Nowadays several people around the world consume coffee many times during the day. Generally, it is considered a hot beverage but not anymore. The trend of cold brew is picking up pace.
Traditionally when we mention coffee a hot drink comes to mind but due to an ever-changing hectic lifestyle, cold brew has become quite an order of the day. Now the question arises what is the difference between hot coffee and cold brew?
Difference between hot coffee and cold brew
To make a cup of hot coffee, hot water is used to extract the taste and caffeine from the coffee ground, whereas for cold coffee, coffee beans are soaked for 12-24 hours to bring out the desired flavor. Since the beans are steeped in water than being roasted which gives a less bitter taste.
Benefits of Cold Coffee
Cold coffee is not just about flavor or taste but according to researchers, it is also packed with several health benefits.
Some of the benefits are listed below.
Extra caffeine
It gives an extra kick of caffeine as cold brew has a water ratio of 1:60 in comparison to the usual drip coffee ratio of 1:20. Extra caffeine reduces depression, enhances brain function, and improves mood.
Weight reducer
The high caffeine content does not only give an extra kick but as it increases metabolic rate, so it also helps in weight reduction.
Heart health
Several compounds are packed in a cold brew coffee like caffeine, magnesium, and chlorogenic acids which can help in lowering the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke up to 15%.
Lesser acid reflux
Since the acidity in the cold brew is 50-70% less than hot brews hence it is milder on the stomach and does not cause heartburn or acidity. Thus, the unfavorable symptoms of digestive and acid reflux symptoms do not appear.
Brain health
Nervous system and brain functions can not only be stimulated but can be protected from age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Consuming 3-5 cups per day lowers such risks by 65%.
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Top 7 best coffees for cold brew
There are a lot of coffee types and brands in the market. Now it is a fact that cold brew coffee is not only the trend of the day but at the same time packed with a lot of benefits that many other caffeinated drinks do not offer. Instead, they have many adverse and negative impacts.
To save you from the confusion for hunting for the right coffee for your cold brew we will list below the top 7 cold brew coffee brands.
Stone Street Cold Brew Reserve
Stone Street is based in Brooklyn, NY since 2009. This company sources beans from the best coffee farms and growing regions. The company is an artisanal coffee roaster, they pride on ethical and intimate sourcing relationship with local farms.
Product features
Let us look into the features of the above-mentioned cold brew coffee.
Bean Origins
The beans are sourced from the best coffee farms and growing regions. For Cold Brew, the company is using Colombian Supremo beans. Which are rated as one of the finest coffee beans in the market and are widely used.
Dark Roasted
Stone Street offers dark roasted coffee beans for cold brewing. Dark roasted coffee beans are roasted at higher temperatures for a longer time, this way the beans lose more moisture. The coffee beans are more single note in flavor, are less in caffeine.
Flavor Qualities
The coffee beans are coarse ground are dark roasted. This process ensures that the coffee ground is low in acidity, slightly sweet, smooth with a strong bold coffee flavor. Dark roasted coffee beans are heated to attain the second crack and the oils appear, giving it a shiny look. It also reduced acidity levels.
Packaging
The product is packed in stand-up pouch packaging. The bag is a three-layered Natural Kraft bag that also has a one-way de-gassing valve. The valve ensures the retention of aroma and freshness. The pouch is also resealable. Such packing is easy to carry and store.
Product size and weight
This product comes in 3 sizes, 1lb, 2lb, or 5lb which are either coarse ground beans or whole beans. So, the consumer can buy the pack which fulfills the need.
Koffee Kult Colombia Huila Coffee Beans
A family-owned artisanal coffee roaster company. The company is based in Hollywood, FL, and has an environmentally friendly multi-roaster facility. The coffee roasters can work on 2, 24, and 70 kilos of coffee beans to roast the best blends.
Product Features
Let us explore the features of the cold brew coffee mentioned above.
Colombian Beans
The beans are sourced from Huila high mountain regions in Colombia. The beans are rich, smooth, and full-bodied coffee beans. The coffee beans are roasted in small batches and undergo a profiling process. The profiling process ensures all batches are alike.
Roast Level
The Huila Colombian coffee beans are roasted to a medium level. This kind of roasting gives a chocolatey aroma, medium acidity, and a clean sugary finish. Medium acidity ensures that you still get a good kick from the brew.
Packaging
The beans are roasted just before being packed in airtight resealable bags. This ensures that the freshness and aroma stay locked in the beans. The resealable bags allow you to store and use the coffee again and again and not worry about its freshness.
