Coffee concentrate: Is it really a coffee?
In a world where you can see anywhere at a click, it's easy to meet your needs. You can order something and have it arrive tomorrow. Some industries, especially at-home coffee, are pushing convenience with coffee concentrate. With so many coffee concentrates, choosing a good one for your morning routine can be hard. To avoid wasting money on bad coffee, read this guide. It reveals the coffee industry's secrets. It is the ultimate guide to coffee concentrate.
Read on and learn what to look out for in the coffee concentrate world!
A Little Coffee Background
Coffee concentrate seems like a new and fresh idea in America. Yet, historians can date coffee concentrate back to the 17th century. The Dutch would make cold-brew coffee. They took it on long voyages to get their caffeine fix. That concentrated coffee finally arrived in Japan.
The Japanese loved cold-steeped tea and believed they could brew coffee the same way. They developed a way to make cold brew coffee called the Kyoto method. This method takes over 24 hours to brew, resulting in a very strong cold brew. The typical Kyoto method, however, is not a coffee concentrate. It's strong coffee.
For many years in early America, only soldiers drank cold coffee. It was easier to keep than hot coffee. It was also simpler to store and brew at that time. Cold brew is easier to store once brewed. Our busy society is thankful for its convenience.
Cold Brew: Concentrate
We know how long coffee concentrate has been around. So, let's dive into a big question about it. What is the difference between regular cold brew coffee and coffee concentrate? The answer is simple and complicated all in one.
There are two main differences:
- Ratio
- Brew time
Cold Brew Ratio
A 1:4 ratio makes cold brew. The smaller ratio for cold brew uses more coffee and less water. So, it makes a more potent brew.
Coffee Concentrate Ratio
Concentrated coffee uses a 1:1 ratio, so you have the same amount of coffee grounds as you have water. After steeping the grounds in the water, the concentrate will be syrupy. Before drinking, the coffee concentrate must be diluted with more water. You can always add more concentrate to your cup to suit your tastes, but a little goes a long way.
Coffee Concentrate and Cold Brew Steep Time
The typical brew time for cold brew is 16 to 20 hours. Steeping for longer than that can result in a bitter-tasting brew.
But the coffee concentrate is 1:1, so the longer it steeps, the more potent the brew is and the better the concentrate is. Coffee concentrate can steep for up to 24 hours and does not lack flavor or caffeine strength.
Other Determining Factors
Cold brew and coffee concentrate differ in their coffee-to-water ratio and steep time. Other differences include the type of coffee and the quality of water used.
Let's break down the best coffee roasts for coffee concentrate. We'll look at where they come from and their flavor notes.
