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What Is Cold Brew Coffee?
Cold brew coffee is different from regular coffee because it uses cold water to brew rather than piping hot water.
Instead of mixing the coffee grounds with hot water, you soak the coffee grounds in cold or room temperature water, usually at refrigerator temperature for a certain period of time.
Everyone knows regular coffee is brewed by using hot water but did you know that the cold brew process yields a different flavor?
What is cold brew? It is a delicious way to drink coffee cold, bringing out rich, bold flavors and maximizing the taste of your coffee bean blend.
So What Is a Cold Brew?
By answering the question of what is a cold brew, you can understand the process better. A cold brew coffee requires soaking or steeping the coffee grounds for at least 12 hours.
Spruce Eats describes cold brew coffee: “Cold brew aficionados say that the flavor of cold brew is much smoother and milder and lacking in the acidic quality of ordinary brewed coffee.
This is because cool water doesn't bring about the chemical changes that produce the acidity as well as the bitter flavor associated with hot coffee.”
Find out what cold brew is in further detail by reading through the steps to make your very own cup of cold brew coffee at home.
Cold Brew Process
Once you discover the answer to “what is cold brew”, you can make and enjoy it yourself at home. Many coffee shops offer cold brew coffee that they brew in bulk or serve on tap.
India Times breaks down the process a different way, “Cold brew is definitely different from cold coffee. Cold brew coffee is made by soaking coffee beans in room temperature water for long hours and then mixing the concentrate with cold water or cold milk.”
First, choose high-quality coffee beans and freshly grind them (or let Joyride do it for you).
Cold brew requires a grainy, coarse texture. If you grind them too finely, the cold brew will be bitter.
- Then soak the coffee grounds in cold water. Joyride suggests the perfect cold brew coffee ratio of 1:4. One cup of coffee to 4 cups of water.
- Soak the coffee for at least 12 hours in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Strain the coffee multiple times through a cheesecloth or paper filter.
- Pour the strained coffee over ice and enjoy your cold brew coffee.
Now that you have a general idea of cold brew, you can perfect your own process at home.
Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is different from cold brew because it is brewed using hot water.
Food and Wine Magazine quotes Ashley Rodriguez, a barista: “Rodriguez says the lack of heat in the brewing process really affects the flavor of cold brew, since hot water typically helps extract flavor from the coffee grounds. "In general –– and this is not a hard and fast rule –– cold brew tends to mute acidity, so the flavor is smooth and round…”
Iced coffee is hot coffee cooled down and poured over ice.
Once you understand the different cold coffee methods, you can see how the brewing process really lends itself to a variety of flavors.
Cold Brew Concentrate
Cafes and coffee shops will use cold brew concentrate to save room on their shelves.
Remember, what is a cold brew? The process is similar to what we explained before, but the cold brew coffee ratio is different.
Instead of measuring one cup of coffee mixed with four cups of water, a cold brew concentrate will have a cold brew coffee to water ratio of 1:2 or even 1:1.
Then, you can dilute it with water or milk when the time comes to drink it.
Cold brew concentrate lasts longer if you store it as a concentrate before adding the cold brew coffee ratio to make it ready to drink.
Does Cold Brew Have More Caffeine?
The amount of caffeine in a cup of cold brew coffee depends on the cold brew coffee-to-water ratio.
If you drink straight-up cold brew concentrate, then you will get more caffeine.
It is rare for someone to drink straight concentrate. It is usually diluted in some way with ice, cream, or a mixture of both.
Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew
If this is your first time learning what cold brew is, you should know how important it is to use top-quality coffee beans.
If you want to soak the coffee beans and extract the best flavors, then generic, cheap coffee beans won’t cut it.
Joyride is known for its cold brew coffee. Our coffee is sustainably sourced from farmers who are paid well to care for their coffee crops. Joyride Original Cold Brew is enjoyed in offices all across the country but you can also get our cold brew beans in your home.
You will be sure to taste the difference.
Best Coffee for Cold Brew
While you can use any coffee beans to make cold brew coffee, it’s best to buy coffee bean blends that are specifically made with a cold brew coffee ratio in mind.
Cold Brew Coffee Bean Blends
What are cold brew coffee bean blends? The beans are specially chosen to give a smooth flavor when exploring what is a cold brew.
Because the coffee is made in a different way, the blends make a difference.
Joyride’s cult favorite, cold brew coffee, comes from sustainable farms, so you can drink your coffee knowing you are in support of a cause-driven company.
Cold Brew Coffee Grounds
You can buy whole beans to preserve freshness for as long as possible. Keep the cold brew process in mind when you grind your coffee beans.
Because you are soaking the grounds in cold water, you’ll want coarse coffee grounds.
What coffee grounds are going to make the best flavors come out in cold brew coffee? Let the experts at Joyride determine the ideal coffee bean blend.
Cold Brew Grind Size
Cold brew coffee will not be successful if you grind your coffee beans to a fine powder.
