Is it really worth making cold-extracted coffee with so much coffee powder?

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In fact, there is a saying I have put up with for a long time, but can not find a suitable occasion to say it, today I would like to say what I think of cold coffee, that is: what a waste!

I was shocked the first time I saw the recipe for cold coffee. Oh, my God, it takes twice as much coffee powder to make cold coffee as ordinary hot coffee. Is it possible to use a whole bag of freshly roasted coffee just to make the coffee less bitter and the temperature more palatable?

And when I pour out the coffee grounds (I know they can be used to compost and water flowers, but I believe 99.5% of people will just throw them away), dilute them with water and taste them, my first feeling is: isn't this a warm beer without hops?

I am not prejudiced against cold coffee, but simply do not like it, and there are many bosses in the industry who are not interested in cold coffee like me.

"Yes, we really don't like cold coffee." Ryan Jensen of Peregrine Espresso in Washington said with a smile.

"due to the low temperature, the sour taste of coffee can not be fully reflected, the taste of coffee will become very mild, but the characteristics are not prominent, I personally do not like it." Jensen said.

Cold coffee and iced coffee are two different things. Cold extract coffee is made from water at room temperature and rough ground coffee powder after soaking for a long time (usually 12-24 hours). The coffee tastes sweet, low acidity and mild bitterness, which may be the reason why many people fall in love with it. Cold extract coffee is like "milk chocolate" in coffee.

Iced coffee is a completely different drink. American iced coffee pours brewed coffee into ice cubes, while Japanese iced coffee drips coffee directly on top of accurate ice cubes. In contrast, because the dilution ratio is just right, Japanese iced coffee can better reflect the taste characteristics of coffee.

I don't want to comment too much on iced coffee. Today I just want to talk about cold coffee. In order to better explore the quality of cold-extracted coffee, I have conducted many experiments.

The Toddy cold brew coffee system

First of all, I collected some recipes and equipment for making cold-extracted coffee at home. Although most boutique cafes use Toddy cold extractors, most family baristas think that Oxo performs better than Toddy, so I bought both cold extractors home for comparison. In fact, you can make cold-extracted coffee without professional equipment, such as a French kettle, as long as you have a good grasp of the gouache ratio.

Secondly, I made an in-depth study of the formulation. After comparing the rates recommended by the two major brands Oxo and Toddy, I found that the proportion of cold-extracted coffee usually brewed at 6:1, which is really a lot more coffee than the 16:1 of regular coffee.

But in fact, the cold extracted coffee is concentrated and cannot be drunk directly, and many people like to drink it mixed with water, milk, cream or ice, which will inevitably dilute the taste of the coffee itself.

I wanted cold coffee with a strong flavor, like hand-brewed coffee, so I chose several freshly roasted and ground quality coffees, including: lightly roasted Honduras Comsa, tanned Brazil Carmo de Minas, deeply roasted El Salvador San Miguel, tanned Costa Rica San Diego, tanned Ethiopian Banko Dhadhato, and moderately underroasted Sumatra Dolok Sanggul.

The Oxo cold brew coffee system

After tasting it, I found that only Salvadoran coffee was still mellow and full-bodied after soaking in Oxo for 24 hours, with the sweetness of dark chocolate, but more like the taste that had just been taken out of the oven.

Brazilian coffee soaked in Toddy for 13 hours tastes the most unforgettable and tastes like bourbon before being diluted with water or milk.

Sumatran coffee soaked in Toddy for 12 hours became lighter and more fruity after being diluted with the same amount of whole milk.

But my favorite is Costa Rican coffee. No water dilution, drink directly, coffee has a chocolate and grape flavor, even with the same amount of water dilution, coffee flavor is still very strong, I think this kind of coffee is best served with ice.

However, there is a big problem with cold extract coffee, that is, coffee is seasonal and the supply is not adequate throughout the year, but according to my experimental results, I find that sun-cured coffee is more suitable for making cold extract coffee, and its fruity flavor can be fully reflected, such as strawberries, oranges, blueberries and so on.

Maybe I have to take back what I just said, as long as the variety is right and the dosage is reasonable, cold extracted coffee is also the best choice for tasting the unique flavor of coffee!

The following two recipes are recommended:

1. Lightly roasted sun-cold extracted coffee

To make this coffee, you need to use the Oxo Good Grips cold extractor, which is available on various websites. The coffee pot can be made with metal filter or filter paper, which can make the coffee taste more mellow.

Costa Rican San Diego is the best choice for coffee beans. If you can't find this coffee, other lightly roasted sun-cured coffee can also be replaced.

The cold extraction coffee takes at least 12 hours to make. After it is done, it is sealed and refrigerated, and the shelf life can be up to 2 weeks.

Raw materials:

-285g light roasted Costa Rican coffee, rough ground

-5 cups of filtered water

Production method:

-place the metal strainer in the pot, screw on the lid, put the cold extraction pot on top of the cup or other container, and turn off the switch

-pour the coffee powder, then pour in the water, make sure the coffee powder is evenly soaked, let it stand for 10 minutes, "pre-brew", and then stir evenly.

-place the pot in a dark, dry corner, soak for 12 hours, turn on the switch after 12 hours, filter the coffee, and finally throw away the coffee grounds

-after the concentrate is made, it can be diluted with 3 parts of water or 1 part of milk, or directly poured on ice cubes. A pot of concentrate can make up to three and a half cups of coffee.

two。 Medium deep roasted cold extracted coffee

To make this coffee, you need to use a Toddy cold extractor, which is available on various websites. The cold extraction coffee takes at least 12 hours to make. After it is done, it is sealed and refrigerated, and the shelf life can be up to 2 weeks.

Coffee beans had better choose Gothamatra Dolok Sanggul. If you can't find this coffee, other moderately deep-roasted coffee can also be replaced.

Raw materials:

-340g fresh medium deep roasted coffee, rough grinding

-7 cups of filtered water

Production method:

-turn off the switch, soak the filter with water, put it in the coffee pot, and place the pot on top of the coffee cup or other container

-pour 1 cup of filtered water and half of the coffee powder into the container, do not stir, then slowly pour 3 cups of water into the ring to ensure that the coffee powder is in uniform contact with the water.

-pour in the remaining coffee powder, let stand for 5 minutes, then pour in the remaining 3 cups of water, also in a ring, press the floating coffee powder under a spoon to make sure 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, throw away the coffee grounds

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

Tip: be sure to use freshly roasted coffee beans for no more than 30 days.