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If you have ever tried cold brew coffee, you will surely be captivated by its uniquely smooth mouthfeel and "pure" characteristics. Why is cold brew coffee so popular? How is it different from regular iced coffee? In this article, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will talk about what cold brew coffee is.

Cold Brew CoffeeDifferences from Iced Coffee

Many people distinguish cold brew coffee from iced coffee because what we understand as iced coffee is the traditional concept of brewing with hot water, then adding ice or chilling it, turning the hot coffee into iced coffee.

Whereascold brew coffeeThe biggest difference is that it uses ice water throughout the entire process, extracting the coffee liquid at low temperatures. Thanks to the low-temperature method of cold brewing, the coffee can effectively avoid the release of certain bitter substances, giving the coffee a distinctive, unique, and mild flavor.

Cold Brew CoffeeFlavor Characteristics

Low-temperature extraction and long extraction time are the two major characteristics of cold brew coffee, and also the two main differences between cold brew coffee and high-temperature extracted coffee. High-temperature extracted coffee is made by brewing coffee beans with hot water at temperatures between 82-95°C, usually for no more than 3 minutes.

Cold brew coffee itself can fully express the subtle flavor characteristics of coffee. Due to its mild acidity, sweet taste, bright mouthfeel, and soft flavor, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes that cold brew coffee can better present the flavor characteristics of a single-origin specialty coffee bean's region.

What coffee beans are suitable for cold brew?

Since low-temperature extraction does not easily release rich, heavy substances, it is more suitable to use light-to-medium roasted, freshly roasted coffee beans with sweet and sour flavors for making cold brew coffee. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) believes that only freshly roasted coffee beans will have richer flavors and aromas, so all coffee beans ordered by our customers are shipped within 5 days after roasting is completed.

For those who enjoy intense fruity acidity, you can try "Front Street Huakui Coffee Beans" ~ This is a sun-dried coffee from the Buku processing station in Hambela, Guji region, Ethiopia. High-altitude cultivation gives this bean excellent flavor complexity. When made into cold brew coffee, it will display berry-like sweet and sour notes, honey-like sweetness, and black tea-like lingering sweetness.

For those who enjoy floral and fruity flavors but don't want it too sour, you can try "Front Street Butterfly Coffee Beans" ~ This is a single-origin washed coffee from the Boquete region of Panama, a blend of Geisha and Caturra/Catuai varieties. The Geisha variety brings floral and fruity notes to this coffee, while the Caturra and Catuai varieties bring soft fruit acidity and body. When made into cold brew coffee, it will display white flower-like fragrance, citrus-like soft acidity, caramel-like sweetness, and green tea-like lingering sweetness.

For those who prefer no acidity but want a special flavor, you can try "Front Street Sherry Coffee Beans" ~ This is a representative work of wine-flavored coffee, from the Moca estate in Honduras, processed with whiskey barrel fermentation. The characteristics of this coffee bean are low acidity, full body, and wine aroma. When made into cold brew coffee, it will display whiskey-like wine aroma, vanilla cream-like smoothness, and hazelnut caramel-like sweetness.

Single-servingcold brew coffeeHow is it made?

First, prepare a 200ml clean, oil-free glass bottle with a lid that can be sealed.

Then weigh 20 grams of beans for making cold brew coffee and grind them to a medium grind / granulated sugar size (75% passing rate through China No. 20 standard sieve).

Then put them into the glass bottle and add room temperature/ice water at a 1:10 ratio. Stir thoroughly to ensure all coffee particles are in contact with water, then seal and place in the refrigerator to extract for 8-12 hours. No shaking is needed during this time; just let it steep.

After the steeping is complete, use a filtering tool or coffee filter paper to filter out the coffee grounds, and it's ready to taste!

Cold Brew CoffeeStorage Time

Some people have heard that cold brew coffee can be kept for 2-3 weeks, but Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) does not recommend keeping it that long ~ After extraction is complete and the coffee grounds are filtered out, if stored sealed, it is recommended to drink it within 72 hours.

For some homemade cold brew coffee, the home refrigerator will have different meats and vegetables stored together. Even if stored sealed, it is difficult to avoid bacterial intrusion, so after making cold brew coffee, remember to drink it as soon as possible!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.