Why is nitrogen coffee so hot? How to make nitrogen coffee

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Nitrogen coffee is really hot, coffee tastes silky, taste mellow, but have you ever thought about why nitrogen coffee is so good to drink?

In order to understand the mystery of nitrogen coffee, we are fortunate to invite Ross Nickerson of Raz Function Coffee Labs to introduce some common sense about nitrogen coffee.

How is nitrogen coffee made?

First we need a tank of high-pressure nitrogen, and then we connect the tank with a pipe to the barrel of cold-brewed coffee. Nitrogen is very soluble, and coffee is nearly 98% water, so we need to mix it with coffee by forcing it through a fine orifice that helps the gas get better into the liquid. Nitrogen coffee is mostly made with cold coffee, but there are a few cafes that use instant chilled coffee or fast-cooled hot coffee.

How does this affect coffee taste?

Nitrogen itself does not have much effect on coffee, but it can greatly change the taste of coffee, making coffee more mellow and silky. In addition, nitrogen also helps coffee maintain its original flavor and extend the shelf life of coffee. Without nitrogen, the oxidation of oxygen accelerates the flavor loss of coffee and makes it bland.

"Why not CO2?"

Carbon dioxide can make coffee taste bitter, for example, beer brewed with carbon dioxide will form carbonic acid, making beer with a strong bitter taste. But beers that are inherently bitter, such as dark beer, must be brewed with nitrogen because carbon dioxide adds an extra bitterness that makes the beer taste almost bitter.

"When did people invent how to make nitrogen-based coffee? Was it just invented, or was it invented long ago and picked up again?"

There are many claims about the inventor of nitrogen coffee, but what can be confirmed is that Stumptown Coffee first launched nitrogen coffee products in 2013. Although this method has been used in the beer brewing industry for many years, it is the first time in the coffee industry.

"Can we make nitrogen coffee at home?"

Sure, it's like brewing beer at home. The method is not complicated, but requires the purchase of some professional equipment. Cold coffee is easier to make than nitrogen-based coffee, and requires less effort and money.

"This method has been used in the beer brewing industry for years, right?"

Yes, Guinness invented nitrogen brewing back in 1959.

"What are the disadvantages of nitrogen brewing?"

The only downside is that you need to invest a certain amount of time and money, and not everyone can accept the relatively new concept of nitrogen-based coffee at present.

"What do you think of the future of coffee?"

I think that the instant cooling coffee recently dominated by Function Coffee Labs, Ultimo, Ox and the big brand La Colombe will become more popular. This new coffee that can be made in large quantities at one time and has a variety of varieties will definitely become the new favorite in the market. This practice can highlight the unique taste of coffee from different origins, which is not possible with cold extraction or nitrogen coffee.

In addition, many roasters have begun to try to add hops and other ingredients to cold coffee to compensate for the lack of complexity in the taste of cold coffee. Of course we can't forget coffee cocktails!