Fuel Your Day with the Best Cold Brew Coffee

If you aren’t too familiar with the idea of a cold brew, this guide has you covered. Make your first experience the best one by getting all the information necessary to make a good purchase.

News for Newbies – What Exactly Is Cold Brew Coffee?

To find the best cold brew, you must first understand this type of coffee. Cold brew coffee is commonly confused with iced coffee, but there’s a clear distinction between the two. Cold-brew is prepared without using any source of heat. The usual process of getting this brew is to steep ground coffee beans in cold filtered water for long periods to extract maximum flavor. This could take 12+ hours to get this process right.

As far as iced coffee is concerned, it is prepared using the regular brewed coffee and later poured over ice so you can enjoy the colder version. In simple words, the latter is brewed hot – just like any regular coffee.

Once the coffee is cold brewed, the grounds are extracted, leaving you with a delicious, cold brew coffee concentrate. Adjust the flavor of your coffee by adding more water as per your requirement, so the flavors are not too intense. And while you can use a French press to prepare a cold brew coffee at home, you can also find cold brew makers to make a more authentic drink.

Temperature Affecting Taste – What You Need To Know

Surprisingly, the temperature at which the coffee is brewed can impact the flavor significantly. Regular, hot coffee is brewed between 195 and 205 degrees F. In contrast, its colder counterpart is extracted between 35 and 70 degrees F. Since the cold brewing method does not involve heating, you get a unique taste and texture that’s easy to distinguish. However, brewing at colder temperatures requires double the amount of grounds and several hours before the coffee concentrate is ready.

Other factors that impact the flavor are the solubles and acids present in coffee beans, responsible for their unique flavor notes. Some of these can only be extracted when the coffee is brewed at a certain temperature. This is why cold brew has a low acidic content and more flavor. With the proper cold brewing method, you can guarantee a cup that’s both smooth and flavorful. Thankfully, with so many ready-made options available in the market, you don’t have to get to those brewing technicalities yourself, if you don’t want to. Simply grab the coffee that you find best and enjoy the burst of flavors like never before.

What Makes an Excellent Cold Brew Coffee?

Type

With the increase in the popularity of cold brew, simple cold-brewed black coffee has evolved greatly. Today, you can find a variety of flavors and types to choose from. From picking the origin of the beans to trying out different types such as concentrate, nitro, New Orleans-style, and triple-shot, it is a whole experience that you can enjoy. Learning about the different types and their distinguished features can help you narrow down your options and take you closer to a cup that fits best with you.

Ingredients

Checking the list of ingredients when picking up the top-rated cold brew coffee is another crucial aspect. Some prepared options may contain heavy amounts of sugar, which can ruin the nutritional value of your beverage. If you are too specific about your choice, you can also look for organic options. This reduces the presence of pesticide residues. Also, avoid varieties that may contain preservatives or additives to enjoy the authentic flavor of cold brew coffee.

Grind size

Whether you’re grinding the beans yourself or getting pre-ground beans, it is important to remember that the size of the grind matters. For a cold brew, always choose a coarse grind. The finer grounds usually produce more bitter or harsher flavors because of getting over-extracted. If you’re doing the whole process yourself from scratch, pay attention to the grind size for the best results.

Roast type

Choosing the roast type is more of a personal preference. If you are not too sure about the flavors you like, try experimenting with both dark roast and light roast coffee. Just because you have a certain preference for regular coffee doesn’t mean it will be the same for cold brew coffee. Thus, experimenting is the key.

However, some experts suggest going choosing a roast that’s neither too dark nor too light. This helps keep the flavors naturally less acidic and more delicious. On the contrary, others believe choosing a dark roast is a better idea to enjoy the rich flavor of earthiness, chocolate, and nuts the cold brew naturally has.

All in all, the right coffee - regardless of how it is brewed - depends on your personal preference. So choose accordingly and let all these factors help you pick the best one off the shelves.