Last Updated on January 24, 2024 by Ibrahim Bat
Cold brew coffee has come a long way from its usual style. Nowadays, you can find many kinds of cold brew to match your liking.
You have options like the regular Traditional Cold Brew, the foamy Nitro Cold Brew, and even healthy choices like Cold Brew Collagen Coffee and Cold Brew Protein Coffee. Easy options include Canned Cold Brew, quick Instant Cold Brew, and environmentally-friendly Cold Brew Bags-Packs. No matter what you like, there’s a cold brew for you.
In this article, we’ll look at these twelve types of cold brew coffee, discussing how they taste and what makes them special.
12 Types Of Cold Brew Coffee
| Cold Brew Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Traditional Cold Brew | Made by steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water for 12-24 hours and filtering. |
| Nitro Cold Brew | Nitro cold brew = cold brew + nitrogen! |
| Cafe Style Cold Brew | The cold brew you get at coffee places or big coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’, often known as “Cafe-style cold brew.” |
| Canned Cold Brew | Pre-made cold brew coffee packaged in cans for convenience and portability. |
| Instant Cold Brew | Instant Cold Brew Coffee for those who don’t want to wait for the slow cold brewing process; ready in minutes. |
| Cold Brew Bags-Packs | Pre-portioned coffee grounds sealed in bags or packs for easy cold brewing. |
| Cold Brew K-cups-Pods | Coffee pods designed for machines like Keurig to make cold brew coffee. |
| Cold Brew In A Box | Cold brew coffee or concentrate packaged in a box with a dispenser, typically in larger quantities. |
| Cold Brew Collagen Coffee | Cold brew coffee combined with collagen peptides for added health benefits. |
| Cold Brew Protein Coffee | Cold brew coffee infused with protein, often consumed post-workout or as a meal replacement. |
| Decaf Cold Brew | Cold brew coffee made using decaffeinated coffee beans. |
| Cold Brew Concentrate | Allows you to make 8-18 cups of cold brew using just 1-2 teaspoons of coffee extract. |
Traditional Cold Brew
Traditional cold brew is a process by which coarsely ground coffee beans are steeped in cold or room-temperature water for an extended period, typically 12 to 24 hours. This slow steeping process extracts the flavors from the coffee beans, resulting in a smoother and less acidic coffee concentrate.
We tried dozens of times to find the best homemade cold brew recipe. Take a look at our homemade cold brew recipes:
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee in a Mason Jar?
- How to Make Cold Brew in a French Press?
- Aeropress Cold Brew Recipe
Our articles about the battle between cold brew and iced coffee:
And our award-winning article:
Nitro Cold Brew
Nitro cold brew is a special kind of coffee mixed with nitrogen gas. This makes the coffee feel creamy and gives it a frothy top, like the foam on a Guinness beer. Nitro cold brew is also less acidic and bitter than regular coffee, which makes it taste smoother and more enjoyable for some people.
Coffee grounds are steeped in cold water for 12-24 hours to make nitro cold brew. Once the coffee is brewed, it is infused with nitrogen gas and served cold.
If you want to learn more about nitro cold brew, you can check out this article.
Cafe Style Cold Brew
I used “Cafe style cold brew” to describe cold brews sold in third-wave coffee shops or coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’.
“Cafe style cold brew” typically refers to cold brew coffee made by steeping special coffee beans in water for 20-24 hours.
Canned Cold Brew
Canned cold brew is cold brew coffee that has been brewed, filtered, and then sealed in cans for convenience and longer shelf life. It often contains no added ingredients and is ready to drink straight from the can. Canned cold brew is known for its smooth and mellow flavor profile.
Instant Cold Brew
Instant cold brew coffee in powder form is a highly convenient coffee option. It begins as cold brew coffee, prepared by steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in cold water over an extended period. The liquid cold brew is then transformed into a dry, powdered substance using one of two main techniques:
- freeze-drying method
- spray drying method
The cold brew is rapidly frozen at very low temperatures in the freeze-drying process. This freezing creates ice crystals, preserving the coffee’s flavor and aroma.
The frozen coffee is then placed in a vacuum chamber where the temperature is carefully increased, causing the ice to undergo sublimation—changing directly from a solid to a gaseous state (water vapor) without transitioning through a liquid phase. This primary drying phase eliminates approximately 95% of the water content.
A secondary drying stage follows to remove any remaining moisture. Notably, even though the temperature increases during these processes, the coffee remains cool due to the vacuum conditions.
The result is freeze-dried instant cold brew coffee powder.
Alternatively, the concentrated cold brew coffee is sprayed into a drying chamber filled with hot air in the spray drying method. This rapid evaporation process transforms the liquid coffee into fine powder particles. While spray drying is efficient, it may result in slightly different flavor profiles than freeze-drying.
