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Comment by lysp | Hacker News Reader

Best way to get flavour out of coffee is cold brew (not cold trip).

Leave coarsely ground coffee in water for 12-24 hours at room temperature and then filter the beans out.

Lasts for about 2 weeks in the fridge and you can have it straight, with ice, water or milk.

Some coffee shops use this technique to find out the flavour of coffee prior to using it for hot coffee. As the heat denatures some of the proteins in coffee, doing it cold extracts all the flavours without damage.

Otherwise find a good espresso place (not a chain). I have no idea how many or if they are around in US much.

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I find cold brew doesn't bring out the body of the coffee - it's too "thin". If i grind too fine, it would be too bitter.

A "hot" brew is similar, but you get to smell the volatiles while brewing (which you lose if cold brew).

TBH, i'm not a fan of cold brew.

For people who want a cold drink but still want a hot coffee’s flavor, an Iced Americano, where an espresso is brewed directly onto ice, is very close.

> doing it cold extracts all the flavours without damage

Well, no, flavors fluctuate with temperature. Temperature changes flavor degradation and dissipation, and what compounds are released or not released. Heat can actually contribute the preferred flavors that may be lacking in unheated brews, and vice versa. Hot coffee can be the best tasting coffee, for a very short period of time. Cold-brew coffee is stable for longer, and has less astringent, bitter, and sour flavors, which lends it a cleaner, brighter flavor, but can make it lack "body". Point being, you still have to taste it hot to find out if it's going to taste good hot.

> Best way to get flavour out of coffee is cold brew (not cold trip).

Can confirm that this is the best way to brew all but the finest beans. Elevates mid-tier beans quite a bit.

> As the heat denatures some of the proteins in coffee, doing it cold extracts all the flavours without damage.

Isn't it already roasted at this point?

Yes, but roasting the green beans to roasted coffee beans does a lot of chemistry - to make the flavor what you like. There’s such a thing as brewing green coffee beans, though. I think they say it’s grassy?

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