Cold Brew Coffee
As summer temperatures soar you may be looking to find ways to cool down rather than sip on a mug of steaming coffee. There's no need to go without your favorite coffee or caffeine fix during the heat, cold brew coffee is here to save the day!
Cold brew coffee isn't just iced coffee, which tends to be quite watered down. Cold brew is a coffee brewing method of its own that has quite a few surprising benefits. If you're ready to cool down and caffeinate this may be just the thing for you.
One of the sweetest benefits of cold brew coffee is it's actually even more caffeinated than hot coffee. This is thanks to the long-brewing process, typically 14-24 hours. More caffeine than normal is extracted leading to a larger boost in your mug. This longer brewing process is also an awesome thing for those with sensitive stomachs. Cold brew coffee is much smoother and much less bitter, reducing acidity. Cold brew is a great way to enjoy certain roasts that may normally irritate your stomach, that way you never have to miss out on the wonderful array of coffee roasts and flavors available.
Cold-brew is also low maintenance. Unlike some coffee brewing methods, cold brew is very 'set it and forget it' and doesn't require the expensive machines or difficult techniques hot coffee often does. Iron Bean recently partnered with ASOBU and released some kick-ass portable cold brew machines. Not only do they look bad ass but they work amazingly well. The 34 oz carafe that comes with the ASOBU is vacuum insulated and will keep coffee cold or even hot for hours. Another great perk of cold brew is it will stay fresh and delicious for up to two weeks when refrigerated.
If you have snagged one of these awesome machines and haven't tested it out yet there's no better time than the present! I gave mine a whirl and the only downside is that I lack patience, that 14-24 hour wait will seem long, but I'm positive it will be worth the wait.
To get started you'll need to measure out 3 ounces of ground coffee. Coarse ground is best for the cold brew method. Also, measure and set aside 3 cups of cold filtered water.
Unscrew the lid of your ASOBU and leave the mesh in the carafe. Add a third of the ground coffee and then add a third of the water making sure all of the coffee grounds are wet. Repeat with the rest of the coffee, a third at a time.
Once completed twist on the lid and let it brew for 14-24 hours. Once brewing is finished hold down the button to drain the cold brew coffee into the insulated carafe. It's really such an easy brew method that will produce amazing results. A lot of benefit for very little effort.
I personally am more of a hot coffee person, even on these hot and humid summer days. I'm going to give my first batch of cold brew an honest try but I was still curious if I could enjoy this smooth cold brew flavor while also heating up my cup. I learned that just heating it up in the microwave won't produce satisfactory results but there is hope. To enjoy cold brew coffee in a hot form you will want to brew up a cold brew concentrate. To do so you would use the same amount of grounds as normal but only half of the water in your cold brew. After your initial brew time has lapsed you will then boil the other half of your water before adding it into the cold brew concentrate. I haven't tried this yet but I plan to, I can't wait to test the results.
Cold-brew gives us yet another way to experiment with and enjoy coffee. It's fun to mix it up at times and really see what Iron Bean roasts can do. I'm excited to taste the results!