Mix the powder with cold water or milk to enjoy instant cold-brew coffee. This eliminates the need for steeping or brewing time, providing a swift and hassle-free way to savor cold brew coffee’s rich and refreshing taste while retaining much of its original flavor and aroma.
If you want to know more about instant cold brew coffee, you can check out this article.
Cold Brew Bags-Packs
Cold brew bags are pre-filled containers specifically designed to prepare cold brew coffee. They simplify the cold brewing process by providing a convenient and mess-free way to steep coffee grounds in cold water, resulting in a flavorful cold brew coffee.
Features
- Pre-Filled Convenience: Cold brew bags come pre-loaded with a precise amount of coarsely ground coffee, eliminating the need for coffee measurement and reducing preparation time.
- Durable Material: These bags are typically constructed from sturdy, food-safe materials that withstand the steeping process without compromising the coffee’s quality.
- Designed for Cold Brewing: The coffee grounds in cold brew bags are specifically chosen and coarsely ground to cater to the unique requirements of cold brew coffee, ensuring optimal flavor extraction.
- Efficient Steeping: Cold brew bags facilitate efficient coffee steeping in cold water, allowing for a smooth and full flavor extraction over time.
- Minimal Mess: The packaging of cold brew bags ensures that coffee grounds are securely contained, minimizing mess and making cleanup a breeze.
- Single-Use: Most cold brew bags are designed for single-use, so there’s no need for cleaning or maintenance after brewing.
Cold Brew K-cups-Pods
Cold Brew K-cups are single-serve coffee pods designed for Keurig coffee makers that contain cold brew concentrate. Instead of the typical ground coffee in most K-cups, these are filled with concentrated cold brew coffee.
To use, you typically just insert the K-cup into a Keurig brewer and brew as usual. Depending on the product, you might pour the resulting coffee over ice for a cold beverage or drink it hot after brewing. The intent is to provide the distinct smoothness and lower acidity associated with cold brew coffee in a convenient, single-serve format.
- Single-serve concentrate pods are not filled with typical coffee grounds but with a cold brew concentrate.
- Portable and Convenient: These are designed to be travel-friendly, even meeting TSA guidelines, making them ideal for on-the-go coffee lovers.
- Versatile in Brewing: They can be used with cold and hot water. You peel and pour the concentrate into 6-8 ounces of water. These pods are also compatible with Keurig K-Cup brewers, so it’s straightforward to use if you have a Keurig machine.
- Taste Profile: The coffee produced is ultra-smooth, low acidity, and is made from 100% arabica beans. This offers a bold and well-balanced cup that can be enjoyed anytime.
Cold Brew In A Box
Cold brew in a box is a convenient way to enjoy cold brew coffee without having to make it yourself. It is typically made by brewing coffee in cold water for 12-24 hours and filtering the coffee grounds. The cold brew coffee concentrate is packaged in a box, which can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.
- Convenience: Instead of making a cold brew from scratch, which can take 12-24 hours of steeping, you can simply purchase a pre-made cold brew in a box and have it ready to drink.
- Dispensing: The box usually comes with a built-in spigot or tap, allowing easy dispensing straight into your glass.
- Storage: The boxed format is often more compact than multiple bottles, making it space-efficient in your refrigerator.
- Extended Shelf Life: The packaging can help keep the cold brew fresh for an extended period.
- Volume: These boxed products often hold a significant amount of cold brew, making them perfect for serving multiple people, like at gatherings or events.
Cold Brew Collagen Coffee
Cold brew collagen coffee powder combines the smooth and low-acid properties of cold brew coffee with the health benefits of collagen.
A typical cold brew collagen contains cold brew powder, caffeine, type 1 and type 3 collagen, or type 2 collagen.
The main purpose of cold brew collagen coffee is to take collagen with a low-acid and smoother coffee.
Cold Brew Protein Coffee
The mixture of cold brew coffee powder and whey or plant-based protein powder is called cold brew protein powder. In other words, the characteristic features of cold brew coffee are combined with the nutritional benefits of protein powder.
It’s designed to give you a caffeine boost similar to drinking coffee while also providing the muscle-supporting benefits of protein. This powder can be mixed with water, milk, or other liquids, and it’s often consumed as a post-workout beverage or meal replacement. The idea is to provide energy and muscle recovery in one convenient drink.
Decaf Cold Brew
Decaf cold brew coffee is cold brew coffee made using decaffeinated coffee beans. The main difference is that the beans used have undergone a decaffeination process to remove most of their caffeine content. It’s a popular choice for those who love the taste of coffee but want to avoid or limit their caffeine intake.
Cold Brew Concentrate
Cold brew concentrate allows you to brew 8-18 cups of cold brew using 1-2 teaspoons of coffee extract.
It is generally sold in 6.7 fl oz (200 mL) glass bottles; each 6.7 fl oz bottle holds about 14 cups of coffee.
