uses cold water extraction. Due to the low temperature, bitter and astringent substances in the coffee grounds are difficult to extract. Meanwhile, the slow dripping speed allows the sweet and sour substances in the coffee to be extracted more fully. Therefore, ice drip coffee tastes smoother and fresher than pour-over coffee, with a richer sweet and sour flavor profile.

Can You Make Ice Drip Coffee Without an Ice Drip Pot?!

Regarding making ice drip coffee without an ice drip pot, everyone has shown great scientific research spirit! During a conversation, a barista at FrontStreet Coffee heard a customer share his attempt to poke a small hole in a paper cup, then place ice cubes in it and put it in the middle of a filter cup containing coffee grounds, waiting for the ice to melt and drip into the grounds for extraction. Did this customer succeed? No! (facepalm.jpg) Because the paper cup was softened by the ice water and collapsed...

At this point, inspiration struck – a filter cup could also serve as an ice holder! But you need to find a filter cup with small holes. FrontStreet Coffee used a three-hole wave filter cup as the ice holder. Because of the small hole diameter, combined with the slow melting speed of ice, the water flow slowly passes through the three holes, then gathers in the center to form large water droplets that fall onto the filter paper on the surface of the grounds for even distribution.

How to Make Ice Drip Coffee with Two Filter Cups?

Preparation:

V60 #02 filter cup, cone-shaped #02 filter paper, three-hole wave filter cup, clean container, round filter paper (if not available, you can cut other filter paper into a 6cm diameter circle), 20g coffee grounds, 140g ice cubes.

Step 1: Wet the Filter Paper

Place the cone-shaped filter paper in the V60 filter cup and pour room temperature water in a clockwise direction to wet it, ensuring the filter paper fits better with the filter cup. Then pour out the water from the container and set aside.

Step 2: Add Coffee Grounds

FrontStreet Coffee used Panama Hartmann Estate wine-processed coffee beans to make ice drip coffee this time. The grind size is #20 (0.85mm) screen with 75% pass rate (approximately the coarseness of granulated sugar), then poured into the middle of the filter cup and gently shaken flat.

Step 3: Add Round Filter Paper & Wet the Grounds

Add round filter paper on the surface of the grounds to ensure even distribution when ice water drips through later, making the coffee extraction uniform. After placing the round filter paper, add 20g of room temperature water through a fine stream in batches, evenly wetting the entire grounds layer while ensuring no more than 3 drops of coffee liquid fall for best results.

Step 4: Place the "Ice Holder"

Prepare 140g of ice cubes, place them in the wave filter cup, cover with plastic wrap to prevent dust, then place it evenly in the middle of the V60 filter cup. FrontStreet Coffee used a ratio of 1:8 for making ice drip coffee this time. Later, you can add ice cubes/milk to dilute according to your own taste.

Step 5: Wait for Extraction & The Surprises Time Brings

The brewing time for ice drip coffee is quite long. Taking this ice drip coffee made at room temperature of 25°C as an example, the extraction time was 4 hours and 30 minutes, yielding 120g of coffee liquid. Do not drink the coffee immediately after extraction is complete. Due to the cold water extraction, the flavor molecules have not been fully released, so we need to seal it and let it rest in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. The sealing process produces carbon dioxide, and the pressure from the carbon dioxide allows the flavor molecules to better express themselves.

Finally: Savor the Surprises Time Brings!

Prepare your favorite cup, add ice cubes, pour in the rested ice drip coffee, and stir to begin tasting. The Hartmann Estate wine-processed ice drip coffee made by FrontStreet Coffee this time begins with a full grape juice sensation and fermented wine aroma, followed by a light rose fragrance accompanied by the sweetness of honey, which becomes the perfect finishing touch to this cup of ice drip coffee.

For more specialty coffee beans, please follow the WeChat public account: FrontStreet Coffee

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473