Coffee Talk | Is it really worth using so much coffee powder to make cold brew coffee?

Actually, there is something I have been holding back for a long time, but I just couldn’t find the right occasion to say it. Today, I must say what I think about cold brew coffee, which is: what a waste!

The first time I saw the recipe for cold brew coffee, I was shocked. My god, the amount of coffee powder needed to make cold brew coffee is twice that of regular hot coffee! Is it true that using a whole bag of freshly roasted single origin coffee is just to make the coffee less bitter and at a more palatable temperature?

And when I poured out the coffee grounds (I know coffee grounds can be used for composting and watering flowers, but I believe 99.5% of people will just throw them away), diluted them with water and tasted them, my first feeling was: Isn’t this just a cup of warm beer without hops?

I am not prejudiced against cold brew coffee, I just simply don’t like it, and there are many big names in the industry who are not interested in cold brew coffee like me.

“Yeah, we don’t like cold brew,” laughs Ryan Jensen of Peregrine Espresso in Washington, D.C.

“Due to the low temperature, the acidity of the coffee cannot be fully developed, and the taste of the coffee becomes very mild, but the characteristics are not prominent. I personally don’t like it.” Jensen said.

Cold brew coffee and iced coffee are two completely different things. Cold brew coffee uses room temperature water and coarsely ground coffee powder, which is made after a long soak (usually 12-24 hours). The coffee tastes sweet, with very low acidity and mild bitterness, which may be the reason why many people fall in love with it. Cold brew coffee is like the "milk chocolate" in coffee.

Iced coffee is a completely different drink. American iced coffee is brewed coffee poured over ice, while Japanese iced coffee is dripped directly onto precisely-measured ice. In comparison, Japanese iced coffee can better reflect the taste characteristics of coffee due to the perfect dilution ratio.

I don't want to comment too much on iced coffee, today I want to talk about cold brew coffee. In order to better explore the quality of cold brew coffee, I conducted many experiments.

The Toddy cold brew coffee system

First, I collected some recipes and equipment for making cold brew coffee at home. Although most boutique coffee shops use Toddy cold brew pots, most home baristas think that Oxo performs better than Toddy, so I bought both cold brew pots home for comparison. (In fact, you can also make cold brew coffee without professional equipment, such as French press pots, as long as you master the water-powder ratio).

Secondly, I conducted in-depth research on the production recipe. After comparing the recommended ratios given by the two major brands Oxo and Toddy, I found that the brewing ratio of cold brew coffee is usually 6:1, which is much more coffee than the 16:1 ratio of ordinary coffee.

But in fact, the cold brew coffee is a concentrate and cannot be drunk directly. Many people like to mix it with water, milk, cream or ice cubes, but this practice will inevitably dilute the taste of the coffee itself.

I wanted a bold, flavorful cold brew, like pour-over coffee, so I used a few freshly roasted, ground coffees: lightly roasted Honduran Comsa, naturally roasted Brazilian Carmo de Minas, darkly roasted El Salvador San Miguel, naturally roasted Costa Rican San Diego, naturally roasted Ethiopian Banko Dhadhato, and medium-dark Sumatran Dolok Sanggul.

The Oxo cold brew coffee system

After tasting, I found that only the Salvadoran coffee still tasted mellow and rich after being soaked in Oxo for 24 hours, with the sweetness of dark chocolate, but it tasted more like it had just been taken out of the roaster.

The most memorable is the Brazilian coffee steeped in Toddy for 13 hours, which tastes like bourbon before being diluted with water or milk.

After the Sumatra coffee soaked in Toddy for 12 hours was diluted with an equal amount of whole milk, the roasted flavor became significantly lighter and the fruity flavor became more prominent.

But my favorite is Costa Rican coffee. Without water dilution, the coffee has a chocolate and grape aroma. Even if diluted with an equal amount of water, the flavor of the coffee is still very strong. I think this coffee is best drunk over ice.

But there is a big problem with cold brew single origin coffee, that is, coffee is seasonal, and the supply is not sufficient all year round. However, based on my experimental results, I found that natural coffee is more suitable for making cold brew coffee, and its fruity flavor can be fully reflected, such as strawberry, orange, blueberry, etc.

Maybe I should take back what I just said. As long as you choose the right variety and use the right amount, cold brew coffee is also the best choice to taste the unique flavor of coffee!

Here are two recommended recipes:

1. Lightly roasted sun-dried cold brew coffee

To make this coffee, you need to use the Oxo Good Grips cold brew pot, which is sold on major websites. The coffee pot can use a metal filter or a filter paper. The metal filter can make the coffee taste mellower.

The best coffee beans are from Costa Rica San Diego. If you can't find this coffee, other lightly roasted sun-dried coffees can be used instead.

It takes at least 12 hours to make cold brew coffee. Once it is made, it should be sealed and refrigerated, and its shelf life can be up to 2 weeks.

Raw materials:

– 285g lightly roasted natural Costa Rican coffee, coarsely ground

– 5 cups filtered water

Preparation method:

– Place the metal filter in the pot, screw on the lid, place the cold brew pot on a cup or other container, and turn off the switch;

– Pour the coffee powder in, then pour in the water, make sure all the coffee powder is evenly soaked, let it sit for 10 minutes for “pre-brew”, and then stir evenly;

– Place the pot in a dark, dry corner and soak for 12 hours. After 12 hours, turn on the switch, filter the coffee, and finally throw away the coffee grounds.

– Once the concentrate is made, it can be diluted with 3 parts water or 1 part milk, or poured directly over ice. One pot of concentrate can make up to 3 and a half cups of coffee.

2. Medium to dark roasted cold brew coffee

To make this coffee, you need to use the Toddy cold brew pot, which is available on major websites. It takes at least 12 hours to make cold brew coffee. After it is made, it is sealed and refrigerated, and the shelf life can reach 2 weeks.

The best coffee beans are Dolok Sanggul from Sumatra. If you can't find this coffee, other medium to dark roasted coffees can be used instead.

Raw materials:

– 340g fresh medium to dark roast coffee, coarsely ground

– 7 cups filtered water

Preparation method:

– Turn off the switch, soak the filter with water, put in the coffee pot, and place the pot on top of a coffee cup or other container;

– Pour 1 cup of filtered water and half of the coffee powder into the container without stirring. Then pour 3 cups of water slowly in a circular shape to ensure that the coffee powder is evenly contacted with the water.

– Pour in the remaining coffee powder, let it sit for 5 minutes, then pour in the remaining 3 cups of water, also pouring in a circular shape, using a spoon to press down the floating coffee powder to ensure that all the coffee powder is fully soaked;

– Place the pot in a dark, dry corner and soak for 12 hours;

– Turn on the switch, filter the coffee and throw away the coffee grounds;

– Once the concentrate is made, it can be diluted with 3 parts water or 1 part milk, or poured directly over ice. One pot of concentrate can make up to 4-4 1/2 cups of coffee.

Tip: Be sure to use freshly roasted coffee beans, with the roasting date no more than 30 days ago.

author

Tim Carman

English original address

www.goodfood.com.au/drinks/coffee/roadtest-making-coldbrew-coffee-uses-a-lot-of-beans-is-it-worth-it-20170502-gvxggc