August 22, 2004

Cold Brewing Coffee

My coffee is cold [MSNBC]: "I can serve hot or cold coffee at the same time, and I can serve a large group without standing in the kitchen for a good 30 minutes pouring hot water through a drip filter." - Kristin Yamaguchi

Think of brewing coffee and what do you think of? Usually it's some combination of coffee grounds, and bubbling hot boiling water. Intuitively, it seems as if hot water is necessary to the coffee brewing process. Even the dictionary entry for the word "brew" contains the word "boiling," although the definition does not indicate that it is required.

Now comes the idea of cold-brewing coffee, which, according to its proponents, preserves the full flavor of coffee, while reducing the acidity and caffeine content.

This seems to fly in the face of the opinions of many a coffee connoisseur, who maintain that precise temperature regulation of approx. 200 deg. F is the optimal water temperature with which to brew coffee.

To my knowledge I have not tasted a cold-brewed cup of coffee, nor am I obsessive about water temperature in the hot-brew method. But if a cold-brew concentrate can remain stable for up to a week after the brew, it might be something worth looking into.

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