Testing The Cold Brew Taste Difference
It tastes a tad sweeter than traditionally brewed coffee.
It isn’t as bitter as drip coffee.
It’s less acidic than hot coffee.
What kind of brew could we possibly be referring to?
Cold brew!
Cold brewing is by far my favorite way to brew coffee, and if I’m being fully transparent, I actually wasn’t all that crazy about coffee until I tried cold brew.
I used to brew my coffee traditionally and then chill it, only to use it in smoothies and protein shakes for the health benefits. But I wasn’t thrilled with the bitter taste, no matter how I brewed it, until I tried cold brew.
And, judging by the extreme popularity of this brewing method, many folks clearly discovered what I experienced after my first sip of this fabulous brew - cold brew has a natural sweetness, it’s much more smooth than regular drip coffee, it’s less acidic than hot coffee, and personally I taste a richness in cold brew that I simply can’t detect in drip coffee.
No matter the roast, no matter the flavored selection, no matter the day, no matter the season, I could (and do) drink cold brew any time, any place!
And I’m not alone.
The popularity of cold brew has skyrocketed over the last several years.
Check this out - the cold brew coffee market was valued at 401.5 million dollars in 2019, it grew to nearly 2.6 billion dollars in 2023, and it’s projected to be valued at 16.22 billion dollars by 2032 (4.88 billion in the US alone).
Wow! As you can see, that’s some serious cold brew love!
Of course, from the descriptions above, we likely know why folks are swooning over cold brew (winter, spring, summer, and fall, by the way), but what is it about this brewing method that makes cold brew taste so good?
What is it about cold brewing methods that cause the acid content to lower?
What is it about this brewing method that makes the coffee taste a bit sweeter than usual?
And, if you’re new to cold brew…how in the world do you brew coffee without hot water in the first place?
Let’s find out…
The Science Behind Cold Brew Coffee
Before we get into the science of cold brew, explaining what makes this brew so tasty, let’s check a few items off of the list of common cold brew misconceptions.
First, yes, cold brew coffee is typically served cold or over ice. But, cold brew coffee is not the same as iced coffee.
Iced coffee is prepared by brewing coffee (hot), then either immediately pouring the hot brew over ice, or setting the freshly brewed coffee aside, even under refrigeration, to then later serve such a brew chilled or over ice.
But again, this is not cold brew.
Then, some folks also believe cold brew to be less healthy than traditional coffee, believing it must contain added sugars since the flavor is somewhat sweeter than drip coffee.
This notion is also false. We’ll soon explain why cold brew a sweeter flavor has than drip coffee, but it certainly is not due to the addition of any kind/type of sugar.
So then, what is cold brew?
Technically, cold brew refers to the method in which the coffee is prepared.
And this type of coffee is prepared using a method of brewing that involves soaking coarsely ground coffee beans in cold or room temperature water for an extended period of time, typically 12-24 hours.
The obvious difference here, compared to traditional brewing methods, is that cold brew is made with cold or room temperature water as opposed to hot water, and cold brewing takes much more time than hot brewing methods.
But the million-dollar question is, why/how does this method yield such a difference in flavor, acidity, and even texture?
Of course, this is where the science of brewing coffee comes into play.
I’m no Bill Nye, or Professor Proton for all of our BBT fans, but hopefully I can explain this in a simple, but sciency, way…
So traditionally, coffee is brewed by grinding whole coffee beans, then using hot water to extract the natural flavors in those ground beans.
Well, water, hot or cold, is a solvent, and it does a great job of attracting molecules, even to the point of pulling apart the bonds of molecules, which causes them to dissolve in the water.
So of course, when you add water to ground coffee, this means the water will begin the work of dissolving these molecules, resulting in the desired result of flavor extraction.
The thing is, when water is heated, its molecules move around very rapidly which makes it even more efficient as a solvent, resulting in a fast flavor extraction.
But, as water extracts the compounds in coffee, it does so in a specific order:
First, fats.
Then, acids.
Next, sugars.
And lastly, plant fibers.
This is why most traditionally brewed, hot coffee has a noticeable, even distinct, bitter taste.
