7 Important Tips For Better Cold Brew Coffee-The Coffee Arsenal

So, are you looking for some tips for making cold brew coffee?

In this comprehensive guide, you will find everything you need to know for making a really good cold brew coffee.

Also, at the end of the guide, we will recommend to you several cold brew coffee makers that you can buy to make this whole process simpler.

Let’s get into it.

Cold Brew Coffee vs Iced Coffee

The first thing that you gotta know are the differences between cold brew coffee and iced coffee.

Why? Because a lot of people tend to confuse these two methods and they are pretty different in almost every aspect. The only thing that they have in common is that they are both cold.

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is a preparation method where you have to steep your coffee in cold water for at least 12 to 24 hours.

You can buy pre-made options at grocery stores, but you gotta be careful since they tend to add flavors and additives that alter the original flavor of cold brew coffee.

There are a lot of tools and brewers to make cold brew coffee so you need to try and research what would be your preferred method.

What is Iced Coffee?

Iced coffee is a regular coffee with some ice on it. To make it, you just have to make a cup of coffee, cool it down, and add ice.

As cold brew coffee. You can buy pre-made iced coffee at grocery stores.

Very simple right?

7 Tips for Making a Better Cold Brew Coffee

Let’s move to the most important section of this article. Here you have 7 tips for making cold brew coffee.

#1 Use the Right Coffee Beans

For making cold brew coffee, you can use any type of good quality coffee beans.

Some people prefer to use coffee grounds that are getting old for their cold brew coffee. This recommendation comes from people who do not like cold brew coffee very much and who want to save some money on coffee beans.

On the other hand, people who like cold brew coffee recommend using sweet, fruity, natural processed Ethiopian beans, and natural processed Indonesian coffee beans.

But, as I said, you can try any type of coffee and test which one you like more.

#2 Use the Proper Grind Size

For cold brew coffee, you need to use coarse grounds, they have a texture similar to coarse sugar.

You need to use this grind size because it allows the optimal extraction so your coffee won’t taste bitter.

#3 Use Good Quality Filtered Water

Water is essential when it comes to any kind of coffee.

If you use bad quality or stinky water it will hugely affect the flavor of the final coffee cup.

So, it is very important for you to use good quality filtered water. You can either buy it or get it from a direct pump with a filter.

#4 Find the Right Coffee-Water Ratio

There are two main coffee-water ratio principles when making cold brew coffee.

1. Ready-to-drink: 1:15 brew ratio (40 grams of coffee to 600 ml of cold water).
2. The concentrate: 1:6 brew ratio (100 grams of coffee to 600 ml of hot water).

Ideally, you would want to test these two methods and find out which one you like more.

#5 Learn to Strain it Properly

Straining properly your coffee is essential and can hugely affect the final result.

You need to strain your coffee slowly, making soft circles with the water. You can also use a spoon to gently move your beans while the water is being strained through your coffee.

If you don’t do this properly you will get a bitter-non-tasty coffee.

#6 Dilute It to Your Taste

Depending on the brewing method that you used to make your cold brew, it could be thicker or thinner.

If your cold-brew coffee has resulted to be thicker, you just need to add some water to adjust the flavor to your tasting.

#7 Find Your Prefered Coffee Maker

There are many ways to make cold-brew coffee.

Here you have some examples:

• Hario 'Mizudashi' Cold Brew Coffee Pot
• Ovalware Rj3 Cold Brew Coffee Maker
• Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Let’s talk a little more about them:

Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Pot

The beauty of cold brew coffee shines through in this device, which falls at the intersection of function, style, and convenience. This system couldn't be easier to use.

There are, of course, simple but precise instructions with helpful graphics, but if you're crazier with your coffee, just fill the filter with ground coffee at the top of the mesh, put the filter back in the carafe, and slowly pour the filtered water over the coffee until the carafe is full (even with a slow pour, this process takes perhaps 60-90 seconds).

There is a mark on the filter that lines up with a mark on the spout of the carafe before you put the lid on to prevent the filter from coming out when you take the lid off.

Once you put the lid on, put everything in the fridge and wait 12 hours or so.

After waiting for some time, you will have 1 liter of magic liquid: roasty, chocolatey, nutty, slightly smoky but smoother than any coffee you’ve ever tasted.

All the benefits of cold brew come through this compact brewing system.

From the opening of the box on, design lovers will appreciate the tall, slim carafe, which could be proudly displayed on any table and fits discreetly on kitchen counters or inside most cabinets. The strainer is constructed of a lightweight plastic mesh.

The lid and handle are made of durable plastic that unscrews easily for cleaning. A plastic lid secures the filter and once the filter is removed after brewing, the remaining liquid is in the pitcher.

And cleaning is easy, thanks to the mesh filter bottom that unscrews for easy pouring of used grounds.

This carafe produced consistently robust coffee and looked great (in one of three colors, black, brown, and red).

Ovalware Rj3 Cold Brew Maker

Equally aesthetically pleasing, and perhaps even easier to use, is Ovalware's Cold Brew airtight coffee maker and tea infuser with spout.

This device is perfect for cold brewing for one or two, as it produces 1 liter (or about 4 cups) of delicious, smooth coffee.

It works by using an insertable metal filter that you simply fill with coffee to the top, then slowly pour in water until you reach the "MAX" line clearly marked on the thick glass carafe.

The filter is secured at the top by a rubber ring that seals it in place; the metal lid also has a rubber ring to seal the entire carafe during brewing and storage, and a third rubber ring fits around the bottom of the glass carafe to prevent breakage and slippage during use.

The combination of glass, metal, and rubber feels good in the hands.

The RJ3 is designed in a conical shape, which makes it feel more like a coffee brewing device. The carafe is clearly marked in cup and milliliter sizes.

Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker

This coffee maker is low-tech and intuitive, and it's quite portable.

The Takeya carafe and lid are made of solid plastic, and the filter is made of mesh and plastic, which means it's durable and practically unbreakable.

The brewing mechanism is the same as the other two winners: fill the filter with coffee, add water to the carafe, screw on the lid, sit quietly for a few hours, and you're done.

The instructions for this specific call for the user to shake the carafe a few times during brewing to stir and activate the beans and water (stirring or otherwise stirring the coffee is a good idea, no matter which cold brewer you're using).

The lid is surprisingly secure, so there are no leaks during stirring. The carafe is large and tall - it makes 1.8 liters, or 1.9 quarts, of cold brew - but the user is encouraged to put it on its side in the refrigerator during brewing.

Its minimalist design makes it feel more sophisticated; however, because there are no measuring marks on the carafe, the brewing experience isn't as precise as with the other models we tested.

If you're brewing less than 2 liters, you'll need to measure both coffee and water, but if you're brewing the maximum amount, just add the coffee and water up to the top. As easy as filling a Brita water pitcher: just stop when it's about to overflow.

Final Words: Tips for Making the Best Cold Brew Coffee

Hope all of these tips for making cold brew coffee will help you a lot through your coffee-making journey.

Remember that the most important thing is to adjust all of these tips to your personal needs. You need to find the right coffee beans for you.

Do you like Colombian coffee or Ethiopian coffee? The choice is yours!

Also, I strongly recommend you to buy a cold brew coffee maker since it makes things really simple. If you buy a good quality one it will last years with you.