Cold brew, you have probably heard of it, but how to prepare it concretely? Do you need special grains for this? And is it really as good as iced coffee? In this blog, we will try to answer all these questions as clearly as possible.
What is Cold Brew?
Cold brew coffee is simply cold brew coffee. Thus, unlike iced coffee, hot coffee is not cooled by adding ice cubes, but the coffee is prepared with cold water. With cold water, it is of course a little more difficult to extract the aromas from your coffee. This method of infusion therefore takes longer, but there is also a difference in taste. Cold brew will taste smoother, flowerier and sweeter than regular coffee. Whether it is cooled with ice cubes or not.
Fan of cold coffee on hot days? We therefore recommend cold brew for real coffee purists. Latte lovers can opt for the cold brew latte and the iced latte. Milk always darkens the coffee a bit, so you won’t get the specific cold brew taste.
How do you make a Cold Brew?
To make cold brew coffee, you need to soak your ground coffee in cold water for 12 to 24 hours. So it’s not as fast as brewing a normal hot coffee, on the contrary, but definitely worth the wait!
There are different methods to prepare cold brew coffee and we want to explain some of them in detail so that you can choose the one that suits you best. Of course, you can also try them all to get the best cold brew!
Here is our basic recipe with the elements you need for each cold brew method. For each method, we will of course tell you how to prepare the cold brew correctly and whether or not you need additional elements. This basic recipe is based on queekcoffee Ice Baby Coffee Beans. A specially roasted blend for cold brew coffee and you can find out more here . If you want to make a little less cold brew than indicated, you should make sure to use a ratio of around 1:15.
General cold brew requirements:
coffee grinder
68g coarse ground coffee beans
1 liter cold water (preferably filtered)
let infuse for 16.5 hours (at room temperature).
Glass with ice cubes for the final result
1. In a glass jar
What do you need?
Glass jar with a good seal
Coffee filter holder with paper filter
68g coarse ground coffee beans
1l of cold water (preferably filtered)
How to do it?
Are you starting to use cold brew or just want to give it a try and see if it works for you? Then chances are you don’t have any special equipment at home. Do you have a coffee maker? In this case, we recommend that you try method 2. Don’t have any at home? So you can just use a glass jar. You will need a filter with a filter holder.
Grind fresh coffee beans quite coarsely (most coffee grinders have a grind setting for cold brew) and put them in your jar. Then add the right amount of water and leave for 16.5 hours. It is best to let it rest on the counter. When the 16.5 hours are up, take out your portafilter with the filter. Place it on top of another pot large enough to strain all the cold brew mixture into. Your cold brew is ready and is well served with a few ice cubes. You can keep your cold brew in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
2. with a coffee maker / French Press
What do you need?
Coffee maker
68g coarse ground coffee beans
1l of cold water (preferably filtered)
How to do it?
Cold brew using a coffee maker, or French press, is a slightly easier method than making the cold brew in a glass jar. Indeed, you no longer need (in theory) to filter your cold brew.
When you use a coffee maker, you mix your coarsely ground coffee with the water and let this mixture steep for 16.5 hours. It is best left on the counter for 16.5 hours. When the mixture has infused for the desired time, the French Press filter should be pushed down. By pushing, so to speak, the ground coffee down, you can see its delicious cold coffee. You can serve it with or without ice cubes! You can keep your cold brew in your fridge for about 2 weeks.
In theory, ground coffee should be well separated from cold brew, but in reality, that’s not always the case with a coffee maker. You might encounter a few coffee beans here and there, so we recommend running your cold brew through a hand filter.
You will find some tasty recipes on this blog.
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