Cold brew - cold coffee that is not bitter
In the heat hot coffee loses its appeal, but watery coffee over ice is a sad compromise. This is where cold brew comes in - coffee steeped in cold water for many hours. The result is a surprisingly sweet, smooth, low-acid drink, completely unlike anything you know from a hot cup. And the best part: you can make it at home with no equipment at all.
Cold brew is not iced coffee
First a distinction, because these are two different things:
- Iced coffee is simply hot-brewed coffee chilled or poured over ice. Quick, but the ice waters it down, and hot brewing leaves the acidity and bitterness in.
- Cold brew is steeped from the start in cold water for 12-24 hours. The low temperature extracts different compounds: lots of sweetness and sugars, little acid and few bitter tannins. Hence that signature smoothness.
That is why cold brew tastes sweet and chocolatey even without sugar, and is gentler on the stomach.
How to make it at home (no gear)
All you need is a jar, coffee and water:
- Grind coarse - like for a French press, big grounds. A fine grind gives a muddy, bitter brew. More on this in the piece on grind size.
- Ratio - start at roughly 1:8 (say 100 g coffee to 800 ml water) for a concentrate, or 1:15 for a ready drink. You dilute the concentrate later.
- Pour in cold water, stir so all the coffee is wet.
- Leave for 12-24 hours - in the fridge or at room temperature. The longer, the stronger.
- Strain through a sieve and paper filter or a cloth. Done.
The concentrate keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Serve over ice, with water or milk (plant milk works beautifully).
Ratio and time - your two dials
- Too weak and watery? Add coffee or extend the steep.
- Too strong, slightly bitter? Shorten the time, grind coarser, dilute the concentrate.
- Flat and dull? Usually the water is to blame - cold brew likes good water too, which we cover in water for coffee.
Which coffee to choose
Cold brew is more forgiving than hot methods, but the bean still makes a difference. Medium and darker roasts give the classic chocolate-nutty, sweet cold brew. Lightly roasted, fruity African beans, on the other hand, give a brighter, tea-like, blueberry brew - for many a revelation. Because cold brew showcases sweetness and a low-acid character, and the acidity that can be harsh in hot brewing turns pleasantly juicy here. Why coffee is acidic at all we explain in why coffee tastes sour.
Save your recipe
Cold brew is a game of two dials: ratio and time. You reach your favourite version fastest when you write down what you set and how. In GustoNote you note the bean, ratio, time and flavour for every coffee, and the aroma wheel suggests words for chocolate, nuts or blueberry. After a few batches you have a dialled-in recipe for the whole summer, instead of constant guessing.