Can you Heat Up Cold Brew Coffee?

So, you have a cold brew coffee in the fridge, but you want to drink something hot. Well, can you heat up cold brew coffee? The quick answer is – Yes. You can very quickly warm the cold brew. There are a few ways to do it. Do not worry. I describe them in this article. 

If you love cold brew coffee, you can find some cold brews at Starbucks.

Without further ado, let’s see whether you can warm a cold brew and how to do it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. What is Cold Brew Coffee?
2. Cold Brew Coffee vs. Iced Coffee: The Difference
3. Can you Heat Up Cold Brew Coffee?
4. Ways to Heat Up Cold Brew Coffee
5. Does Heating Cold Brew Coffee Make It Acidic?

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold-brewed coffee is a type of coffee that has been wholly brewed in cold water and allowed to sit for up to 25 hours. Most people consume cold brew coffee for between 14 and 26 hours. The median extraction time is 16 hours. 

Many other methods give the same outcome and result in a strong, smooth, soft coffee that doesn’t have the acidic taste that regular coffees have. It’s also simple for you to prepare at your home using a French Press, a jar with a lid which means it’s not as difficult as it might seem.

Cold-brewed coffee is highly caffeinated and strong because of the extraction process. Thus, you must dilute the cold-brew coffee with water to reduce its strength. Diluting it won’t just decrease its caffeine content but also alters the intensity of the flavor, making it more appropriate to your tastes. 

It is important to dilute the cold brew concentrate before drinking it. There is higher than a cup of coffee in concentrate!

Cold Brew Coffee vs Iced Coffee: The Difference

Cold-brew coffee and iced coffee might appear lookalike, but they differ in flavor and brewing techniques. 

Iced coffee is made hot with dark or regular beans, while cold brewing does not use heating or hot water. Iced coffee is a slightly bitter and acidic flavor due to hot water. However, cold brew is a milder, sweeter taste.

How much caffeine is in a cold brew?

Does Cold Brew Have More Caffeine? A cup of cold-brewed coffee contains around 200 mg of caffeine for 16 oz cup size (473 ml). There are many factors that can influence caffeine content:

• Coffee beans amount. A higher ratio of coffee bean to water could increase the amount of caffeine.
• Serving size. Larger coffee drinks contain more caffeine.
• Type of coffee bean. Certain varieties of coffee beans (like Arabica, Robusta, etc.) have different caffeine content. Some of them have more, some of them less. 
• Water temperature. Hot water is more effective in extracting caffeine from coffee beans than cold water.
• Size of the grind. The coffee beans refinedly ground will have a higher total surface area, which results in a greater quantity of caffeine.
• Brewing time. Making your coffee beans steep for a longer period will increase levels of caffeine within the finished product.

Can you Heat Up Cold Brew Coffee?

There are several ways to heat Cold Brew Coffee.  

Cold brew coffee is famous for being highly smooth in flavor. However, it’s not required to be consumed as an iced drink. Though it might seem odd, heating cold-brewed coffee is an excellent method to drink it. 

Different heating methods affect the taste. Thus, heated cold brew coffee is less acidic than hot coffee that is brewed using identical beans.

You may think that you can find cold brew ìn every cafe, but most of what you have might be an iced cup of coffee instead. Cold Brew and Ice coffee are prepared differently. The fact that it contains the appearance of ice and is a cup of coffee doesn’t make it a cold brew coffee.

Iced coffee is usually a standard drip coffee that is served over ice. Heating an iced beverage is just like heating your regular cup of coffee.

It’s also essential to consider the process of heating cold coffee. This is because many think that, for reasons, this cold-brewing method renders cold brew coffee challenging to warm up or affects the taste of their preferred coffee. Do not worry about it because the best aspect of cold brew coffee is that it’s made of concentrate. The brewing process is done by infusing grounds of coffee with cold water over a set number of hours to make the concentrate.

That means heating your cold brew won’t influence it other than the temperature change. Warming up cold brew will not alter the caffeine content, so it could be a fantastic way to make the most of your preferred coffee brewing method during the winter cold. 

Ways to Heat Up Cold Brew Coffee

One method of making concentrate from cold brew is to use a 1:13 1-to-1:5 mix of water to coffee. In addition, whether you consume it cold or hot it is necessary to reduce the concentration. 

Mix the cold brew coffee with hot water.

Note that you can add hot water only in a Cold Brew concentrate. 

The majority of the cold brew coffee you can purchase on the internet and in retail stores is concentrated, and you must make sure you put water in it before drinking it. 

Hot water is the most efficient method of heating cold brew coffee because it isn’t at risk of “burning” it, creating undesirable tasting bitterness. How to warm the cold brew with hot water? Follow these steps:

1. The water can be heated on the stove or in a kettle that is electric.
2. Make sure to heat your cup using hot water.
3. Pour a portion of concentrate of cold brew into the cup.
4. Pour two parts of boiling water into the concentrate.
5. Enjoy it by stirring it around. You can also add sugar or creamer the same way you make it with a regular coffee. If you like it that way.

We believe this is the most efficient method to warm your cold coffee. Indeed, it won’t be the same as hot coffee. However, it’ll be warm enough to satisfy those experiencing colder weather and still retain the rich, smooth taste of cold brew regular.

Warm the cold brew on a stove

If you own a cold brew or concentrate cold brew, you can warm it on the stove (between 158F to 167F). Pour the cold brew into an oven-proof saucepan, and add water if required. Heat it up on low to medium warmness, ensuring it doesn’t boil. When it’s heated, put it into a mug, and then alter the temperature to your preference using sugar and cream.

Warm the cold brew in a microwave

Be cautious in using the microwave. 

If the cold brew coffee you’re buying is not concentrated, the microwave can warm it. Microwave it for 30 seconds in increments. Make sure not to allow it to boil or burn it, as this can alter the flavor. Make sure you use a microwave-safe mug.

However, many people prefer not to microwave any food or drink because they think it can destroy the nutritional value. There are many studies about the effect of microwaving on nutrients. 

However, achieving the proper temperature with a microwave will preserve the delicate flavor of the hot-cold brew coffee unaffected, which means it will retain the smooth, rich taste of the cold brew that was originally made.

Froth The Cold Brew Coffee

You can froth the cold brew if you own an espresso maker equipped with a steam wand. Like you are frothing milk. 

The steam wand should be placed on top of the coffee. By doing this, you will release air into the cold brew coffee and put some air bubbles. It is possible to steam it with this method if you’d like a crema-like foam to appear on top.

The bubbles won’t last for long. If you’d like to keep bubbles out of the way, put the steam wand farther in the cup.

If you warm the coffee using a steamer, it will dilute the coffee as steam enters the coffee and turns into hot liquid.

Does Heating Cold Brew Coffee Make It Acidic?

Cold brew coffee has lower acidity. Therefore do you think the coffee will become more acidic when it’s heated?

Cold-brew is heated to ensure that the coffee reacts to oxygen at a higher rate and can quickly degrade the taste. It’s an excellent idea to make an enormous amount of cold brew, diluting it with hot water.

Another thing to keep in mind is that warming cold brew isn’t a requirement for adding any additional grounds of coffee. Thus, the acidity will not dramatically change if you serve the beverage hot.