by Ben McCarthy
As the weather’s getting warmer, that piping hot cup of morning joe might begin to be a little too… well… hot. Coldbrew is all the rage these days. And the idea behind it is relatively simple: you grind coffee as coarsely as possible and let it sit in room temperature or cold water for 12-24 hours. This form of brewing forgoes hot water, which extracts many of coffee’s volatile organic compounds and can result in bitterness. For this reason, cold brew is smooth and chocolatey.
Yet despite its benefits, cold brew also lacks the flavor complexity of coffee that is brewed with hot water. For a refreshing, light, almost tea-like summer beverage, try brewing your coffee directly over ice. This method–often referred to as Japanese iced coffee (essentially coffee brewed with hot water directly over ice)–is the opposite of cold brew. It is lighter, juicier, and much more refreshing on a hot summer day.
The key is to use a ratio of ice and water so that your coffee does not come out too watery or too strong.
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Japanese style iced coffee: Ingredients
30g ground coffee
165g ice
335g hot water
Directions
- Place your ice in the brew vessel you are using (ie pour over, electric drip pot etc)
- Add your coffee to the filter and begin pouring water over the grounds.
- Finish when you have used all 335g of water. Brew time should be around 2:30 minutes.
- Swirl to make sure all ice is melted and enjoy. This recipe is great with or without milk.
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