Instead, think about the texture of coarse sea salt. That is when you want to stop grinding and mix your cold brew coffee to water ratio.
Cold Brew Coffee Brands
Your tastebuds will thank you when you choose Joyride as your cold brew coffee company.
With trusted brands flocking to our cold brew coffee, our mixture of coffee beans cannot be duplicated.
Cold Brew Coffee Ratio
What is cold brew? You will only be successful in making cold brew if you get the cold brew coffee ratio right.
The best part is that you can find what you like. You don’t have to stick with our coffee ratio. Experiment and adjust the ratios according to your preferences.
Cold Brew Coffee to Water Ratio
The ratio matters, depending on how strong you like your coffee. If you want higher caffeine and a richer taste, decrease the amount of water.
You don’t need a fancy machine to make cold brew coffee. You can use a jar, pitcher or any clean container with a lid. Have fun experimenting until you hit the flavor you crave from your coffee.
Cold Brew in the Fridge or at Room Temperature
Store cold brew in the refrigerator during the steeping time. Or you can store it at room temperature.
What sets cold brew apart is that it is not brewed with hot water.
As long as you are using cold or room-temperature water, you will get the same effect.
How Long Does Cold Brew Need to Steep?
If you store cold brew in the fridge during steeping time, you will need to soak the beans for a minimum of 12 hours.
For room temperature steeping, increase the time to 18 hours or so.
And for a bolder flavor, you can steep the cold brew for 24 hours.
How to Filter Cold Brew Coffee
Use paper filters or cheesecloth and strain the coffee multiple times until it runs smooth and velvety.
Take pride in the process, knowing that you put the time into choosing the beans, grinding them, and waiting for an appropriate amount of time to soak them.
Cold Brew Too Bitter?
Look to your coffee grinds if your cold brew coffee is too bitter. Finely ground coffee will not result in optimal flavors.
Keep your coffee beans coarse before mixing the cold brew coffee ratio. Think about coarse sea salt for a good reference.
Food Network comes in with these genius cold brew coffee variation ideas: “When you follow our how-to for cold brew, you’ll have a concentrate that is best enjoyed when diluted 1:1 with water or your milk of choice.
You can also make coffee soda by diluting the cold brew with seltzer, but use 2 or 3 parts seltzer to 1 part cold brew and add a bit of simple syrup. One more option is to serve a bit of cold brew over vanilla ice cream and let the dish melt for a minute or two to make a faux affogato.”
Take cold brew coffee to the next level with these suggestions, or keep it simple with Joyride coffee beans and your personal touch.
Cold Brew Coffee Storage
You can make cold brew coffee every day if you want. If you would like to make a larger amount and store it in the refrigerator, that is an option too.
Martha Stewart Magazine quotes Travis Beckett, "Fresher is always better when it comes to drinking your cold brew, and making smaller batches more frequently will yield better results than a large batch that sits and sits."
Make enough to last a few days when you need a quick cup to grab in the morning on your way out the door.
Cold brew coffee does not lose flavor when stored in an airtight container for a few days.
You can have freshness and convenience by making cold brew coffee twice per week.
How to Store Cold Brew Coffee
Choose an airtight container for your cold brew coffee. Seal the lid and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
When you are careful about storing your cold brew, you will enjoy the best flavors.
Storing Cold Brew in the Fridge
You can count on your cold brew to last the longest stored in the refrigerator.
Then you don’t even have to add ice when you’re ready to pour another mug of cold brew.
Drink your cold brew coffee from a tumbler to keep it cool and refreshing for hours at a time.
How Long Can I Store Cold Brew Coffee?
Store the coffee for up to 7 days. Each day, the coffee may lose some flavor or strength.
Find the best system for making fresh cold brew coffee to time out the days you like the flavor the most.
Why You Should Store Cold Brew as Concentrate
When you store the cold brew as a concentrate, the mixture will last longer.
Many coffee houses make cold brew concentrate in bulk and store it to take up less space in their refrigerator.
Once you dilute the cold brew for the perfect cold brew coffee-to-water ratio, it won’t last as long.
It doesn’t take long to convert cold brew concentrate to the perfect cold brew coffee ratio.
Pull out the concentrate and pour in an extra cup of milk or water to instantly have a cup of cold brew that is ready to drink.
Leaving Cold Brew Out - Why You Shouldn’t
Cold brew stored at room temperature shortens the shelf life to two days.
Store it in the refrigerator to keep it safe from bacteria growth.
Making Cold Brew At Home
Now that you know all about making cold brew coffee, give it a try at home. You can enjoy a cold brew on a hot summer morning or when you need an afternoon pick-me-up.
Joyride Coffee is known for our cold brew blend. We were tired of drinking bland coffee at work and even from coffee shops.
So we started a food truck with quality beans and practices aligned with coffee sustainability.
After expanding to corporate offices and workplaces, we want you to have Joyride Coffee in your home. We can’t wait for you to try it.
Learn more about brewing a high-quality cup of coffee at home.
