What’s so Great About Cold Brew Coffee?

There is a 90% chance you have heard about cold brew coffee, even if you aren’t a hardcore coffee drinker. Maybe you’ve seen it advertised on TV or seen it offered at your local coffee shop. Maybe you’ve passed by the special cold brew pitcher packs in the coffee aisle, or maybe you’re like me and you’re in the process of trying to create a good cold brew at home after trying this deliciously refreshing caffeine.

However you know about cold brew, it’s clear that it’s becoming extremely popular. But why? I mean iced coffee has been a thing for years and it doesn’t take forever to make. Just brew some super strong hot coffee over ice and Voila! So why go through the extra work of cold brew?

In my search for the perfect cold brew recipe, here’s what I’ve discovered not just about making cold brew, but about why it’s worth it and why it has become so popular.

So let’s start with the basics: What is cold brew exactly and how is it different from iced coffee? As we mentioned before, iced coffee is hot coffee that’s just brewed over ice, or maybe chilled in the fridge. Cold brew is made with absolutely no heat at all. it is brewed in cold water. While most coffee is brewed rapidly by exposure to heat, cold brew coffee is steeped over a long period of time, traditionally 12-24 hours. This makes the taste completely different. Why is the taste so different? Prepare for me to try and get science-y. As we know, heat breaks down oils. Now I’m not so overly science-y that I can name the specific oils in coffee, but there is an oil responsible for much of the acidity in coffee. Because this particular oil cannot be broken down without heat, cold brew is about 60% less acidic than coffee brewed with heat.

There are benefits to switching to low acid cold brew other than just taste. I know some people that are unable to drink coffee because the acidity messes with their stomach. I’m fortunately not one of these people, but I remember a time when I had a stomach issue and it was suggested that coffee could cause certain stomach issues. Thank goodness coffee wasn’t the culprit, but I remember thinking that if I had to give up coffee, I’d probably have to give up talking in complete sentences and wearing pants in public. A lot of the people that are unable to drink regular coffee find that cold brew is a fantastic alternative since the acids that bother them aren’t strong enough to cause disruption. Of course if you are a person who can’t have coffee because of the acidity, don’t take my word on this and go trying cold brew without consulting with your doctor first. I may be working to become a coffee expert, but since I don’t ever plan on quitting raw cookie dough, I’ll never be anywhere near a health expert.

If you find you like the non acidic taste of cold brew better, but you’re in the mood for hot coffee, you can even heat cold brew and maintain that smooth taste. You’re not supposed to microwave regular coffee if it gets too cold because microwaving it can mess with the taste, but can you microwave cold brew since its chemically different from regular coffee? The jury is still out on this so you might just have to try it and see for yourself if you like it, but there are other ways of heating cold brew. One of the best ideas is to make a super strong cold brew concentrate and add water or milk to your desired strength. If you make the concentrate strong enough, you can use 1/2c. of concentrate and 1c. of hot water or milk to make a steamy and low acidic brew.

Most coffee shops, from chains to little local ones, have their own cold brew now so you can try it out pretty easily. There are tons of recipes on the internet for making your own cold brew at home and there are also convenient pitcher packs sold in the grocery aisle. There are even bottles and cans of pre-made cold brew available in most of your grocery stores now days.

I am currently working on a blog post for my own personal cold brew recipe, but in the meantime, I have a few recommendations for you. I live in an area where the closest coffee shop is a 25 minute drive and the closest coffee chain is about 35 minutes, so I don’t have a lot of coffee shop recommendations for you, but I do have a couple grocery store finds that definitely deserve a shout out.

My personal favorite cold brew ever is Stok. I have tried cold brew at small local coffee shops and a couple chains and I’ve also tried a couple other highly praised bottled brands and quite a few pitcher packs, but Stok is truly my favorite. To me, there is no better cold brew out there than this. I feel like I should be saying the best cold brew I ever had came from some fancy craft coffee shop, but I just can’t. This is my go-to, and when I try a new cold brew, I find myself comparing it to this.

My second favorite is Grady’s cold brew that comes in pitcher packs. I am obsessed with chicory coffee and this is the only cold brew I’ve found so far with chicory. It doesn’t disappoint. It’s sweet and smooth and I find myself buying it fairly often. I have made it several different ways, including brewing it hot in a coffee maker, and it has been awesome every time. There is just something about chicory with coffee that kicks it up a notch for my taste buds. Definitely give this a try if you like coffee that is rich and still smooth.

Thanks for reading my little lesson on cold brew and its wonders and stay tuned for a post in the near future about my personal cold brew recipe!