Why does hot coffee that goes cold taste bad, but iced coffee or cold brew taste fine?
In: Other
Coffee contains (among other things) *aromatic oils*, that is, oils that vaporize at lower-than-boiling temperatures. These oils are what make coffee smell so good when it’s being brewed traditionally.
Those oils also help balance the flavor of the coffee, specifically offsetting the bitterness of the roasted beans. More oil in the coffee = less bitter flavor… but less delicious inviting aroma.
Making traditional coffee, and letting it cool in the open, means you lose most of those oils and the remaining drink is bitter.
Making coffee via a cold-brewing method means the coffee never gets warm enough to vaporize the aromatic oils, so they remain in the coffee and balance out the bitterness.
Latest Answers