Hot Start Cold Brew
Also referred to as Japanese ice coffee, hot cold brew is a hybrid quaff and my go-to when I'm in a hurry. Basically, we brew with hot water to quickly extract flavor and aroma compounds from the ground coffee then, immediately chill the resulting liquid, thus preserving aromatics and arresting some of the oxidation and degradation of acids. When the dripping's done, you can strain out the ice for a stronger brew, or enjoy on the rocks. This recipe first appeared in Season 2 of Good Eats: The Return.
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
Software
- 1/3 cup medium-ground coffee (ground using a burr grinder)
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 1/4 cups filtered water, heated to 200°F in an electric kettle
Specialized Hardware
- Pour-over coffee rig
- Digital kitchen scale
- Electronic gooseneck kettle with a thermostat or traditional kettle
- Burr grinder
Procedure
- Assemble a pour-over coffee rig using a carafe, filter holder, and filter set on a digital kitchen scale.
- Place the coffee inthe filter and the ice in the carafe.
- Very slowly pour 100 grams of the water over the coffee in a spiral pattern. This step should take about 1 minute. Let the coffee sit for 30 to 40 seconds to bloom. Tare the scale, then, working in three batches, very slowly pour over the remaining 175 grams water in the same spiral pattern over the coffee. This step should take 2 to 3 minutes total. If using an electric kettle with a thermostat, return the kettle to the heater in between batches.
- When the coffee is finished brewing, remove the filter holder and discard to compost the grounds.Serve the coffee with any remaining ice, or strain it out for a stronger brew.