Harvesting
The coffee is organically grown and is roasted in environment-friendly roasting machines. This gives the coffee lovers a pure natural taste and aroma. Organically grown coffee ensures a healthy planet and sustainable ways of farming.
Socially Responsible
This company is supporting farms that use organic farming methods. The Koffee Kult deals with farms that pay women directly and equally. Hence the coffee is sourced from farms that deploy sustainable farming methods and are ensuring gender equality.
Check This: 10 Best Espresso Coffee Beans
Olde Brooklyn Coffee French Roast
The coffee company is based in Brooklyn, NY. The coffee is sourced from different farms from Colombia, Guatemala, and Brazil. The coffee is handpicked and sent to Brooklyn for sorting and roasting. Roasted coffee beans are packed in air-tight, sealed bags with a valve.
Features
Let us dive into the features of the Olde Brooklyn Coffee French Roast.
Handpicked
The coffee beans are sourced from farms located in three different countries. The beans are handpicked and sent to the roastery for roasting. Coffee is grown and sourced from Guatemala, Colombia, and Brazil. Handpicking ensures that coffee is sorted from harvesting till roasting thus adding more to quality.
Packaging
The coffee is packed in air-tight packing. The Packaging is packed in sealed bags with valves to maintain the freshness and aroma. This packing is handy for transporting and storing the coffee for longer times.
Package size
The product comes in 3 sizes which are 2lb, 2lb (pack of 2), and 5lb pack. These are air-tight bags that are sealed to keep the freshness and aroma intact. Giving more options to buyers to fulfill their needs.
Roast level
Olde Brooklyn coffee beans are dark roasted which gives a French roast flavor. Since the coffee is not ground so the consumer can grind it to one’s choice and enjoy it. The coffee is ideal for cold brewing.
Flavor and aroma
The Olde Brooklyn coffee beans are dark roasted so the flavor is French Roast. Dark-roast coffees are also known as a French roast. The beans are roasted to a temperature of 475-degree Fahrenheit. This roasting brings an oily shine, gives a bitter taste and smokey aroma.
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Kicking Horse Coffee, Smart Ass, Medium Roast, Whole Bean,
The company is based in Rocky Mountain town of Inver mere, B.C., Canada. Elena Rosenfeld and Leo Johnson started the company in 1996.
Kicking Horse Coffee is fair trade and 100% organic certified.
Product Features
Let us look into detail the features of the Kicking horse coffee.
Bean Origins
Kicking Horse Coffee is sourcing coffee beans from Africa, Central, and South America. The beans are grown in sustainable ways and on planet-friendly farms. Which ensure a healthy product, healthy planet, and content conscience.
Roasting Level
The beans are roasted to a medium level. Coffee beans which are categorized as medium roast are roasted to an internal temperature of 400degree F, and between the first crack and second crack. Coffee has a balanced flavor with a mild bitterness in comparison to light roast.
Flavor Qualities
The coffee beans are balanced in flavor. The caffeine amount is also medium. The color is also lighter than Dark roast yet darker than light roast. The oil is not visible on the surface.
Packaging
The product is available in 2.2lbs packing and 10-ounce packing. The packs are sealed for freshness and aroma.
Read More: Difference Between Dark Roast And Medium Roast
Kenya Peaberry Coffee, Whole Bean, Gourmet Coffee Beans
A family-owned business based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Volcanica Coffee Company was founded in 2004. This company is also offering organically grown, rainforest alliance certified and fair-trade certified coffee.
Product Features
Now we will discuss the product features of Kenya Peaberry Coffee below.
Bean origins
The beans are sourced from Kenya and are well-known coffee among Kenyan coffees. The coffee bean is Kenya Peaberry which is complex in flavors. It constitutes only 5% of the coffee bean crop. It has sharp acidity and berry, citrus flavor.
Roasting Level
The Kenya Peaberry coffee beans are medium roasted which gives a unique flavor. The medium roasting gives it sharp acidity and also gives a taste of black currants.
Flavor Qualities
The flavor of the Kenya Peaberry is complex and gives a fruity flavor. The flavors are acidity rich with a delightful aroma. It also has berry and citrus undertones. Due to the wet processing of coffee fruit just after harvesting the coffee remains high in acidity. Kenyan coffees are famous for their acidity.
Harvesting
The coffee is harvested in Africa and the company is certified for rain forest alliance, organic growth, and fair trade. This makes the product more planet and environmentally friendly.
