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How to Heat Up Cold Brew Iced Coffee
You can heat up cold brew while preserving most of its special and unique flavor. Know more here.
Published November 24, 2021
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Jennie Backteman
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Cold brew coffee is becoming an increasingly popular choice as more and more people discover that it has a mellower taste and is less bitter compared to traditional coffee. However, for some people, one major drawback to this drink is simply the fact that it is cold. While cold coffee can be a refreshing beverage on a hot day, sometimes you just want a hot cup of coffee to get you going in the morning. But the good news is that you can certainly heat up cold brew if you prefer to drink it warm, and the best part is that you can do this while preserving most of its special and unique flavor.
Advantages of Heating Up Cold Brew
Heating up cold brew is a quick and easy way to get the hot cup of coffee that you want, while enjoying all the unique perks of cold brew. It’s especially nice during the winter season when you might not want to drink cold coffee quite as often compared to during the summer. And, heating up cold brew can also intensify the flavors.
Disadvantages of Heating Up Cold Brew
While there are some benefits to heating up your cold brew, it’s important to note that there are some cons to consider, with some cold brew enthusiasts objecting to the idea of drinking it hot. They say that heat will lead to the cold brew spoiling faster, due to the increased oxidation of the coffee compounds. Usually, you can easily keep a pot of cold brew in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and it will taste great. However, with that being said, you don’t have to heat up the entire pot of cold brew at once if you just want one cup. Another common argument is that heating up cold brew will cause the taste of the coffee to change, resulting in a hasher cup of coffee. This is true, but many people who drink their cold brew warmed up say that it’s not so harsh it makes the coffee undrinkable. Either way, it’s a good idea to weigh up the pros and cons before you decide whether or not you want to heat up cold brew coffee.
How to Heat Up Cold Brew Coffee
Most people prepare cold brew that is highly concentrated and then use the refrigerator to store it. It’s not advised that you drink the concentrated form of cold brew, since it is very high in caffeine and will quickly give you the jitters. Since you’re normally going to use water to dilute your concentrated cold brew, you can simply do this by using hot water instead of cold. Making concentrated cold brew to store for later gives you the option to choose both hot and cold coffee when drinking. To make the cold brew hot, simply boil some water in a kettle and fill your coffee mug with the boiling water. Leave it for around thirty seconds to warm up the mug, and then discard the water and fill half the mug with the cold brew, before topping up the rest of the mug with more boiled water. You can adjust the amount of hot water that you use to suit your preferences.
Making Hot Cold Brew Coffee
To make hot cold brew coffee, first you’ll need to make cold brew. Can you make coffee with cold water? Yes – this is exactly how cold brew is made. Traditionally, you will need to brew the coffee in the cold water for between eight and twelve hours; however, you can find machines that will achieve the same results much faster these days. Prepare your cold brew using the 1:4 ratio, which uses one part coffee grounds and four parts water, which should be enough for five cups of cold brew coffee. Let the mixture steel for around twelve hours. When it’s time to drink your cold brew and you want to enjoy it warm, all you need to do is add a cup of boiling water to your cold brew. While it won’t be as hot as you’d expect an espresso or drip coffee to be, warmed up cold brew is best not drunk too hot anyway.
Heating Up Cold Brew Concentrate
Diluting the concentrate as you normally would before heating it up on the stove is another quick and easy way to make hot cold brew coffee. All you need to do is pour some of your concentrated cold brew into a kettle or pot and add cold water until you get the concentration you desire. Then, heat the mixture until it reaches the temperature that you want.
What’s the Difference Between Cold Brew and Iced Coffee?
While cold brew and iced coffee are both ways to enjoy coffee cold, they are different types of drink. Cold brew and iced coffee are prepared using two very different brewing methods. Cold brew is prepared by brewing the coffee grounds in cold water for a long period of time, while on the other hand, iced coffee is made in a regular espresso or drink coffee machine and allowed to cool before adding some ice cubes. You can easily use cold brew concentrate to make any iced coffee drink conveniently, since there is no need to dilute it and all you need to do is add some ice cubes and a splash of milk if you like.
To turn hot coffee into iced coffee, simply make your espresso shot as normal before adding some room-temperature water to cool the coffee down. Then, add ice cubes and pour over more cold water or cold milk, depending on the type of drink that you want. If you want to know how to cool down coffee fast without ruining the flavor, this method of adding a little bit of cold water to the coffee is the best way.
What Happens to Cold Brew When it is Heated?
As mentioned earlier, heating up cold brew coffee will bring about some changes to the taste of your drink; however, the good news is that this is quite a subtle difference which is not obvious when drinking. Not all of the many compounds in the cold brew will be impacted by the heat. Chlorogenic acid and quinic acid are the two main compounds that are responsible for the flavors, since these tend to release a bitter flavor when they come into contact with heat. However, the same thing will happen if you leave any regular coffee in a coffee machine with a hot plate over time. For example, you might have noticed that at some restaurants, you are served coffee that is more bitter compared to what you make at home. This is usually down to the fact that restaurants might make pots of coffee that are kept hot for serving, but the constant heat will turn it bitter over time.
Is Acidity Increased When Heating Cold Brew?
While somebody who hates the idea of taking your cold brew warmed up is likely to say that it will increase the acidity, the truth is that the heating method you use is going to have a big impact on this. Cold brew that is heated on the stove, for example, is more likely to taste acidic due to the chlorogenic acid and qunic acid. However, the good news is that there are ways to get around this problem, such as warming up your cold brew with hot water rather than heating it on the stove, which avoids the cold brew becoming directly exposed to the heat source and as a result, preserve its original taste.
What Will Warmed Up Cold Brew Taste Like?
As long as you use a gentle method to heat up your cold brew coffee before drinking, this is likely to result in a cup that will taste smoother and sweeter compared to espresso or drip coffee. Compared to drip coffee, it will also be less acidic. It might be worth asking a friend or relative who drinks regular coffee often to try warmed up cold brew and see how impressed they are.
If you prefer cold brew, you might want a hot coffee from time to time, especially in the winter. The good news is that when you’re feeling chilly on a winter day, there is no reason why you can’t be deprived of the warm feeling that you get from drinking a hot cup of coffee, while enjoying the sweeter and smoother flavor of the cold brew that you enjoy. Heating up your cold brew is easier than you might think, and as long as you are careful when it comes to exposing the cold brew to the heat source and use a gentle method to add the temperature to the drink, you can make sure that the taste is not compromised. Hot cold brew is a less acidic and more intense beverage compared to traditional coffee options. And the best part is that if you have made a batch of cold brew, it only takes a few minutes to heat it up.
About the author
Jennie Backteman
I´m a ultramarathon runner, landscape designer and a coffee lover.
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