6 Basic Understanding of Hot Brew And Cold Brew Coffee

Most people drink coffee in the morning to keep themselves awake all day. You may have noticed that everyone just comes into the office with a cup of coffee in their hands always and I am sure you are one of them!!! Some people even drink their coffee twice per day to stay productive. There is also a method that you can just spend your money on only one cup of coffee to stay awake all day long as well by boosting your morning coffee. This way, you can save your money every day, too!!! If you are interested in a hot brew or cold brew coffee, this article will be the answer. You will find a lot of interesting facts about these two types of coffee that may shock you.

What Is Hot Brew Coffee?

Hot brew coffee is one of the most famous methods of all. It is always comfortable to have a hot coffee on a rainy day, isn’t it? Hot brew coffee is the first method to create other types of coffee as well such as espresso, cappuccino, and other coffee drinks which are made and served at coffee shops. We can say that hot brewed coffee is the main key to creating various tasty drinks.

Hot brew coffee is preferred by most baristas and coffee lovers because of its scent. The freshly brewed coffee tends to create a kind of aroma that enlightens your mood and awakens you once the scent touches your nose. This is also one of the reasons why people prefer to go to the coffee shop to get and drink their favorite cup of coffee as well.

History Of Hot Brew Coffee

We will go on a fairy tale so let’s grab a cup of coffee, sit down, and enjoy!!! Coffee originated in Ethiopia. Then, it was gradually discovered in Africa and it went to Europe. There are a few stories about the coffee as well.

The first story is in Ethiopia. There was a man named Kaldi in 700AD who had his goats along with him. He suddenly noticed strange behavior from his goats- they were dancing after eating the red berries. Then, he gave those red berries to a monk who was finding a way to keep himself awake while praying.

However, there was another story that Kaldi shared those red berries with a monk but he did not believe it. The monk just threw the red berries into a fire. After a few seconds, the aroma scent hit their noses and that is how the roasted coffee was invented. After what happened, the coffee beans are grounded and boiled to produce a cup of roasted berries beans, or what we have known, a cup of coffee.

How To Make A Hot Brew Coffee

The recipe is quite simple. Making a cup of hot brew coffee is as easy as pie because you can do it yourself at home. Hot brew coffee can be made with a coffee maker or made traditionally. However, you still need to buy a ground coffee powder to fasten the process as well. If you prefer a strong aroma, you may need to buy a coffee grinder to produce a perfect cup of coffee.

First, start with your coffee choice. The choice of yours depends on your preference and what kind of coffee you would like. Then, grab a filter and place it on the top of your coffee cup. This filter can be thick or thin or you can use paper filters as well. If you do not have any of these, a clean piece of clothes works just fine.

After you have your filter, rinse it with hot water and toss the rinsing water. Then, pour your coffee for each cup you would like to make by measuring it with a tablespoon. Grind your coffee then wet it with a little water and wait for at least 30 seconds. Pour hot water over a 30-second duration then pour the rest in.

If your coffee is too sour, you can reduce the amount of coffee as well. You can add other ingredients such as cream, milk, or sugar to make various hot drinks, too.

What Is A Cold Brew Coffee?

Now let’s move on to another type which is cold brew coffee. You may think that cold brew coffee is just iced coffee. Well, it is not that cold as ice. The method is quite different and unique as well that you should give this a try.

A cup of cold brew coffee gives a unique taste and aroma that you will be asking for more. However, it may take lots of hours to actually produce a cup of it but it is worth waiting!!!

A cold brew coffee is mostly homemade for those who prefer a different flavor of the coffee. The recipe is so simple and suitable for those who love sweetness, refreshing, and smoothness in their cups.

Just like hot brew coffee, you may need to choose good coffee beans depending on your preference. If you are interested in the whole process of how to make coffee, you can check out our article about the coffee beans from the seeds to cups as well.

History Of Cold Brew Coffee

You may think that cold brew coffee may be discovered in the modern day. Surprisingly, a cold brew coffee was discovered in the 1600s. This brewing technique was quite popular back then and it was started in Kyoto, Japan.

It was believed that during the Japan-Dutch trading era, Dutch used the cold brew method to store the coffee for a long period of time on their ships and to produce a cup of coffee with high caffeine. Then, Dutch transferred this knowledge to Kyoto which resulted in Kyoto-style cold brew coffee.

Time passed by, cold-brewed coffee was spread to Europe, Asia, and America in the 1800s. The cold brew coffee was served to soldiers because of its high caffeine level contained per single cup. Until now, cold brew coffee is still popular among people who concentrate on a high level of caffeine intake.

How To Make A Cold Brew Coffee

A cold brew coffee can be handmade or machine-made. Both recipes are quite simple so you can give it a try. The most important thing to remember is your coffee should be roasted and grounded in advance. Now let’s jump to the recipe !!!

First, you need a roasted and grounded coffee type. Perhaps if you already have a cold brew coffee machine, you just need to put it in and wait for it for up to 12-24 hours. If you are looking for one, here is a list of the best cold brew machine that you can choose from.

But if you do not have a cold brew maker, do not worry, you can make it yourself at home as well. You may need to put both ingredients in a container that has a lid on it.

First, grab your favorite coffee around 100 grams which is roasted and grounded, then pour 800 grams of water and give it a good stir. Close the lid and wait up to 12 hours. The jar can be placed inside or outside of the fridge overnight. Next morning, you just need to strain it with a strainer or a clean piece of clothes and voila!!! You can also add milk, cream, or sugars for flavor.

The 6 Similarities Between A Hot Brew Coffee And Cold Brew Coffee

Types of coffee

Both hot brew coffee and cold brew coffee are known to be quite popular in the modern day. To make a cup of hot or cold brew, you do not need any specific types of coffee to make, generally speaking, any types or brands will do the trick!!!

