It’s a hot day outside, and you already wake up feeling rather tired of all the heat. You go to drink your usual cup of coffee, and it’s so hot that it just makes you sweat profusely. You wish you could make some sort of cold coffee. And you can!
In this article, we’re going to explain to you how to prepare cold brew coffee at home using a French press.
What is Cold Brew Coffee?
But before that, what is cold brew coffee?
Cold brew is a type of cold coffee. It is brewed cold, unlike any other type of coffee. Coarse coffee grounds are infused in a large container with water and left to brew for twelve hours, give or take. The reason why the brewing time is so long is because the water isn’t hot, which accelerates the brewing process.
However, by using cold water, we are able to achieve a completely different type of coffee. Cold brew is very different in taste—its flavor notes are easier to distinguish. The bitterness is barely noticeable and it has a pleasant acidity.
Cold brew coffee is not to be confused with iced coffee. They are both cold, but they’re brewed differently. Iced coffee refers to coffee—no matter how it has been brewed—that is then iced. Cold brew, on the other hand, is coffee that is brewed cold. They are both cold beverages but essentially very different.
Characteristics of cold brew coffee:
- It uses very little water. Unlike most other brewing methods, cold brew uses a small quantity of water. The ratio is around 1:2 and up to 1:4 (parts coffee/parts water). Just so you get an idea, a regular French press coffee uses a water-coffee ratio of 1:14.
- It takes a long time to brew. Ranging from 8 to +12 hours, cold brew coffee has the longest brewing time out of all brewing methods.
- It’s less bitter than other coffees. Thanks to there being no heat, a lot of the burning taste is nowhere to be found in cold brew. Therefore, we can experience a much different taste and appreciate its flavor notes.
- It has sweeter, floral, and fruity flavor notes. Many cuppings include a cold brew presentation in order to better appreciate certain flavor characteristics in coffee.
- Though cold brew can be served with ice, it is not necessary since it is already cold—and even when it is, since the coffee is already cold, the ice melts slowly. Therefore, cold brew doesn’t always have the risk of being watered down by melting ice, like iced coffee.
- Cold brew is one of the brewing methods that comes closer to espresso in terms of the concentration of coffee. Espresso is 1:1, and cold brew is 1:2.
- Cold brew can also be brewed at room temperature, although it is not recommended because it could be unsanitary.
How to Make Cold Brew?
Before we go on to the recipe, there are a couple of things we need to get ready.
First off, the coffee itself. Cold brew cannot be brewed using regular ground coffee because it will end up turning into a muddy, undrinkable liquid. We need to procure coarse-ground coffee—the coarser, the better. Whether you grind at home or buy it ground, there’s still another step: sifting the ground coffee.
Even when grinding coarse, there are still a lot of fine coffee particles that are either loose or stuck to the bigger chunks of coffee beans. Get yourself a big fine mesh colander and sift the beans for a minute or two until you’ve gotten rid of most of the fine particles.
Now, we’re ready to make our cold brew.
Servings: 1 cup (200 ml)
Ingredients:
- 50 grams of ground coffee (after sifting)
- 200 ml water
- A French press
Instructions:
- After you’ve sifted the grounds, pour them into the French press.
- Prepare the water at room temperature. It should not be hot or cold.
- Pour the water, give it a gentle stir, then place the lid back on.
- Push the plunger about halfway down.
- You can now let it brew in the fridge from 8 to 24 hours.
Notes
- You can reduce the amount of water used for a more concentrated coffee. The ratio used here is 1:4. You can use only 100 ml of water for a very strong, concentrated cup.
- The amount of time you let it brew will influence the flavor and strength of your coffee. The more it brews, the more charged with flavor it will be—more isn’t always better, so don’t go overboard. The usual brewing time is 12 hours.
FAQ
What type of coffee should I buy to make cold brew?
Since there is no hot water involved, caffeine content and bitterness is low. Therefore, some people turn to robusta coffee, which has twice the caffeine and is more bitter. Using robusta, you get a flavor closer to a regular coffee and a decent amount of caffeine per cup.
Can I add milk?
It depends. If you’re using a ratio like 1:4, then adding milk should be out of the question. But if you’re brewing using much less water, like 1:2, then you can definitely add milk.
If you’re not a fan of such concentrated coffee, you still have options. Condensed milk is very thick and acts as the perfect dairy for ratios like 1:3 and 1:4. Plus, it’s also a sweetener! You can also use creamer.
Is cold brew healthier?
It’s a complicated question. The lack of heat means that a lot of the oils in the coffee beans don’t get extracted, which is actually both good and bad: here, we can find beneficial things such as antioxidants. However, some of these oils found in coffee beans have also proven to be bad for you (like raising cholesterol and so on).
So, it has both advantages and disadvantages. It’s not particularly more or less healthy than regular.