Packaging
The product comes in air-tight packing of 1lb. The air-tight packing ensures the freshness and aroma retention of the coffee beans. Although more can be offered in terms of packaging.
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Java Planet – Guatemalan Gourmet Organic Coffee Beans, Medium Roast
The Java Planet Organic Coffee Roasters, Inc. is based in Tampa, Florida. The company is founded by Jennifer and Mike Simmons. Java Planet started in 2009 and is a planet-friendly company. The company is Organic, Rain Forest Alliance, Bird Friendly, and Fair Trade certified.
Product Features
Let us look into the features of the Java Planet Organic Coffee.
Beans Origins
The coffee beans originate from the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. Beans are organically grown and are Smithsonian Bird-Friendly certified. Java Planet coffee is shade-grown under banana trees and guava plantain. This kind of cultivation gives it unique flavors.
Roasting Levels
The Java Planet Coffee beans are medium roasted. The medium roasting brings out its unique flavors which give coffee its fruit undertones. Medium roast is also known as City Roast or Breakfast Roast because they are roasted between the first and second crack. The roasting temperatures can peak at 428degree F.
Flavor Qualities
Since this single-origin coffee is specially grown under the shades of trees like Guava Plantain and Banana this gives it a fruit undertone and interestingly it carries the notes of caramel and chocolate as well. It has medium-level acidity packed with a punch.
Harvesting
This coffee comes with Smithsonian Bird Friendly Certification as it is 100% organic, so no pesticides, chemicals, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are used while it is being harvested. As it is grown at high altitudes that is why it contains all the beneficial natural antioxidants.
Packaging
It comes in three types of packaging, that 1lb, 1lb (pack of 2), and 5lb pack. It is also packed fresh after roasting in air-tight pouches.
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Hugo Coffee Ground Dog Daze Cold Brew Coffee
This company was founded by Claudia McMullin and is based in Park City Utah. Hugo Coffee has a mission to save dogs and donate to animal rescue organizations. This company is collaborating with PepsiCo, Stacey’s Rise Project, and FritoLay.
Product Features
Let us look into the features of the Hugo Coffee Ground Dog Daze.
Bean Origin
Hugo Coffee is sourcing its coffee beans from Central Africa. The beans are roasted on natural gas and infrared heat. Thus, the process environmentally friendly as it consumes less energy in comparison to traditional roasters. Giving a very consistent and uniform result.
Roasting Level
The coffee beans are dark roasted which brings a unique blend of tannic acidity and rich flavor. Coffee beans are roasted past the second crack in dark roasting reaching a roasting peak of 475degree F. Dark roast is also known as a French roast.
Flavor Qualities
The dark roasting ensures that oils are pulled out on the surface from inside. Giving the coffee beans a shine. The African coffee beans have fruity and berry tasting notes. The coffee beans come from a region where fruity coffees can be found.
Dog Rescue and Animal Shelter
Hugo Coffee Dog Daze Cold Brew is giving back to the animal shelter and dog rescue organizations. For every coffee pack purchased an amount is given to organizations for the adoption of dogs.
Packaging
The coffee is packed in an air-tight pouch with a de-gassing valve. The valve ensures the retention of aroma and flavors. The packaging is a stand-up pouch that is easy to store. The bags are resealable so the coffee can be stored and will retain freshness and aroma.
Read More: How Long Does Ground Coffee Stay Fresh
Conclusion
Cold-brew is the latest trend among coffee lovers. This is not a fashion statement, but this kind of coffee also comes with many benefits yet does not compromise on flavor, taste, or caffeine kick. A lot of research has been carried out for cold brew coffee. It has numerous and multiple health benefits.
It does not give you just an instant kick but also has long-lasting and long-term health benefits. As per researchers, the cold brew has a positive impact heart, digestion, metabolism, brain, and nervous system.
Cold brew coffee is also very much compatible with the fast-paced metropolis life. You can prepare the cold brew coffee concentrate at home and place it in an airtight container in a cold place like a refrigerator. Consume it over days without worrying about the taste.
Cold-brewed coffee is also suitable for people who are used to drinking while on the move. Since it is cold therefore does not have the potential to burn the drinker while on the move.
It is also a good substitute for people looking for caffeinated cold drinks. But do not want the usual aerated soft drinks which have a lot of adverse effects on health, immediate and on a long-term basis.
Above we have listed a variety of cold coffee brews that are considered the top brands in the market. They cater to all palates and tastes, and everyone can choose as per personal choices.
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