If you’re a fan of cold coffee, you’re probably most familiar with either cold brew or iced coffee. But what is cold drip coffee? Brewing cold drip coffee is an entirely different process that uses a drip tower brewer to allow water to “slowly” drip over freshly ground coffee. As a long-time coffee drinker (and cold coffee lover), I’m ashamed to admit I only recently learned about this unique brewing method to make cold coffee. Below, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about “What is cold drip coffee?” and how exactly it’s made.
What is cold drip coffee?
“Cold drip is basically coffee brewed the hard way. Instead of dunking grounds in cold water and letting them steep like a standard immersion cold brew, cold drip slowly drips cold water over coffee grounds, one drop at a time, for 3–12 hours (often overnight),” says Drew Pond, Director of Development and Co-Owner of Stone Creek Coffee, a Milwaukee coffee company. “The payoff? A super clean, crisp, almost liquor-like coffee that’s stronger and often brighter than normal cold brew. Think less syrupy, more high-definition flavor. It’s coffee for people who like their cold brew to punch a little sharper, or don’t need to make a massive amount of cold brew.”
According to Leo Yuffa, owner of Dazbog Coffee, the cold drip coffee process helps extract softer, more balanced flavors from the coffee. Still, a medium or coarse grind is necessary to allow the water to penetrate the ground coffee slowly, ensuring an even extraction.
Cold drip coffee vs. cold brew coffee
Making cold drip coffee differs entirely from making cold brew coffee. Unlike cold brew coffee, which immerses coffee grounds in cold water, cold drip coffee separates the coffee and the cold water by allowing water to drip slowly through coffee grounds. Depending on your preferred coffee strength, this unique slow drip process can take 3 to 12 hours. The slow drip process is much quicker than the 12 to 24-hour process typically required when making cold brew coffee. To make cold drip coffee, you’ll need a special drip tower (usually made of glass) that allows water to drip through slowly.
How to make cold drip coffee
Making cold drip coffee will vary slightly, depending on the type of cold brew dripper you choose to use. Over time, you’ll get the hang of what can initially seem daunting. The general steps of how to make cold drip coffee include:
- Set your equipment and add any necessary filters. For this step, it’s best to follow the directions that came with your brewer.
- Weigh your coffee and grind whole beans to the desired coarseness. A medium-coarse grind usually works best when making cold drip coffee.
- Place the top paper filter on top of your coffee grinds and lightly tap around the edge, creating a dome.
- Fill the water chamber (room-temperature water is preferred) and set the drip rate. For the best extraction, slow-drip coffee should be dripped at one drip every two to three seconds.
- Once completed, refrigerate your cold drip coffee for future use. Store it in an airtight container. When it’s time to use it, you can dilute the cold drip concentrate with water or milk, as desired.
