What is the Ice Drip Coffee Brewing Method and Its Differences from Cold Brew Coffee in Extraction, Time, and Flavor

What is Cold Drip Coffee?

Cold drip coffee is made using a three-cup (typically) system. You've likely seen cold drip towers as centerpieces in coffee shops, not only because they look impressive but also because this is currently one of the most popular extraction methods. Of course, to meet the demand for home cold drip coffee brewing, cold drip towers have been designed in many models suitable for home use, which take up relatively less space.

FrontStreet Coffee will briefly introduce the structure of the cold drip tower (because we'll need to rely on the cold drip tower for another article later).

The first part is a water container that holds an ice-water mixture, which very slowly drips cold water into the second part - the coffee grounds chamber. Once the coffee grounds become saturated, they begin to slowly drip coffee into the final, third part - the coffee liquid container, extracting a darker-colored, more concentrated cold coffee.

How Long Does Cold Drip Coffee Take?

Depending on the size of the machine, a full batch of cold drip can take anywhere from 3 to 24 hours. FrontStreet Coffee typically extracts for 5-8 hours. As with all brewing methods, many variables can affect this, such as the type of coffee beans used and the water temperature. Generally speaking, cold drip coffee is produced faster than cold brew coffee.

The Difference Between Cold Drip and Cold Brew Coffee

Although both types of coffee are cold-brewed, there are actually surprising differences between the resulting brews. The preparation methods and flavor extraction processes are completely different, with each method requiring different brewing times, different equipment, grind sizes, and producing coffee with different concentrations, tastes, and flavors. Of course, the flavor also depends on the coffee beans you choose.

Extraction Method

Cold brew is a simple immersion method: to produce cold brew coffee, water and coarsely ground coffee are mixed together in a container and then steeped for a long time. Although there may be some sediment remaining, which I actually prefer because it brings a chocolate-like sweetness and mouthfeel. However, as we mentioned earlier, modern cold brew coffee makers (like the Hario Cold Brew Pitcher) don't require filtering the coffee grounds, making it a super simple preparation method.

Cold drip coffee is a more scientific process and visually more exciting. Water drips very slowly from the top beaker into the ground coffee, which slowly absorbs it until it can no longer absorb more, at which point the coffee begins to drip through the coffee filter into the beaker below.

Extraction Time

For cold brew coffee, it's generally recommended to steep it for at least 12 hours (or overnight), but there's no real consensus on exactly how long it should be steeped; of course, we primarily depend on taste and other variables like water temperature and coffee ground size rather than a 12-hour rule. However, it's generally believed that 24 hours is about the maximum steeping time.

Cold drip coffee can be made in as little as 3 hours or as long as 24 hours. Due to more variables that can be used and more precise setup, the time scale can also be more variable. Typically, cold drip can be produced faster, but depending on your taste preferences, you can opt for a longer brewing time.

Taste and Flavor

Compared to espresso, both types of coffee have significantly reduced acidity and bitterness. Cold brew coffee should be the lighter of the two, refreshing with easily discernible sweetness and floral notes. It's best used as a base for iced coffee and is typically diluted. Cold drip coffee, while much lower in acidity than hot coffee made with hot water, still tastes rich and concentrated, while emitting pleasant sweetness and floral notes. Cold drip coffee tends to lose much of its complexity when diluted, so it's usually best enjoyed directly over ice.

Equipment Needed

Obviously, both methods require different equipment. For cold brew coffee, you can directly purchase a cold brew coffee cup with a filter screen online, or you can simply steep it in a jar and filter it out at the end, which is also OK.

Cold drip coffee brewing is a more precise art form and therefore definitely requires more specialized equipment. The process is typically faster, and the impressive Dripster Cold Brew coffee maker can produce quality cold drip coffee in as little as three hours!

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