03.02.2025 • 45 Min.

For years, I used cold brew as a last resort—the only brew method to tame dark, oily beans that were too bitter for hot water. Then one day, I took a chance on a Guatemalan Gesha and brewed it cold. The result? A massive explosion of florals I’d never tasted before. That single cup sent opened my eyes into how extraordinary cold brew can be. In this episode, I speak with world-leading coffee scientists who explain why brewing with cold water tastes so different from chilled hot coffee. You’ll learn how certain flavors leap into your cup (and how others mysteriously vanish) when you lower the brew temperature. You’ll also discover there are hidden “cold brew gems” in beans you thought you knew. So before you grab the kettle, consider this: sometimes all you need is cold water. --------------- Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter Explore TODDY’s cold brewing kits Go deeper into the science of cold brew Do a Certificate of Advanced Studies with the Coffee Excellence Centre Listen to my episode on Coffee Extraction for insights into how polarity affects flavor extraction Read the UC Davis cold brew vs chilled hot brew study Listen to my episode on 'How to think like a scientist' Learn how to do a cold brew cupping with Toddy Follow Filter Stories on Instagram for my acidity infographic Go deeper into Paul Breslin's work at the Monell Chemical Senses Centre Discover all of UC Davis' cold brew research through the Coffee Science Foundation Season 3 is made possible by these leading coffee organizations: The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. Use ProfilePrint to find the coffee your customers loved last year (without a week of cupping!). Use promo code "FILTER" to get 10% off your first year of a Mini Beluga subscription. Click here to discover ProfilePrint's many uses. Support hundreds of thousands of coffee farmers with Fairtrade. Discover how here. Office coffee = easy recurring revenue. WMF’s Elevation 10 and Peak 50 do the work for you. Learn more here. What kind of racing car does the Gaggia Classic GT home espresso machine remind you of? Use discount code FS202610 to get 10% off.