How To Make Cold Brew Coffee? Things You Should Know About Cold Brew Coffee

Besides making coffee by filter, brewing machine, etc., making cold brew coffee is becoming more and more popular. Many people are also starting to make their own cold brew coffee at home for various of health benefits.

The article below that CHUS brings will be a guideline to help you make your own cold brew coffee, including its uses, how to make it, and notes when using it. 

What is cold brew coffee?

Cold brew coffee is coffee that is brewed with cold water for a long period of time, usually 6-24 hours. Thanks to this method, all the essence in the coffee will be completely extracted, which means the caffeine content in the coffee will also be higher than coffee brewed by normal methods. Cold brew coffee often has a rich, delicious flavor and is less acidic than regular coffee.

How to make cold brew coffee

Making cold brew coffee is not as complex as you thought. Below are the most basic steps to help you brew a delicious cup of cold brew coffee.

Preparation:

- 250g ground coffee of your choice (You can choose Robusta beans if you like the bitter taste, Arabica beans for a sour taste or Blended coffee beans which is ground coffee from both types of beans above)

Note: Ground coffee does not need to be too smooth

- 2 liters of cold water

- Coffee pot (or cup with lid and large capacity)

- Spoon

- Thin cloth or coffee filter paper

How to make cold brew coffee: 

- Add coffee and filtered water into the brew pot one at a time

- Use a spoon to mix the coffee with water, cover the pot. You can also use a thin towel to cover and keep the coffee soaked in cold water.

- Incubate coffee for about 6-24 hours.

Note: The longer the coffee is soaked, the more extract will be produced in the coffee, so the coffee will taste bitter and more sour.

- After brewing the coffee for the desired time, filter out the brewed coffee with a cloth/filter paper to get cold brew coffee.

Health benefits of cold brew coffee 

Cold brew coffee is not only a "savior" that helps you stay alert and focused quickly, but also has many health benefits.

Boosts morale and maintains alertness

It's not natural that coffee is often enjoyed in the morning or early afternoon - when your body feels most lethargic and sleepy. Caffeine in cold brew coffee will act as an "alarm clock" to awake all your senses, quickly eliminate your feeling of tiredness and sluggishness. From there, it helps you stay alert, enhance your ability to concentrate and energize effectively.

There are people who have two distinguished mood before and after they have their coffee. Well don’t blame them. It’s all because of caffeine!

Mood changer  

Besides the ability to help you stay awake and full of energy, this drink also helps you improve your mood and prevent depression.

In 2011, a Harvard study showed that women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were up to 20% less likely to develop depression than those who did not.

Another study of 370,000 people also showed that coffee drinkers had lower rates of depression, specifically 8% less for each cup of coffee consumed per day.

Enhance the body's metabolism

With high caffeine content, cold brew coffee will help boost the body's metabolism by up to 11%, thereby increasing the rate of fat burning in the body. The higher the metabolic rate, the higher the fat burning process. For those who want to lose weight and get fit, unsweetened cold brew coffee will be a very effective, healthy and diet-friendly drink.

Cold brew coffee also does not contain fat, bad cholesterol and is very low in calories, so you can safely enjoy this drink in your weight loss/eat clean diet. But remember not to add sugar or milk.

Reduce the risk of heart disease

Cold brew coffee offers potential benefits for heart health due to the presence of several key compounds. These include caffeine, phenolic compounds, trigonelline, magnesium, lignans, and quinides. These components act as active ingredients, contributing to increased insulin sensitivity, stabilized blood sugar levels, and reduced blood pressure. Studies suggest that daily consumption of 450-750 ml of coffee, which includes cold brew, may lower the risk of heart disease by up to 15% compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Furthermore, cold brew coffee contains chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and diterpenes. These elements act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, helping to prevent the harmful effects of free radicals in the body by reducing oxidation and inflammation.

Reduce the risk of diabetes

Cold brew coffee contains a powerful antioxidant called chlorogenic acid, which assists the body in slowing down glucose production. Additionally, moderate caffeine intake has been shown to contribute to lower glucose and fat cell production, potentially reducing the risk of developing diabetes and obesity.

Caution when drinking cold brew coffee 

Despite the tasty flavor and the ability to help you stay awake, coffee must be one of the most addictive beverages that people drink almost every day. However, there are some notes you might want to notice to fully enjoy a cup of coffee - especially with high-caffeine kind of drink as cold brew coffee. 

Consumption of coffee

Consuming a large amount of caffeine compared to the body's needs can easily lead to coffee drunk, increasing feelings of anxiety, restlessness and insomnia. Not to mention for people sensitive to caffeine, this condition also makes the heart beat faster, causing nausea and difficulty breathing.

You can see more at: Tips to quickly get away from coffee drunk

Coffee drinking time  

In the morning 

Human’s bodies naturally produce cortisol, a hormone that influences metabolism, the immune system, and alertness, shortly after waking up. This peak production typically occurs within 30-45 minutes.

While coffee contains caffeine, which can stimulate cortisol levels, consuming coffee immediately after waking up might not be necessary due to your body's natural cortisol production.

Therefore, for enhanced alertness and focus later in the morning, consider enjoying your coffee between 9 and 11 am. This aligns with the natural decline in cortisol levels, potentially allowing the caffeine to have a more pronounced effect.

Before exercising  

A cup of cold brew coffee before your work-out time will bring you energy, boost concentration ability and support to reduce joint pain after exercising. 

Conclusion 

With the information that CHUS has given out in the above article, hopefully you can make your own cold brew coffee - a delicious drink that is full of healthy benefits. Good luck!