Cold brew is now in season! Its unworldly combination of flavors and easy preparation has almost made it people’s favorite. But, something as simple as the type of coffee grind could affect the taste of your coffee. Imagine the disappointment of craving a glass of sweet and crisp cold brew coffee, but instead clogging your coffee machine and settling with a bitter, acidic flavor. For these reasons and more to come, it’s important to do a little research about the best coffee grind for cold brew. So what is the best coffee grind for cold brew?
The best coffee grind for cold brew is medium to coarse ground coffee. This size of ground maximizes the surface area of the coffee without giving the cold brew a sour or bitter flavor.
Get ready to learn about the science of cold brew!
All About The Brew
Cold brew is achieved when cold or room temperature water is used to prepare the coffee. Depending on the cold brew method, you could get your coffee fix after 5 to 6 hours, but it’s preferred to wait for 12 to 24 hours.
Author Note: Cold-brew coffee tastes smooth and sweet, with a lower acidity level and hints of toasted nuts and chocolate. For that reason, people who enjoy their coffee with milk or creamer will discover that they prefer their cold-brewed coffee black.
Moreover, cold brew won’t need as much sugar since the acidity and bitterness level is much lower. Not only that, but the temperature of your water could affect the taste too.
Don’t confuse cold brew with iced coffee, which is initially prepared with hot water, and has a distinct combination of flavors.
Cold Brew Methods
There are three main extraction techniques:
1. Cold Drip Method
This includes placing a water container above the coffee grounds. The container’s valve controls the drip speed of the water onto the coffee. The water drops travel through the grounds and end in the carafe, below the brewing device.
The drop-by-drop action gives enough time for only the caffeine to be extracted and nothing else. This method is considered relatively faster than the others since it presents more friction between the coffee grinds and the water.
The only downside to this technique is that drip machines are generally costly unless you decide to build your own.
2. Immersion Method
As simple as it sounds, this method involves immersing your coffee grounds in room temperature water for 12 to 24 hours. You could use a vessel, a mason jar or any covered glass container. This method allows the extracted coffee to be caffeinated with a smooth texture and a slightly nutty flavor.
Top Tip: This technique takes longer than the others, but it’s the simplest and most economical.
3. Hybrid Method
From its name, this method has the best of both worlds! It combines the cold drip and immersion techniques into one. This means faster and more delicious coffee.
The hybrid technology has a larger setup and is not very famous. Unfortunately, it’s not budget-friendly.
Pre-grounds vs. Whole Beans
Hear us out on this one. Coffee grounds conserve both money and time, but if you’re not planning on using the whole bag at once, you’ll be sacrificing a lot of the flavor.
On the other hand, whole beans carry generous flavors, but they can be expensive. Plus, you’ll need a grinder. Therefore, we recommend you buy a sufficient amount of pre-grounds that you’d need for a few days or a week.
Which Grind To Find?
To choose the best grind to suit your taste, we’ll help you get familiar with all the sizes first.
Extra Fine
Also known as Turkish Coffee. It’s an extra-fine grind with a thick powdery appearance. Turkish Coffee is rarely used in brewing techniques since it can form clumps if left to set with water. It requires a special grinder, otherwise, it would clog the filters. On another note, it presents an immaculate flavor!
Fine
This type is generally involved with making espresso coffee. Espresso is a global star because of its extraordinary flavor and strength. It could be used to make espresso brews.
Medium Fine
This grind is smaller than medium, but still able to deliver a rich taste sensation. It’s best handled by an Aeropress. The air pressure created by the machine will allow the coffee to seep through the filters without clogging.
Medium
This grind is known to be highly compatible. It works with siphon brewers, vacuum brewers, and flat bottom drip coffee makers to achieve the refreshing bright taste you’re aiming for.
Medium Coarse
Medium coarse grinds are best paired with pour-over brewing methods. The cafe solo brewer, clever dripper, and Chemex function best with this type to elevate your coffee to an irresistible level. These methods work well with medium coarse grinds because the filters clog up often.
