How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Some like it cold

Imagine all the silky, aromatic, invigorating, and flavorful joy of a French Press but smooth and cold. Well, luckily, that is a reality in the form of cold brew coffee! Let's discover this slow and steady method of brewing coffee. It is perfect year-round and can be expertly prepared with our Lafeeca cold brewer, too! Keep reading to discover more.

What is cold brew?

Cold brew has a fascinating history that goes back a bit further than some other brewing methods. It goes back to the Netherlands in the 1700s when taking long voyages overseas was the norm. The Dutch sailors still wanted coffee for their long voyages across the high seas, and who could blame them?

But bringing the materials for brewing hot coffee on a long voyage on a moving ship was a difficult endeavor. So instead the Dutch sailors would brew their coffee cold by steeping the grounds in cold water and storing it in bottles to drink as they sailed. This method also allowed them to keep the cold coffee for longer without it spoiling or developing mold. It is important to note that many of these voyages took the Dutch sailors to tropical parts of the world where hot coffee left sitting might spoil even faster than back in the Netherlands. So cold-brewed coffee became their brewing method of choice!

Through extensive trade and time, this method of brewing was introduced to Japan. It was in the Land of the Rising Sun where cold brewing and Dutch brewing were preserved and perfected. So much so that some tend to consider Kyoto, rather than Holland as the birthplace of cold brew!

While history is certainly fascinating, it is important to understand what cold brew coffee is. Cold brew is not hot coffee that has been iced like iced Americano. And while it originally comes from and is related to Dutch Brew (same backstory as up above!) The brewing method is much more condensed and simplified.

Dutch brew, the original style used to prepare coffee for those long voyages, typically requires a sophisticated and difficult-to-manage and maintain setup. This set generally includes a series of glass tubes, beakers, and other paraphernalia. Dutch brew is prepared by allowing ice to melt or cold water to slowly drip onto coffee grounds held in a central compartment where it drips down into a bottom basin. This method is slow and meticulous and usually, the final result is mixed with water because it is so concentrated.
Cold brew differs in that the water and grounds are typically all fully immersed in one vessel and allowed to steep for 12–24 hours for the grinds to fully infuse the water. This immersion requires a precise and impressive device.

Like, for example, our phenomenal Lafeeca cold brew brewing vessel. Our BPA-free brewing vessel features a streamlined design that comes in some great colors. The Ultra Dual Filter stainless steel mesh is designed for grounds to stay in but let all their flavor and aroma out. The mesh filter is right inside the brewing vessel and once your coffee is brewed you can pour it as is!

How to make cold brew

Cold brew is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to brew coffee. That is, if you can spare a good 12–24 hours to allow your coffee to fully brew! Making cold brew is a cinch and with our Lafeeca cold brewer, this guide practically writes itself!

What you will need

• • Coffee beans of your choice
  • Filtered or purified water
  • Cold brewer (like our exceptional Lafeeca brewer)
  • Time
  

Optional but optimal

• • Coffee bean scale
  • Coffee bean grinder for whole beans
  

How to brew cold brew

• First, measure and grind your coffee beans as coarsely as one can. A coarse grind is ideal for cold brew because it extracts evenly over a long steep. In addition, smaller grind sizes can give your cold brew a gritty and silty texture that isn't pleasant! The debate about the best roast type for cold brew will rage for some time. But lighter roasts will typically be lighter and fruitier. Meanwhile, darker roasts will imbue your cold brew with a thick, rich, and chocolatey or bread-like flavor and aroma.

• Once your beans are ground, pour them into your cold brew filter. Our Lafeeca BPA-free cold brewer is perfect for allowing all the caffeinated flavor out into your brew while keeping coffee grounds inside the mesh filter!

• Seal your filter and add your cold or room temperature water. Fill your cold brew vessel all the way and once it is sealed securely, feel free to give it a little shake back and forth to ensure the water has immersed all of your grounds.

• Then, place your cold brewer in the fridge for 16–24 hours. Anytime in between is fine and every barista seems to have a different “Goldilocks zone” in terms of cold brew brewing time. Feel free to experiment with different times to find what you think is optimal.

• Once it has brewed, remove the filter and grounds, keep your cold brew refrigerated, and enjoy it within 3 days for the best taste.

Stay cool!

Cold brew coffee is a fun, convenient, and unique way to enjoy your java. Cold brew can be enjoyed year-round and can be an excellent way to drink iced coffee. Throw cold brew in a thermos and take it camping for a convenient way to caffeinate. Or, enjoy it as a refreshing treat after your lunch break. No matter how you wish to stay cool we hope you love every last sip! And don't forget to let our Lafeeca Cold Brewer work its magic when you try this fabulous brewing method out!