Unpopular take: cold brew is a waste of time for cheap coffee

I used to brew cold brew every Sunday like everyone preaches. 16 hours in the fridge with a mason jar and cheesecloth. But honestly? For $6 a bag grocery store coffee, it tasted the same as my hot brew that I just pour over ice. I switched about 3 months ago after I forgot to start my cold brew on a Saturday and had to improvise. Now I just brew a strong hot batch double strength, let it cool for 10 minutes, then dump it over a full cup of ice. Takes 5 minutes total instead of half a day. And I swear the flavor is actually brighter and less muddy. Has anyone else ditched the whole cold brew ritual and just gone with flash brewing?

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2 Comments

richard1372mo ago

Interesting point @fisher.mason, but I've been wondering if the whole ritual is more about feeling like a coffee snob than actual taste. I did a blind test with my roommate using the same cheap beans - one batch cold brew, one flash brew. We both picked the flash brew as having more flavor. The cold brew was smoother but also kind of flat, like it lost some of the punchy notes you get from heat. Maybe with expensive single-origin stuff the slow extraction matters, but for $6 grocery store beans, I think the extra work is just adding to the hype. People get real attached to their Sunday routine though...

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fisher.mason2mo ago

Respectfully, you're wrong about this one. Cold brew brings out way more chocolate and nut notes that hot brew just can't get, especially with cheaper beans. Letting it sit that long changes the extraction chemistry, not just the temperature.

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