A bright, sparkling cold brew coffee is easy to make and perfect for a hot summer’s day. We asked Single O Japan’s barista trainer, Yusuke Narisawa, for some tips on how to make a good cold brew at home.
Experiment with different coffee to water ratios
“At Single O, we have two versions of cold brew recipes that we suggest. Both use 750mls of water, but with different amounts of coffee. If you like your cold brew strong and bold, we recommend using 60g of coffee beans. If you prefer a lighter brew, then try using 45g. But we don’t tell our customers that this is the ultimate recipe - we like to think of it more as a starting point for you to experiment with until you find the taste that you like. For example, it’s perfectly okay to have a coffee to water ratio of 1:10.”
“At Single O, we have two versions of cold brew recipes that we suggest. Both use 750mls of water, but with different amounts of coffee. If you like your cold brew strong and bold, we recommend using 60g of coffee beans. If you prefer a lighter brew, then try using 45g. But we don’t tell our customers that this is the ultimate recipe - we like to think of it more as a starting point for you to experiment with until you find the taste that you like. For example, it’s perfectly okay to have a coffee to water ratio of 1:10.”
Brew, store, and serve in the same carafe
“The best thing about KINTO’s cold brew carafe is that you can brew, store, and serve your coffee in the same container. All you need to do is remove the filter. It also has good capacity but is slim enough to fit in your fridge door. At our tasting bar and cafe, we also use other KINTO products including glasses, and my impression is that they are easy to wash, pleasant to drink from, and break resistant.”
“The best thing about KINTO’s cold brew carafe is that you can brew, store, and serve your coffee in the same container. All you need to do is remove the filter. It also has good capacity but is slim enough to fit in your fridge door. At our tasting bar and cafe, we also use other KINTO products including glasses, and my impression is that they are easy to wash, pleasant to drink from, and break resistant.”
Various roasts work for cold brew
“The best type of beans for cold brew really depends on your taste. At Single O we don’t offer extra light roasts, but other than that we have plenty of light, medium and dark roasts to choose from. If you like your iced coffees strong, then I recommend a decaf blend called “AWOL”. AWOL is a relatively dark roast with a buttery texture and notes of sweet caramel, soft citrus and cherry and an almond finish. It is a really good coffee, not just for people who want decaf. We also have a summer limited blend called “FIRECRACKER” which is another great choice for cold brew. It has notes of rambutan, rose syrup, and yuzu. There are other lighter roasts that almost taste like iced tea when you make cold brew. We offer a broad selection so I think there is something for everybody.”
“The best type of beans for cold brew really depends on your taste. At Single O we don’t offer extra light roasts, but other than that we have plenty of light, medium and dark roasts to choose from. If you like your iced coffees strong, then I recommend a decaf blend called “AWOL”. AWOL is a relatively dark roast with a buttery texture and notes of sweet caramel, soft citrus and cherry and an almond finish. It is a really good coffee, not just for people who want decaf. We also have a summer limited blend called “FIRECRACKER” which is another great choice for cold brew. It has notes of rambutan, rose syrup, and yuzu. There are other lighter roasts that almost taste like iced tea when you make cold brew. We offer a broad selection so I think there is something for everybody.”
Brew Guide: Cold Brew Coffee
Coffee Beans / Water Ratio
- Sparkling & refreshing: 45g/750ml
- Loud & textural: 60g/750ml
KINTO item:
CAPSULE Cold Brew Carafe
STEPS
1. Weigh and grind your coffee. We have had good results at around the same size as a paper filter pour over.
2. Unscrew the filter from the outer lid, remove the inner lid and place the coffee inside the filter.
3. Fix the inner lid to the filter. Attach the filter to the outer lid, and insert in the carafe.
4. Pour 750ml of drinking water over the coffee (in the filter). You may have to do multiple pours, depending on how quickly the water is released into the carafe.
5. Put the carafe with your cold brew inside the fridge. We recommend 18-24 hours of brew time, but you can adjust this to your taste.
6. Once your brew time is over, remove the filter. Your cold brew will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Sparkling & refreshing: 45g/750ml
- Loud & textural: 60g/750ml
KINTO item:
CAPSULE Cold Brew Carafe
STEPS
1. Weigh and grind your coffee. We have had good results at around the same size as a paper filter pour over.
2. Unscrew the filter from the outer lid, remove the inner lid and place the coffee inside the filter.
3. Fix the inner lid to the filter. Attach the filter to the outer lid, and insert in the carafe.
4. Pour 750ml of drinking water over the coffee (in the filter). You may have to do multiple pours, depending on how quickly the water is released into the carafe.
5. Put the carafe with your cold brew inside the fridge. We recommend 18-24 hours of brew time, but you can adjust this to your taste.
6. Once your brew time is over, remove the filter. Your cold brew will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tip
Wet the filter and inner lid with water before adding coffee. This allows the water to pass through and extraction to go smoothly.
PARTNER INFORMATION
Single O Japan
Single O is a coffee roaster from Sydney, Australia. Single O Japan started in 2014 as a wholesale roaster in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. In 2017 they opened Ryogoku Tasting Bar on the same site, and since 2021 they also have a coffee shop called the Hamacho Café. Valuing relationships with coffee farmers all around the world, they deliver high quality coffee beans freshly roasted in Japan.
singleo.jp / @single_ojapan