The heated water causes a fast extraction of the oils (fats) and acids in the beans first, making these the prominent notes you detect in your brew.
With cold brew, instead of using temperature and water to extract the flavor compounds in the coffee beans, time and water are the agents of extraction.
Since the water is not heated, its molecules move much more slowly, which is why time is required for full flavor extraction.
As we noted above, water extracts flavor in a specific order - fats, acids, sugars, then plant fibers.
So, by using cold water, most of the oils (fats) and acids remain trapped in the grounds, resulting in a less bitter, much sweeter, smoother, richer, even fruitier, and sometimes more chocolatey, brew.
And, since the oils and acids aren’t as prominent in cold brew coffee, it’s also easier to detect the naturally occurring flavors of your brew, those specific to the region where the coffee is grown or the natural tastes brought out by roasting times and temperatures.
That concludes our science lesson for the moment, but there’s still a few things that make us go hmmm when it comes to cold brew, so let’s explore this topic further.
5 Whats And Whys Of Cold Brew Coffee
Now we’d like to examine some of the specifics of cold brew, from the important details of the brewing process to a few claims you may have heard about this type of coffee.
1- Coarse Grind
We mentioned in the section above that cold brew coffee must be ground to a coarse grind.
If you’ve been grinding your own coffee, you likely know that different brewing methods require different sized grounds.
Finer grind sizes are best for quick, hot brewing methods, as here, the heated water is able to “reach” more grinds, allowing it to extract flavors fast.
A coarse grind, on the other hand, exposes far fewer bean fragments to the H2O, meaning the grounds require a greater length of time for the water to do its flavor extracting magic.
2- Less Acidic
As we detailed the science behind cold brew, we explained that there’s a noticeable difference in the acidic taste between hot and cold brewed coffee.
But is flavor the only thing affected here? No.
Studies have actually proven cold brew to be two thirds less acidic than traditionally (hot) brewed coffee.
As the acidity of coffee presents a problem for many folks, often creating undesirable digestive issues from acid reflux to stomach discomfort, nausea, and more, cold brew can bring great relief for coffee lovers plagued by these concerns.
Of course, Lifeboost customers know and appreciate the fact that our coffee is already low acid, almost as alkaline as water, so cold brewing Lifeboost coffee amplifies the low acid benefits of our brews.
And I can attest to this personally.
I’ve been running on cold brewed Lifeboost Light Roast Coffee for years now, and it’s as silky smooth as smooth can be…something I believe is directly linked to the low acid nature of the coffee compounded by the low acid benefit of cold brewing.
3- Other Flavor Perks
Aside from being able to better detect subtle flavors from roasting times and temps or growing regions in cold brew, there’s other flavor perks associated with this coffee as well.
Unlike hot brewed coffee, cold brew doesn’t change in flavor.
With a hot brewed cup, as it cools, the flavors change, even becoming stale in time.
And, with hot brewed coffee, you can sometimes get a highly undesirable burnt taste in your brew.
Thankfully, neither of these things occur with cold brew.
4- Differing Aromas
One perk (these perk puns are totally intended, you know) of freshly brewed coffee, admittedly, is the amazing aroma that wafts throughout your kitchen as your cup is prepared.
And, if you’ve been preparing and drinking cold brew for very long, you know this aspect is largely absent, apart from intentional nose to brew whiffs.
So, some may find this to be a negative in the cold brew category, and that’s okay.
But, there are a few things to consider here:
- The reason the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is so strong is due to the oils and acids so powerfully extracted in hot water. And, as we’ve already seen, these are the same components that can cause stomach distress and a bitter flavor in your brew.
- While freshly brewed coffee does have a powerful aroma, these oils and acids causing the scent are highly volatile, meaning they’ll quickly evaporate and degrade as the temperature of your brew cools. In other words, this perk is only temporary.
5- Some Like It Hot
And lastly, before we move on, let’s address the elephant in the room.
Sure, iced or chilled coffee (including cold brew) is popular all throughout the year, but so is hot coffee.
My spouse can (and does) drink hot coffee poolside when it’s 105 degrees outside…and I know he’s not unique in his preference.
