Cold Pressed Espresso

I see questions on R/coffee and Quora asking about ‘cold pressed espresso’ or ‘cold brewed espresso’.

Most of the answers, and the YouTube videos seem to recommend a recipe using either a) espresso that has been brewed hot and cooled or chilled (yuck!) or b) using espresso beans to make cold brewed coffee concentrate by steeping with water for 12 or more hours.

Let’s step back a bit to review what is espresso. It’s a brewing method – one that involves high pressure and finely ground coffee to produce a concentrated coffee drink in a very short amount of time.

The industry standard is as follows: for a double it’s +/-25 seconds, & the preparation and brewing time is within a minute. With the expectation that it’s served for immediate consumption.

How can we respect the fine tradition of espresso and still make a cold brewed bevvy to quench our summer thirst??

Well, we set our sights to finding out. What we discovered, is amazing. It’s not only possible (with a couple of tricks and tips) but also delicious! Here’s the recipe:

• 18 to 20grams of espresso, ground Turkish (tip – if your grinder can’t grind fine enough for Turkish, you can borrow the grinder at your friendly neighbour, neighbourhood grocer or coffee bar)
• with your espresso machine off (and cold) tamp the espresso into your cold double portafilter basket
• lock the handle into your espresso machine
• turn on your espresso machine and without allowing it time to warm up, brew your double shot into a shot glass
• prepare your ‘cold pressed espresso’ drink in your favourite way
• our fave is to fill a glass 2/3 with ice, pour the espresso over, add 3 pumps (3/4 oz) caramel syrup, and top up with almond milk or cow milk

Give it a try, and feel free to contact us with any questions or comment.