These two are quite convenient for those people who are not up to spending time and money on various coffee brands to make different types of coffee. You can just choose your favorite and make any kinds of drinks you would like.

Range of roasts

As mentioned earlier, both recipes need a roasted kind of coffee. You just need to choose your favorite kind then roast it from light to dark depending on your taste whether you prefer light coffee or dark coffee.

The degree of roasted coffee depends on your own taste and both coffee recipes do not require any specific level. So you can just choose one that you like and that’s it!!!

Grounded texture

Both recipes require you to ground your coffee before making it. It is recommended that your coffee beans should be roasted and grounded to medium texture in order to make it easier to strain with a strainer or a clean piece of clothes. The texture of your grounded coffee does make a different taste in your cup as well.

Two methods to make each cup

It is quite convenient for people who like both cold brew and hot brew coffee that they can make it themselves at home. However, these two methods need two different types of coffee makers, a cold brew coffee maker and a hot brew coffee maker, that make your life easier.

If you do not want to spend any money, you can make it yourself as well and the ingredients that you need are coffee, strainer, water, and a cup.

Additional ingredients can be added

These two recipes are the first step to make various coffee types. After the coffee is made, you can add flavors into it such as adding milk, condensed milk, sugar, vanilla, caramels, and other sweeteners to differentiate your coffee. If you are up to try different tastes, you can have fun with your hot or cold brew coffee by creating your own recipe from it, too.

Can be served cold and cold

If you ask “can cold brew be heated and can hot brew be served cold?”, the answers are yes!!! Your cup of cold brew coffee can be heated to produce a hot coffee or an espresso as well if you prefer to drink it neat.

Your hot brew coffee can be added to produce iced coffee, too. Both recipes are quite flexible so you do not have to worry if you change your mind while you are making it.

The 6 Differences Between A Hot Brew Coffee And Cold Brew Coffee

Level of acidity

It is known that hot brew coffee has a higher level of acidity that may not be appealing to those people who have a high digestive issue. Hot brew coffee requires less time to be made with hot water which is why it tastes bitter. The hot water also brings out the chlorogenic acid way better than cold water.

Cold brew coffee has a lower level of acidity because of the cold water that is made to make one. The cool temperature releases less chlorogenic acid and makes the taste less bitter to consume. However, the acid in coffee may not be noticeable to some people.

Level of antioxidants

If we dig deep into the chemistry level of both coffee, the antioxidant level and acidity level are the main factors that differentiate them. The antioxidant in coffee is known to be one of the benefits of consuming coffee regularly. However, the way of brewing it may cause a change in its level. Hot brew coffee has a higher level of antioxidants compared to cold brew. Because of the method that hot brew coffee is made with hot water, the heat helps to release more of it. It sounds like good news to hot coffee drinkers, doesn’t it?

For cold brew coffee lovers, the benefit from less acidity and antioxidants is you can enjoy your cup of coffee without worrying whether it would upset your stomach. But if your stomach is fine with a higher level, it may not make any big difference if you consume your coffee every day.

Change in taste

Because of the different methods of these two, the taste can be changed dramatically. Hot brew coffee has a strong aroma that wakes you up early in the morning and a bitter taste that keeps you warm. It has a gentle sweetness and acidity that you can taste with a hint of bitterness from the roasted, grounded coffee. It has a smoother and richer flavor also. However, the taste will quickly disappear while you are finishing it at the bottom of your cup.

A cup of cold brew coffee is way milder with sweetness suitable for those who prefer this taste. The bitterness is not so different at all but the sweetness tends to reduce it. Cold brew coffee has a gentle aroma as the same as the taste itself. If you love black coffee, you should try cold brew coffee at least once!!!

The amount of caffeine

Surprisingly, both hot brew and cold brew coffee are not so different in terms of the amount of caffeine. It is known that hot brew coffee contains a little bit higher caffeine than cold brew coffee. Hence, you still can enjoy both ways without worrying if which type keeps you awake less. However, if you cannot consume a high level of caffeine, you can switch to decaf coffee and it works wonders.

Caffeine level

You may wonder how these two can be different in terms of caffeine level if they are made from the same beans??? Well, this topic has been a hot debate among coffee drinkers as well. If you make a cold brew and a hot brew from the same beans, you may notice a slight difference in taste because of the duration of making and the temperature of the water.

If you are a cold brew coffee drinker, you may think a hot brew coffee contains more caffeine than a cold brew and vice versa. It actually does make a difference in the level of caffeine but it is not a big gap. It is known that a cup of cold brew coffee contains more caffeine in fewer ounces. For example, 10 ounces of cold brew coffee contains 200-319g of caffeine and 16 ounces of hot brew coffee contains approximately 326g of caffeine.

Versatility

If we talk about versatility, cold brew coffee will win the battle. Even though these two types can create various drinks, cold brew coffee is easier to make because of its temperature. For example, if you want to make a latte with a cold brew coffee, you do not have to worry about adding ice to water down the flavor at all !!!

Conclusion

Both hot brew coffee and cold brew coffee are quite well-known among coffee drinkers. Even though both of them deliver different tastes, people tend to switch from one to one depending on their preference. But still hot brew coffee can be found just everywhere. Especially at the coffee shop in your area because it is faster to be made. If you concentrate on the level of acidity, you may prefer a cold brew coffee.

These two types of coffee can be homemade and machine-made as well. The recipes are quite simple and you can always make yourself a cup and enjoy your day. You can create your cup of coffee by adding other ingredients as well such as milk, frosted milk, sugar, and other sweeteners. So which one do you like??? How about making 2 cups of each recipe and drinking them at once??? That sounds like the best choice!!!!

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