So, for all of you that are now cold brew curious, looking to experience the unparalleled flavors and smoothness in this brew, here’s a tip:
You can drink cold brew, hot.
However, this comes with a specified warning of caution.
To savor the low acidity, smoothness, and slight sweetness of cold brew, warm, you’ll simply want to slowly and carefully warm your prepared cup of cold brew in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
I say slowly and carefully because getting the brew too hot will result in a detectable bitterness.
Simple Cold Brewing Basics
I’ll definitely list out some specific, step by step instructions for making cold brew. But, can I confess something first?
When I make cold brew, I tend to go rogue.
I have a simple, even cheap, glass cold brew maker that I bought online several years ago. It makes/holds 6 cups of cold brew.
At first, I measured and tried to get things precise. And at first, I made a stronger brew, essentially a concentrate, as many do with cold brewing, to which I’d add appropriate amounts of water when preparing my daily cup.
But, what I found over time was that I preferred lessening the ratio of coffee grounds to water, resulting in a brew I could use as-is.
Now, I will say, I prefer my cold brew strong, but as I’ve streamlined my process, all I do to make cold brew is:
- Fill my coffee grinder “cup” to the max level with my preferred whole bean selection. (This is seriously my primary method of measurement here.)
- Grind the beans on the coarse setting.
- Add the coarsely ground coffee beans to the mesh filter in my cold brew maker.
- Pour cold or room temperature water over the grounds, through the filter, until the cold brew maker is filled (mine holds 6 cups).
- I then place the lid on the cold brew maker and set it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, I remove the cold brew maker from the refrigerator and remove the mesh filter filled with now wet and used coffee grounds.
- Replace the lid on the cold brew maker and place it back into the refrigerator to store until I’m ready to sip. (When enjoying my cold brew, all I have to do is simply pour a cup directly from the cold brew maker.)
Again, this is my no-measure method that I’ve perfected over the years with my specific brewer, specified to my personal taste preference.
But, I included this to illustrate how simple cold brewing can be once you discover precisely how you like to do cold brew!
If you don’t have a cold brew maker, you can easily make cold brew with a French press.
To do so, you simply need to…
- Grind one cup of your preferred roast or flavored coffee selection to a coarse grind, as we explained in the section above.
- Add your measured cup of coarsely ground coffee to your french press.
- Pour 4 cups of cold, or room temperature, filtered water over the ground coffee.
- Then, very gently stir (we’re talking just a few spoon rotations here) the grounds in the water, just to coat all of the grounds.
- Cover the press with the plunger, but do not press the plunger down yet. At this point, you’re simply covering the water and grounds.
- Now, many folks are divided on this next step, with some preferring to leave the mixture out (on a countertop/table) for 12-24 hours, while others like to store the mixture in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
- Personally, I’ve always found cold brew prepared under refrigeration to be slightly sweeter and a little less concentrated than that which is prepared at room temperature, so I will always recommend placing the French press in the refrigerator during brewing.
- But whether your team room temp or team refrigeration, you’ll still want to remove the grounds after 12-24 hours. (If you leave the grounds to brew for longer than 24 hours, you’ll likely find the brew to increase in bitterness beyond the recommended time frame.)
To do so, you’ll simply press down the plunger until it reaches the coffee grounds.
Then, with the plunger down, effectively separating the cold brew from the grounds, simply pour/strain the cold brew into a glass jar or pitcher for storage.
Since this method prepares what many refer to as a cold brew concentrate, when serving, you’ll likely want to dilute it with water, ice, or milk.
And, while cold brew never lasts longer than a few days in my house, I must say, if you’re a slow sipper, you’ll want to be sure to consume it within 2-7 days for best flavor and freshness.
Of course, if you really want to enjoy some incredibly tasty cold brew without having to grind, measure, or mess with any of the specifics, we offer cold brew coffee packs that take the guesswork out of this process entirely.
Lifeboost Cold Brew Coffee Packs only require you to drop a pack of pre ground, premeasured, medium roast coffee into a pitcher of cold water. Then, all you have to do is cover, wait, discard the pack when the brew is ready, pour, and enjoy.
It doesn’t get much simpler (or tastier) than that!