Best Way To Make Nitro Cold Brew At Home

If you have never tried a nitro cold brew, we highly suggest that you do. In this article I am going to talk about the best way to make nitro cold brew at home.

The technique and principles that we use involve the use of the Chef’s principle where the best ingredients will produce the best results.

Keep reading to find out how to make nitro cold brew at home the best way and get an amazing tasting coffee.

What Is A Nitro Cold Brew?

If you are not aware of what a nitro cold brew is, it is a coffee drink like you have never seen before. It is quite a brilliant creation that brings out the most flavor of a cold brew coffee in my opinion.

In the most basic, simple and accurate description it is a cold brew coffee that is charged and infused with nitrogen.

The effect, once poured, is that it has a notably thick topping of cream-like coffee on top, a thick cream head similar to the head you would see on a pint of Guinness.

It is claimed by a few that nitrogen infused coffee has more caffeine, this is not the case as there is no more caffeine in nitrogen infused cold brew than a regular cold brew coffee. The addition of nitrogen does not increase the caffeine content at all.

With that said, some drinkers have claimed to have had an extra caffeine boost when drinking nitro cold brew. This is more likely to be due to cold brew being a rather strong and well brewed coffee rather than any additional caffeine.

A nitro cold brew is sweeter, smoother and has a richer flavor than a regular coffee. You will find that there are some flavors that you will not experience in a regular coffee.

It is certainly a coffee to try at least once. Chances are you will ditch your regular coffee for a nitro cold brew.

Read: How to make Starbucks nitro cold brew with sweet cream

Best Way To Make Nitro Cold Brew At Home

There are many ways to make a nitro cold brew at home. This technique is the one that I personally consider to be the one that produces the best tasting nitro coffee.

At the heart of it, it is no different from brewing a top quality cold brew coffee.

Step 1: Get Grinding

Before you grind your coffee beans, seek out the best quality specialty coffee beans and check the roasted on date to ensure that they are fresh. They should have been roasted no more than 7 to 10 days ago.

Also, if you are not already doing this – store your coffee beans in a coffee canister that blocks all light, is airtight and has a one way valve. Store your coffee canister in your fridge.

Once you have your coffee beans, you can grind them to a coarse grind size using a ceramic burr coffee grinder for best results.

Read: Nitro cold brew with whipped cream dispenser

Step 2: Prepare Your Cold Brew

Get water that is as cold as it possibly can be without it freezing. Use the best possible water – mineral water is best. The next best is filtered water. The better your water, the better your coffee will be.

Using a coffee to water ratio of 1:4 to make a cold brew concentrate. A concentrate will stay fresh for longer.

Add 6.75 ounces (200 grams) of coffee grounds to 27 ounces (800 ml) of water.

Put your freshly ground coffee grounds and cold water into an airtight glass container. Your container must be airtight to prevent air from spoiling your brew. I like to fill the container to the brim and then close the lid to ensure that there is no air.

Store your coffee and water mix in your fridge while it is extracting.

Step 3: Let Your Coffee Brew

This part requires nothing other than patience. Just simply put your water and coffee mix in the fridge and wait for a minimum of 12 to 24 hours. Be sure to check on your brew after 12 hours and run a taste test to find out if it is of the required strength or not.

If it is not ready, keep checking up on it every 3 to 4 hours until it is ready. Once you have the perfect flavor – move on to step 4.

Read: Nitro cold brew at home

Step 4: Strain Out Your Coffee Grounds

Now that your cold brew coffee is brewed and ready, it is very important that you strain and filter out your coffee grounds. If you leave your coffee grounds in your coffee mix, it will continue to extract indefinitely and lead to a bitter and over-extracted coffee.

Different filters will result in a different tasting coffee. A metal mesh will result in a coffee that tastes as it does while unfiltered due to not filtering out any of the coffee oils.

A cotton cloth filter will filter out some coffee oils and result in a balanced coffee. A paper filter will filter out all the coffee oils and produce a very crisp and clean tasting coffee.

Personally, I prefer a full-bodied and full flavored coffee and use a metal filter.

Once strained, store in an airtight glass container and keep it in the fridge.

Step 5: Dilute Your Concentrate

The reason we have made a concentrate is because it stays fresher for longer. Due to making a cold brew coffee with a coffee to water ratio of 4:1 an appropriate dilution ratio is 1:1 with equal parts of your concentrate with water.

Step 6: Nitrogen Infusion

Now the fun part, the part where we infuse our cold brew coffee with micro bubble of nitrogen. For this part you can use a whipped cream dispenser or a mini-keg that is designed for infusing nitrogen into your coffee.

Pour your cold-brewed coffee into your whipped cream dispenser, making sure not to fill it more than 3/4 full and seal it. Charge your cold brew coffee with nitrogen and shake for approximately 35 to 40 seconds.

Let your whipped cream dispenser sit for 30 seconds or so and pour slowly into a clear glass in the same way that you would a pint of Guinness and adore it as it cascades and looks pretty awesome.

