Cold Brew Refreshing Coffee [topic: brewing]

Several times, people think of iced coffee but are not sure whether to think of it positively or not. Summer may be a time where cold brew seems inviting, yet in reality cold brew is a topic for the whole 12-month-period.

Cold-brewed coffee is not a recent invention. On the contrary, it was already something in mid 1990's when in Malta iced-coffee was also sold canned. But it is good to know that iced-coffee and cold brew coffee is actually not one and the same thing. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

ICED COFFEE

A normal hot brew poured over ice or refrigerated for an amount of hours before serving.

COLD BREW COFFEE

Coarsely ground coffee beans diffuse in room-temperature water for at least 12 hours. This concentrate is then mixed with either cold water or milk.

Due to the lengthy process that a proper cold brew takes to prepare, a good quality cold brew coffee is more expensive than the normal coffee. Also, a cafeteria that gives its coffee what it takes, would have a daily limited stock of cold brew, thus such a coffee would cost more simply because it is limited.

Some think and argue that cold brew has less or more caffeine.
Arguments for more: diffusion time is longer therefore, more caffeine.
Arguments for less: Hot brews release more caffeine.

In reality, both release the same amount of caffeine. The only difference for more caffeine for the cold brew comes in the mixing with water or milk i.e. ratio of water or milk as per cold brew concentrate.

COLD BREW AT HOME? Not an issue. All you need is a proper coffee bean grinder and a dose of patience. Pay attention however. Do not have more cold brew than you would consume in a maximum of 24 hours. After that, the freshness of the cold brew will suffer a steep decline.

Stay tuned! In the mean time, keep spreading the love for the BEAN!