Coarse
Coarse grinds are mainly involved in making percolators, french press coffee, and coffee cupping.
Percolators are outdated devices that utilize the slow drip method. They’re placed on stovetops to brew coffee. Using the immersion technique, french press brewing involves submerging coarse grind in hot water.
Author Note: Coffee cupping is basically grading coffee by tasting the different characteristics of a cup of coffee and taking notes of the findings.
Bottom line, the coarse grind is excellent for cold brew.
Extra Coarse
Extra coarse grinds are perfect for cold brew. They are larger in size and rougher in texture, which will provide a crisp, revitalizing flavor. Considering the long-brewing period, extra coarse grinds guarantee no left-over soot.
They’re also indicative of any errors done during brewing. If the extraction period was too short, the coffee would taste sour. If it’s too long, the coffee will taste bitter.
Best Coffee Grind For Cold Brew
Here are a few of the best cold brew grind products:
Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee
Let’s start with some Starbucks quality! This is the ideal product for busy cold brew lovers. It’s very easy to prepare. The box contains 12 packs. You can just immerse 2 packs in water for 12 to 24 hours, before indulging in a delicious cup of brew with chocolate notes.
This grind is a caffeinated medium-roast that’s known as ‘Signature Black’. Moreover, it’s budget-friendly and often runs out of stock. It’s the taste you know, love, and expect!
Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee
Bizzy’s grounds are the number one bestseller!
The best thing about Bizzy’s coarse grounds is the variety of flavors they provide. You can opt for the Dark & Bold pack if you like your coffee richer and slightly acidic, the Light & Bright for more fruity flavors, or the Smooth & Sweet for the ultimate cold brew experience.
This coffee grind is 100% organic, and it’s sourced from Guatemala, Peru, and Nicaragua. It’s specifically engineered for a cold brew which makes it suitable for all preparation methods, cold drip, immersion, and hybrid.
It’s well-priced too!
Grady’s Cold Brew Kit
Here is another type for the busy ones! Gary’s cold brew kit offers unsweetened and keto-friendly caffeine for those on certain diets. The kit is made up of the coffee packs and the storage pouch. All you have to do is simply pour water over the packs in the pouch and wait!
The pouch is reusable and can even tolerate hot water, which makes it great for hot brew too! This non-GMO grind is loved by many. it’s slightly pricey, but it’s not just ground coffee, it’s a kit.
Java House Cold Brew Coffee Pods
The special feature of this product is the single-serve liquid pods! The pods are in the form of concentrated coffee shots with a variety of flavors you could choose from. These flavors include Colombian, decaf, Ethiopian, Sumatran, coconut-caramel crunch, and vanilla-macadamia nut.
They’re perfect for the impatient ones since their method of preparation takes minutes! For cold brew, peel the pod cover, and pour over cold water. However, it’s preferred to have a coffee machine to use the pods for a hot brew.
Not only that, but this 100% Arabica coffee is separated in minimal doses which promise to conserve the freshness of your coffee.
It might be costly, but the pods are dual-use! You can make your own concentrate, store them in the pods, and save them for later.
Brew-ly Ever After
Choosing the right kind of coffee grind is the most important step of the whole cold brew process. If you follow a very meticulous procedure using the wrong kind of grind, an undesired flavor will be the outcome. Therefore, make sure to always opt for a coarse grind.
Moreover, water temperature and brewing time are key. Altering the water temperature and the waiting time will serve a completely different taste. Also, make sure to match a suitable preparation technique with the product you purchase, whether it may be in packs or pods.
Finally, we have a few tips for you!
Instead of adding ice cubes to your cold brew, fill your ice cube tray with cold brew and freeze it till solid. This way when the brew ice cubes melt, you are not diluting your coffee and wasting a ton of flavor.
Rather than adding creamer or milk to your already smooth and creamy brew, try adding a dash of cinnamon and cocoa powder to bring out the nutty hints in your coffee.
Enjoy your cold brew happily ever after, and thank us later!
Stay caffeinated friends!