Mini-Keg Vs Whipped Cream Dispenser

Let’s talk about the two main ways of charging your coffee with nitrogen and compare Mini-Keg Vs Whipped Cream Dispenser.

Whipped Cream Dispenser

This is a cheap alternative and a very simple method that anyone and everyone can start off with. With a whipped cream dispenser, you need one or two purges of nitrogen to ensure that there is no air inside the canister when you serve your coffee.

The little nitrogen gas cartridges are readily available – most baking supplies will have them, and they are available online from Amazon and other places. 8 grams is the standard size. These need to be replaced a lot as they get used up in no time!

The end result is good, very good and tastes quite fantastic. It has to be said it is not the most convenient of methods.

Mini Keg

The Mini-Keg is a focused specialty brewing system that is specifically designed for making coffee shop quality cold brew at home.

They are more reliable and can hold more coffee and more nitrogen gas, which allows for greater preservation and your system can be stored away until it is needed. One clear advantage is that oxygen is purged the very first time that you use the gas cartridge, sealing in all the nitro cold brew and the flavor.

There are various Mini Keg based models for home use that you can buy. They are more expensive, and they are certainly worth the investment, particularly if you are going to make a lot of nitro cold brew.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Way To Make Nitro Cold Brew At Home

What Blend Does Starbucks Use For Nitro Cold Brew?

Starbucks use their cold brew blend as the base for their nitro cold brew and then infuse it with nitrogen bubbles. Their cold brew blend is 100% Arabica coffee beans from Africa and Latin America.

Due to trademark regulations and reasons they keep it a secret the exact origins of their beans and the proportion they are used in to make the blend. You can buy the beans from their coffee shop in person or online from their website or from Amazon as well as other retail outlets online.

How Do You Make Nitro Cold Brew Taste Better?

The first and most important step you can make to make your nitro cold brew taste better is to focus on making an amazing cold brew coffee as good as you can using high-quality specialty coffee beans that are freshly roasted (check the roasted on date!) and well stored.

The better your cold brew coffee is, the better your nitro cold brew will be. When you have perfected this part, you can experiment with adding various syrups like Starbucks caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, vanilla syrup, hazelnut syrup or toffee nut syrup to add flavor.

If you want to enhance the silky smooth texture and make it an incredible texture that is layered you can add sweet cream cold foam or vanilla sweet cream cold foam. For an extra effect, you can add a drizzle of the flavored syrups on top of your cold foam, or a sprinkling of cocoa.

How Do You Infuse Nitrogen Into Coffee?

Once you have brewed a perfectly delicious cold brew coffee and have a nitro coffee dispenser, infusing nitrogen into your coffee is easy.

Just pour your cold brew coffee into the flask, ensuring that it is no more than 75% full to allow enough space for the nitrogen.

Charge your cold brew coffee with nitrogen and shake it several times. Now pour your coffee into a clear transparent glass and admire the cascading creamy texture of your luxurious nitro coffee.

Can You Use A Whipped Cream Dispenser To Make Nitro Coffee?

Yes, you can use a whipped cream dispenser to make nitro coffee. Simply add your coffee to the to chamber until it is no more than 3/4 full and shake your whipped cream dispenser for 35 to 40 seconds. Then charge your coffee with nitrogen and serve in a clear glass, pouring it in a similar way as you would pour a pint of Guinness.

Is Nitro Cold Brew Stronger Than Regular Cold Brew?

No, nitro cold brew coffee is not stronger than regular cold brew coffee. Both have the same amount of caffeine. The addition of nitrogen does not alter the strength of the coffee in terms of caffeine kick in any way at all.

The biggest difference is the frothy texture in the nitro cold brew that is rich, silky and very smooth. Also, a nitro-infused cold brew is notably sweeter – but is not any stronger in terms of flavor.

What Is The Best Ratio For Nitro Cold Brew?

The best ratio for making Nitro cold brew coffee is 1:8, that’s one part coffee and 8 parts water. The perfect grind size is a coarse grind side.

Is Nitro Cold Brew Good By Itself?

Yes, Nitro cold brew coffee on its own is delicious, rich and naturally sweet and creamy coffee beverage. There is no need for you to add sugar, dairy or any type of topping at all. 

Is Nitro Cold Brew Hard To Make?

No, Nitro cold brew coffee is straight forward to make. All you need is freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee, ice-cold water (or cool water) and a glass airtight container to brew it in. Brew your coffee in your fridge for 18 to 24 hours and then filter out the coffee grounds using a metal coffee filter.

Use a special nitro cold brew keg or a whipped cream dispenser, a nitrogen cartridge and charge your coffee with nitrogen.

Final Thoughts – Best Way To Make Nitro Cold Brew At Home

Now that you know the best way to make nitro cold brew at home, you can go right ahead and make one of the most unique coffee drinks and enjoy its rich creamy texture and rich body at home. 

Have you made this – how did it turn out? How much did you enjoy it – let us know on our social media pages – just search for us!

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location