Cold Brew Coffee: A New Trend
Coffee Chronicles—Part Three—
A series documenting the ongoing saga of mankind’s relationship with coffee.
Cold brew coffee is the latest fad to hit the world of coffee. Over the years, coffee has experienced many innovations in taste and method. The types of coffee around the world have arisen from differences in taste and preference. The preference in recent years has been to find healthier versions of old favourites. Cold brew coffee is part of this trend.
What is cold brew coffee?
It is coffee made by infusing ground coffee with water that is cold or at room temperature.
How is it different from regular coffee?
It is less bitter and less acidic than coffee brewed by the regular method. However, its flavour and aroma is enhanced.
Where can you get it?
Most international coffee chains are carrying it. It is also available readymade in some supermarkets.
Can you make it at home?
Most definitely. It is just as easy to make as conventional brewed coffee. It just needs a long brewing time: eight to twenty hours, depending on how strong you want it.
Do you need any special equipment?
No. An ordinary Mason jar or any covered pitcher will do.
How do you make it?
In a Mason jar or a glass pitcher, put coarsely ground coffee.
Fill it with cold or room temperature water in a ratio of one part of coffee to four parts water.
Cover it with a tightly fitting lid and shake a few times to mix well.
Now place it in the fridge for 16-20 hours.
Then strain it through cheese cloth or muslin or a fine metal sieve.
Your cold brew coffee is ready.
Dilute it to taste and enjoy it with ice, milk or sugar.
Can you make it in a French Press?
A French press or cafetiere is ideal for the cold brew method. Just brew the coffee by the above method, cover and leave overnight in the fridge. In the morning press the sieve and plunger right down; pour and enjoy.
What are the health benefits of cold brew coffee?
When hot water is poured over ground coffee, it extracts oils and acids during the brewing process. These are responsible for the acidity that people experiencing post-coffee heart burn are familiar with.
When you make coffee by the cold brew method, you prevent these acidity causing compounds from leaching out. This makes it 60% to 70% less acidic than regular coffee. This makes it easier on the stomach and teeth.
Cold brew coffee retains the flavour and aroma, but loses some of the bitterness thus reducing the need for sweeteners and milk.
If you are on a diet and want a low calorie pick-me-up that does not cause acidity, cold brew coffee is the thing for you.
Can you use it to make hot coffee?
Once strained, cold brew can be used the same way as espresso, enjoyed hot or cold.
You can consume itt on its own or dilute it with water or milk.
What is nitro cold brew?
It is cold brew coffee through which nitrogen gas (alone, or mixed with carbon dioxide) has been added by a pump.
This changes the texture, causing little bubbles to disperse throughout the coffee so that it becomes thicker, creamier, and has a lot of foam on the surface.
There is no alteration of taste but, due to the change in txture, the perception of taste is changed.
As the nitrogen is passed through the coffee it forms tiny bubbles giving the coffee an effervescent yet creamy texture.
Nitrogen also mellows out coffee acidity further contributing to the milder and creamier taste.
It is made in cafes, using a special apparatus called a kegerator.
Can you make nitro cold brew at home?
Special machines are available for making it at home on a small scale. People havw also make it at home with improvised mechanisms using nitrogen chargers:; but this is best left to chemistry buffs.
How long can you keep it?
Once strained, cold brew coffee can be kept in the fridge in an air-tight container for upto two weeks. Nitro cold brew can be stored easily for two weeks since the nitrogen forces all the air out of the drink so that there is no oxidation.
Cold brew coffee is an ideal summer drink. Have you tried it? Do let me knoe how you found it?
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This is the kind of coffee that is great in the Summer. A frappe is also a nice way to go about it.
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I like the that it is less acidic and bitter. I definitely will try this! 🙂
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My cousin told me about this but I forgot all about it. Thank you for reminding me and for outlining the steps! I have acid reflux so I limit myself to one cup of coffee per day. (I used to drink 3-4 cups per day). This might be a viable alternative. I’ll try it!
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Hope you can enjoy cold brew without any ill effects.
Thanks for stopping by.
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