What makes cold brew so special?

What makes cold brew so special?

Brewing coffee as a cold brew can highlight flavour profiles that regular hot-water brew methods can’t achieve.

The coffee is ground coarse and is sometimes submerged for hours creating a whole different method of extraction and resulting in a smoother, less bitter tasting coffee.

Cold brew coffee is special because the coffee is extracted using cold water. Regular coffee, whether brewed with an espresso machine, Aeropress, stovetop or filter (or pretty much any other method you can think of) uses hot water to extract soluble compounds from coffee grounds.

The coffee is subjected to hot water for a certain amount of time depending on the particular method and how coarse the coffee is ground. The result is coffee as we know, whether long or short, black or white. If you were to use cold water for instance with an espresso machine, the soluble compounds would not be extracted and you’d be left with a weak under-extracted brew.

Cold brew is a method that has gained popularity over the last few years because of the unique brew method and even more so the unique flavours that brewing in this way produces in the end cup of coffee.

Cold brew uses a combination of cold water, coarsely ground coffee and extended brew time to extract the desired soluble flavour compounds.

The brew has a typically muted bitterness and highlights subtle flavour notes that ‘hot water’ brew methods struggle to hit. It is perfect for the summer months, especially for an afternoon caffeine pick-me-up when the weather is too hot for lattes or Americanos.

Some prefer cold brew to regular coffee as certain light roasts perform better when brewed with cold water. It is also fairly easy to make at home and can be brewed in batches and kept in the fridge for a few days – great for folks short of time in the week.

What makes cold brew coffee different?

Firstly, the most obvious difference for me is the temperature of the coffee. This may be an obvious point however the cold part of cold brew actually refers to the method of brewing as well as the serving temperature. Cold brew is essentially cold coffee that is served straight out of the refrigerator over ice typically in a glass.

The second difference between cold brew and regular coffee was highlighted above and is the way the coffee is brewed.

Regular coffee can be brewed and extracted in many ways, the coffee is always ground and then hot water is passed over said grounds for a particular amount of time and with varying levels of submersion and agitation until a brewed coffee is then poured, extracted or dripped into a cup.

Cold brew coffee is different when it comes to brewing because, although the coffee is ground and water essentially brews the coffee, this time the water is cold rather than hot.

This is what makes cold brew so special in my opinion as the brew time is extended way past a regular brew time (a French press is one of the longer brew methods at around 4 minutes whereas Cold brew can be brewed for around 1 day).

This extended brew time and slow extraction rate creates a unique type of coffee and exhibits flavours in the end cup of coffee like no other brew. Cold brew tastes particularly good when brewed with light to medium roast coffee beans as the subtle, complex flavour notes that these coffees can possess are highlighted more so in this method.

What are the pros and cons of cold brew coffee?

Pros of Cold Brew:

The biggest pro for me has and what makes cold brew special is the unique flavours that you can taste like no other brew method. If you like complex flavour profiles in your coffee and you enjoy trying to pick out the different tasting notes that you see on the bag then cold brew is a great way to highlight some of those flavours.

Another pro of cold brew is the fact that it is cold. So many times during the summer months I crave a delicious coffee (usually the second coffee of the day) but I feel it is too hot for a steamy batch brew or a flat white. A cold brew is a great way to quench your caffeine thirst while still being refreshed.

Lastly, the brew method of cold brew coffee is especially forgiving and is fairly easy. I would say even folk that are new to making coffee can make cold brew, by simply adding cold water to coarsely ground coffee and then filtering after 18-24 hours.

Cons of Cold Brew:

The cons of cold brew for me is that you may end up with a highly caffeinated brew. This is something that I find when I purchase cold brew from a coffee shop occasionally. As many of the cold brews you buy are bottled, there is no way to know how strong in caffeine they are and I find the difference can widely vary. So you may end up with a high caffeine buzz or left wanting a double shot espresso.

The last con is actually what makes cold brew so special – the taste. If you enjoy dark flavoured, rich and bitter notes in your coffee then I would personally opt for a different method of brewing coffee and maybe go for an iced long black (Americano).Cold brew lends itself to lighter roast coffees so your palette may not be satisfied.

Conclusion.

 If you are a lover of complex coffee and are in the market for something different or you simply want to combine coffee and summer, the cold brew coffee is for you.

Batch Coffee Club

Bio: Tom Saxon is the co-founder of Batch Coffee. He has been working in the specialty coffee industry for over 10 years throughout the world and in many parts of the supply chain.

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