This blog post also is available in German.
You can’t do without your beloved coffee, but a steaming cup of brown gold doesn’t sound alluring at the momentary temperatures? How about a cold brewed coffee? The situation looks different then, doesn’t it? You can read about how to make your own cold brewed coffee at home without any frills in today’s blog post.
And have you ever wondered what the difference is between an iced coffee and a cold brew? You’ll also find the answer in this article.
Maybe you are one of those people who don’t like coffee because of its bitter taste? Or you just can`t handle the acidity of the coffee? Then cold brewed coffee might be something for you? Why, I’ll tell you in the following sections.
What is cold brewed coffee & how does the method work?
The cold in cold brew explains it already: the coffee is prepared virtually without heat effect, only by letting its aroma draw. Accordingly, the second part of the word cold brewed is not quite correct. With cold brew nothing is brewed.
As far as the best method is concerned, opinions differ. There are different procedures, all different in effort, time span and required equipment. Since today’s instructions are intended to help you make your own cold brewed coffee at home without having to invest huge amounts in equipment, we will leave it at the simplest method.
The ground coffee is mixed with water, poured into a mason jar, closed and placed in the fridge. The next day all you have to do is filter the coffee grounds and you have a delicious cold brew.
What is the difference to iced coffee?
The difference lies in the effect of the heat, the acidity and the aroma. Cold brewed coffee does not require heat to be made. Iced coffee is nothing more than brewed coffee that is cooled down.
Due to the heat-free method, the cold brewed coffee is very mild in aroma, practically not bitter and contains very little acid. All these aspects of coffee are created by the heat that dissolves the substances responsible for them.
If you have stomach problems with regular coffee, or if you cannot tolerate it because of its acidity, then cold-brewed coffee could be the solution for you. Maybe you don’t like coffee because of its bitter aroma? No problem! Try the cold brewed version, it’s super mild in aroma and not bitter at all.
None of this applies to iced coffee, which is nothing but cold coffee. It remains acidic, aromatic, bitter and more intense in taste.
I personally love coffee and drink it steaming hot at all temperatures. In the summer season though, I like to change my afternoon cup for a light cold brewed coffee. Of course it’s much more refreshing.
Which coffee is the best choice – beans or powder?
Definitely a matter of taste. I have tested both varieties. I coarsely ground the beans shortly before in a food processor. The cold brewed coffee with the already ground coffee powder had a more intense aroma and tasted better to me.
Maybe the one with the beans would have been more aromatic if I had ground the beans with a coffee grinder. If you have one, use it instead of the food processor. Otherwise, both versions were delicious.
How long do you let the coffee brew?
Again a matter of taste. The longer you leave the coffee in the fridge, the more intense it tastes. Anything from 12-36 hours is possible. However, you should give the coffee at least 12 hours so that it can brew. To me it tastes best after 36 hours, but if it has to go fast, then I leave it at 12-16 hours. It’s best to put it in the fridge the evening before, then it’s certainly ready to sip the next afternoon.
So now you are ready to start and know everything you need to make your own cold brew. I’ll leave you the recipe below and wish you a nice Sunday.
Read you soon
Sarah
Cold Brewed Coffee Latte
Ingredients
- 30 g ground coffee organic
- 800-900 ml water
- plant milk organic
- Sweetener optional, organic
- ice
Instructions
- Mix ground coffee with water. If you use coffee beans, grind them in a food processor or with a coffee grinder.
- Fill everything into a mason jar, close the jar and mix well again.
- Place the mason jar in the refrigerator for 12-36 hours.
- Remove the mason jar from the refrigerator and filter the coffee through a coffee filter, cotton cloth or other filter. You can use the remaining coffee grounds for a face peeling.
- Mix Cold brewed coffee with vegetable milk and ice cubes. Add some sweetener if you like.