Cold-brew or hot brewed coffee is different from regular coffee because it is prepared without adding any milk or sugar. On the other hand, hot coffee is a sweetened beverage. On its face, every hot coffee drink looks more or less precisely the same: a mix of hot coffee with ice. But really, there’s a massive difference in how coffee is made and its resulting flavor. This article will explain cold brew and why you should use cold-brewed coffee instead of your standard brand.
What Is Cold Brew Coffee?
Did you know drinking cold-brewed coffee also helps provide sleep and along with this, you can also use aromatherapy but beware you must handle essential oils with care.
To begin answering the question, we need to look at the brewing methods used to create this unique cup of Joe. Typically, coffee that has been steeped or placed in a hot cup of water is served just after being ground and brewed. This is the standard practice used by many coffee shops in America and around the world. This brewing method creates an overly sweet, bitter, and acidic beverage, which is not preferable on many daily menu items.
Instead, a process called cold brewing is used. Cold brewing involves heating the coffee to room temperature then holding it over a pot of simmering water. The result is a delicious iced coffee concentrate that can be used in the same way as hot brewed coffee. Because cold-brewed coffee is richer in flavor than hot brewed coffee, it is a perfect substitute for your everyday morning coffee needs!
How To Make Cold Brew?
It seems that many people are turning to make their coffee at home from the technique of making a cup of hot coffee on your kitchen counter. But how do you make a cold brew, and is it as easy as some people make it out to be? Well, like most of the things we’ve all done, the real secrets of making cold brew are buried somewhere in between the fiction and the realities. If you’re going to get your coffee cold, there are a few simple steps you need to follow.
- The first step is deciding what kind of coffee to brew-do you prefer a French Press, espresso, drip coffee, etc.
- Once you’ve decided, you can move on to the next step, which is getting all of the supplies you’ll need to make the coffee, which should be relatively easy.
Now, making a cold brew is not any different from making a regular pot of coffee, except for how the coffee is made. As I said before, you just put the beans (or coffee) into the pot, add the water, set the time you want the bank to brew, and wait. Some methods will use a French Press to force hot coffee through, but you can always use a regular mug to make it if you don’t have one. There are also other ways you can make cold brews, such as using ice, frozen coffee beans, or a combination of both, but they usually involve more effort, so for best results, try to stick to the more traditional methods.
The whole process will be very similar to making a regular cup of Joe. There will be some extra steps involved, but they shouldn’t take too much time or effort to complete, and generally speaking, it’s pretty easy to do. As you get more experienced with coffee, you can begin adjusting the methods to suit your taste better, but making a cold brew regularly is not tricky for most people. As long as you keep your coffee fresh and not exposed to excess heat (which will kill the taste altogether), you should have no trouble understanding how to make it.
What Kind Of Coffee Should You Use For Making Cold Brew
Many people wonder what makes coffee “cold” in the first place. The answer is a combination of several factors, including specific roasting methods, like French presses and certain types of caffeine. The main thing that makes coffee “cold” is the temperature of the water used to create it, and this can vary widely depending on where you’re making it and how your equipment is set up. For example, if you’re roasting your coffee in a French press, the water you use to make it will be much hotter than if you were making it at home in a regular pot. This is why most coffee drinkers will agree that Starbucks’ standard brew is the best of the cup because it’s freshly brewed and not subject to any temperature adjustments.
- As far as what kinds of coffee are best for making cold brews, there are a few different kinds. One is traditionally made with dark roast beans, and the result can be a rich, dark brown coffee. If you enjoy such coffee, then, by all means, consider making cold brew, but if you don’t, you should stick to the standard brewing method. It will have the same amount of caffeine and will taste just as good. As far as what kind of roasts are best, it depends on personal preference. Still, some well-known names include Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Colombian Medallochas, Kona Flavored Roasts, and Russian Breakfast.
- Robusta and Arabica coffees are best for cold brew techniques, mainly when used sparingly. These types of coffees are great for espresso, cappuccino, latte, and other kinds of drinks. The darkness of the bean affects the flavor, but not nearly as much as you might think. Darker coffees will retain their aroma and their flavor more than light roasts. Even “specialty” blends like Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain are best suited for this technique. Darker coffees also contain more caffeine, which works well when combined with hot milk and sugar.
The last thing about making cold brew is that you need to ensure that you never over-caffeinated it, or else it’ll become bitter. The amount of coffee you need to brew with a coffee brewer to get a good cold brew is about 4 ounces per pound of coffee weight. So if you weigh two pounds of coffee and you brew a half cup of coffee, you’ll have a nice cold beverage.
Drinking cold coffee also helps in relaxing the mind. A brewed coffee, a proper mattress, and duvets, and your evening are done. You can also add a duvet cover to avoid spills. A duvet cover is a fabric pouch that is used to protect the duvet from damage.
Conclusion
Finding the right beans is half the battle once you have decided what kinds of coffee are best for cold brew. Coffee roasters tend to use two primary sizes of bean size: small and medium. Small beans, referred to as “specialty” beans, are generally lower in caffeine and higher in fat content. Medium-sized beans, also called “bulk” beans, are usually lower in caffeine and higher in fiber. Many people prefer to use bulk, small coffee beans to make a strong pot of coffee, but for true strong brews, it is essential to use medium beans. Other considerations to keep in mind are roasting time and water temperature.