Cold brew on a hot summer afternoon sounds about just right! I’ve been trying to perfect my cold brews for so long. It was only recently that I found a recipe that hit just the spot with the right amount of sweetness and acidity.
The thing with coffee is that you need to be precise, one wrong move and you get overly bitter-tasting coffee. The proper techniques combined with some coarsely ground coffee beans give a taste like no other. Once you try this recipe, I bet you will forget about all the coffee shops you’ve spent your bucks at.
Most cold brew techniques require at least 12 hours for the coffee flavor to be infused into the water but this method will help you make your drink in a few minutes. Stay tuned for the best techniques to make cold brew coffee fast.
Why brew your coffee?
Before I get on with my top-notch recipe for cold brew, let me tell you why it is important that you brew your coffee. When you put your ground coffee beans into water, the coffee slowly infuses into the water, bringing out maximum flavor. The slow fusion ensures that all the bitter part is left behind and only the good flavor fuses into the water. As a result, you get some smooth and sweet-tasting coffee.
What is cold brew?
Cold brew is a method to brew coffee beans in cold or room temperature water for approximately a minimum of 12 hours to get them to release sugars, caffeine, and oils.
Hot coffee is rather acidic and irritates the stomachs of people suffering from acidity issues. These people prefer cold brews instead, to fulfill their coffee cravings. It is the best method to brew coffee. Due to certain flavors which you can’t find in hot brews a lot of people enjoy drinking it.
The science behind cold brew coffee
Before I begin with the recipe, it is crucial that you understand the science behind the extraction of a cold brew. Brewing in hot water results in an infusion of aromatic oils and solids from the coffee beans. These oils are released only at high temperatures (96°C), just below the boiling point.
The coffee beans release their bitter flavor if the water crosses the boiling point. Hence brewing needs consistent temperatures. The temperature needs to be just right for certain flavors to infuse.
Nevertheless, the temperature is just a tool to speed up the extraction process. Just like sugar can dissolve in cold water if you stir faster, coffee grounds can also be brewed by stirring fast and long enough. Therefore, to make cold brew coffee faster, we need something that can help us blend faster like an emulsion blender.
Steps to make cold brew coffee fast
Well, this is no big secret and no, you don’t require expert-level barista skills to nail your cold brew. Neither do you need advanced equipment. It is pretty simple and all you need are some coffee beans, a French press, and something that can help you with fast-paced mixing such as an emulsion blender.
Follow the below steps for a faster yet tasteful brew!
- Use lightly roasted coffee beans.
- Ground your coffee to about the size of course espresso. Be sure not to over-grind the beans or you will not be able to filter them out later.
- Dissolve the ground coffee in room-temperature water. Any ratio that suits your taste is fine. You could mix 3-4 teaspoons of coffee in one cup of water. You could always increase the amount of water or ice once you are done to balance according to your taste. Give it a good stir so that the grounds sink to the bottom of the cup.
- Pour the mixture into a beaker or a blender to increase the speed of the extraction process.
- Pulse the mixture thoroughly for a couple of minutes. The longer you blend the better it will taste.
- Transfer the mixture into a French press and use the plunger to gently press it to the bottom.
- If you don’t want the coffee grounds infiltrating your coffee, let them sit in the bottom of the container and pour the rest into your mug, leaving some behind.
- Add some ice and water and it is ready to serve.
Some people like their coffee clean i.e., without any floating coffee grounds. I personally hate them in mine. I would advise you to filter them out properly before serving them up. For best results, pair cold brew ice cubes with almond milk.
Serving tips for cold-brewed coffee
Unlike the common misconception that cold brews can only be served in the iced form, they can also be served steaming hot. Either way, you can follow the same technique and add the brew in whatever way you prefer.
Cold brews are often stronger in taste and make a mean cup of Joe. Serving it with ice cubes means it will eventually dilute once the ice melts. Still strong for you? Add some milk or water to fix it according to your fondness or check out some interesting ways to use a coffee creamer to perk it up!
Here are some expert tips to help you make the perfect cold brew quickly!
- Ground your beans and make sure they are coarsely ground and not of sandy texture like those of drip coffee. Powdery beans can result in an over-fused coffee that makes it impossible to filtrate.
- Using filtered water for your coffee can intensely enhance the flavor of your coffee. It will give a cleaner and sweeter flavor to your cold brew.
- Even though this recipe is for a quick cold brew fix. However, if you have time, then try and let it steep for at least 12 hours. Straining it earlier can give you a weaker cup of coffee, but over-steeping can also extract the bitter flavors. So, stay vigilant while doing so.
- Keeping your leftover brew in an ice tray can save you the annoyance of diluted coffee when making ice coffee and you can use coffee ice cubes instead to chill your brew.
- Using a higher coffee-to-water ratio can balance the right flavors. 1 to 1 ratio serves best for a cold brew however you can change it as you like.
- Straining your cold brew slowly is a tip I stand by. Coffee chains like Starbucks use complex techniques to strain their coffees, thus separating the cold brew from the ground coffee.
For a DIY, you can use a strainer or a cheesecloth to slow the straining process. Try not to squeeze the coffee grounds or it will release the bitter flavor it’s been holding up. Straining it in small batches with gentle hands will create a difference. You can use filter paper too but the chances of it tearing are higher. So, I’d rather not go for it.
Pro tip: Use a milk nut bag for straining a cold brew trust me you will thank me later.
Final thoughts
Here is everything you need to know about that cold brew that everyone’s been raving about and now you can enjoy it too in the comfort of your own home. All these tips and tricks on how to make cold brew fast are what make this recipe worth the taste.
Grab your favorite book and pop out your cold brew for a laid-back summer evening. Happy brewing!