Making cold brew is easy enough, but making a better-than-average cold brew takes a little more effort than your everyday cup of coffee. Since it’s somehow still summer (it feels like forever), a cold brew is just what the doctor prescribed to fight off the heat. So it doesn’t matter if it takes a little bit of extra effort; we’re ready to give it a try, aren’t we?
This recipe takes a hint from Starbucks, notably delicious cold brew, to create a premium cold brew coffee at home. But before we dive right into it, let’s learn a little bit about cold brew and the history of this beverage.
Cold Brew Coffee
Going back to when coffee was just making its entrance into the world, nobody outside of Africa or the Middle East really knew how to make it. It was this really hot thing that everybody seemed to love in that world, and Europe and Asia were just catching on to this mysterious, magical drink. What on earth could it possibly be?
Well, one day around the 17th century, a Japanese lord received a shipment of this as a gift from a wealthy Chinese eccentric with a taste for exotic things. It was a batch of premium, arabica coffee beans from the heart of Africa—or that’s what we want to believe.
Anyway, this Japanese aristocrat didn’t have much of an idea of what to do with the coffee beans. They didn’t come with any instructions whatsoever, so he didn’t really know what to do. Should he brew it like he brews tea? No, that would have been strange, he thought. Ultimately, he stored them in a ceramic jar and proceeded to fill them to the brim with water so that they would conserve better. It was winter, after all.
A couple of days later, he remembers about them, and to his surprise, he finds a brown liquid. He’d inadvertently made a whole batch of cold-brew coffee. And quite possibly, the first cold brew coffee in the whole world. So not only do we have Japan to thank for the Hario V60, but also for the invention of cold brew!
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee Like Starbucks?
A recipe that tries to mimic Starbucks’ has to focus on two very important things that, beyond the quality of the coffee beans themselves, are what make it so good: the filter and the water.
- The filter. Traditionally, cold brew coffee does not involve paper filters at all. These usually take away from flavor and oils, and since cold brew is already low in oils, paper filters are seen as a no-no. But Starbucks does use them, and to their advantage. You should check out Starbucks’ cold brew packets, which are perfect, and we’ll be using them for this recipe.
- The water. You need more than just water: regular water threatens to make your coffee bland, plain, and regular-tasting. Starbucks actually uses triple-filtered water, which is quite more than we do. At home, you’re better off using mineral, bottled water (the good kind), or water filtered by Brita, which is ideal and used by many professional baristas.
With that in mind, let’s proceed and make our very own premium cold brew coffee.
Ingredients
- 122 grams of coffee (two packets from Starbucks’ cold brew pitcher packets)
- 6 cups of water
- French press, mason jar, or cold brew pitcher.
Instructions
- Take your pitcher or decanter and place the two packets there. You may want to rinse them using your filtered water, as this helps get rid of the paper taste that comes with paper filters.
- Pour 6 cups of water. If this is too much for your pitcher, simply take out one of the packets and pour three cups instead.
- After that, place the pitcher in the fridge and leave for six to eight hours.
- At this point, take it out and stir it to promote a better extraction. Put it back in the fridge.
- Twelve hours in, it’s ready to drink. You can also leave it steeping for up to an additional twelve hours, although that’ll make it stronger and darker.
In total, twelve hours should be more than enough to brew a good cup of cold brew. Some people swear by the 24-hour cold brew because it’s thicker, stronger, and actually close to espresso if you use even less water.
FAQ
Is Cold Brew the Same as Iced Coffee?
No. As demonstrated here, cold brew is coffee brewed in cold—or room-temperature—water. Iced coffee is simply coffee brewed in a regular way that is then chilled using ice. There is a big, big difference flavor-wise because heat plays a big part in transforming flavor. So, essentially, they are two very different beverages.
Does Cold Brew Have More Caffeine?
It is impossible to know, at this time, whether cold brew has less or more caffeine than usual. There are not enough studies on this matter to be specific. Some people think that because there is no hot water involved, the amount of caffeine is negligible. However, long steeping times result in more caffeine extracted, which points to the opposite—cold brew having too much caffeine.
At the moment, it is better to rely on your own senses and what your body is telling you. If you feel too caffeinated after a cup of cold brew, simply leave it at one cup per day. But if you feel like you can drink more, then go for it!
Can I Put Dairy in Cold Brew?
Yes! Although it is frequently represented as a black coffee drink, it is very much dairy-friendly. Some of the best options out there are condensed milk and powdered creamer, two options that go great with it because they counter the potential negative effect of adding actual milk: a watered-down or diluted drink. Instead, condensed milk or powdered creamer makes for a thick, frothy beverage that feels full-bodied and balanced.