Emilee Bryant
Coffee Expert and Latte Artist
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Forum Comments (2)
Coffee will taste very different when you make it with heat versus when you make it with time and cold water. If you’re interested in the true cold brew flavor, I would recommend that you brew with cold water and let the coffee sit overnight. This will give you that classic chocolatey cold brew taste. Then, take it out of the fridge and filter out the coffee grinds with a paper filter.
Use a tight coffee to water ratio, like a 1 to 10 to 1 to 14. Then, you can add a little water the next day to dilute it. This will give you maximum flavor extraction but a gentler taste. Also, make sure to store it in the fridge to avoid any bacteria. Generally, letting the coffee sit in the fridge for a day is perfect. The longer you let it sit, the more bitter it could become, so I try not to go more than 24 hours.
Lighter roast coffees call for more water, something like a 1 to 16, 1 to 17, or 1 to 18 ratio of coffee to water. Darker roasts, however, are better with something closer to a 1 to 14 ratio, especially if you plan to put milk in them. So if you're using 10 grams of coffee for a light roast, you'd use around 170 mL of water, but 140 mL of water for a dark roast. You can scale this up for the amount of coffee you want to make! Make sure to pay attention to the type of roast on your coffee (if it doesn't say, assume a darker roast), and use a kitchen scale to measure out your coffee and water.
Controlling your grind size is the number one thing that will make your coffee go from decent to amazing. If you have the means to do it, invest in a burr grinder, or a grinder that has two spinning plates instead of a blade. They're typically around $100. Fresh-ground coffee is so much more flavorful than pre-ground, as coffee loses it's flavor after 24 hours when ground.
I recommend a medium grind for French Press. If it tastes weak, you can lower your coffee-to-water ratio or stir it a bunch, as this agitation will extract more flavor. If it's too strong, add more water and use less coffee.
Co-authored Articles (6)
How to Make Latte Art: Steps & Design Ideas
Use an espresso machine to create unique coffee artWhile many agree that making good espresso is an art within itself, latte art refers to patterns made in the foam topping espresso drinks. To make these beautiful design...
7 Different Ways to Steam Milk for Lattes, Cappuccinos & More
Ah, steamed milk—love it or hate it, it's one of the most important elements to making a good cappuccino, latte, or espresso. This useful skill isn't exclusive to baristas, though; with a couple of household items or a...
How to Steam Milk Without Using a Steamer
Make warm, frothy milk for lattes and more without special equipment Steamed milk is a great addition to hot drinks and adds a delicious foamy texture. Each of these methods takes less than 5 minutes and only require bas...
How to
Make Cappuccino Foam
A cappuccino is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. The most striking thing about this drink is the milk foam on top. A soothing, consistent layer of foam is what sets a great cappuccino apart from lesser...
How to
Make a Pumpkin Spice Latte
Pumpkin spice lattes are a fall-favorite for many coffee drinkers. They only appear in coffee shops during the fall, but luckily, you can make them year round at home. The drink can be made on the stovetop, in the microw...
How to
Store Leftover Coffee
Made a little too much coffee this morning? It can feel like a crime to let all of that delicious coffee go to waste after you’ve already gotten your caffeine fix. Not to worry! We’re here to walk through all your fr...