Summer is officially over in Australia but warms days still linger and there’s plenty of opportunity to kick back with our favourite icy beverage- cold brew coffee. It’s benefits reach well beyond summer refreshment however, including some interesting health benefits. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go!
To clarify, cold brew is not the same drink as iced coffee. The cold brew coffee process involves steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water for up to 24 hours. Grounds are filtered out carefully, leaving a powerful coffee concentrate that can to be diluted with water/ice or milk/cream before drinking. Due to the slow rate of extraction, the nature of the flavours are altered and a reduction in bitternress and acidity can be noted.
There are a few ways to make cold brew easily & conveniently at home, and we’ve done the hard work for you by road testing a few (which are featured in an upcoming blog post- stay tuned). But first – what are the pros of cold brew?
It gives all of the major health benefits of hot coffee—such as decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes type 2, and Alzheimer's in addition to:
1 - Antioxidant powerhouse
Cold brew contains phytonutrients, which are partially destroyed by the temperatures of hot brewing. Lower temp brews retain more of these antioxidants as well as the amazing benefits of Chlorogenic acid.
2 - You won’t need to add sugar
Cold brew is described as being of delicate flavour, sweet, smooth and lacking the bitterness of hot brews. This means you will be less likely to add sugar, which is a great health gain in itself.
4 - Can be easier on the stomach
It is generally thought that the acid content of coffee can cause acid reflux and stomach issue for some. The acidity of coffee however is actually around ph5, compare that to a can of Cola at ph2.3 and you can see coffee is not the acidic concoction it is often assumed to be. Cold brew has lower acidity than hot brewed coffee (studies have shown up to 67% lower). Though there’s not a lot of scientific evidence to back the reasons why, many claim they can tolerate cold brew much better than heat extracted coffee.
Also to note: dairy milk is also acidic so try serving your cold brew with almond milk if you have issues with stomach acidity (we love almond milk with a dash of cinnamon and honey!)