We see many people drinking regular coffee in the morning to energize and wake themselves. A bit of an interesting ritual actually and as we work in a lot of corporate contexts where coffee is extremely important to the employees, this ritual is one to look at more closely. At the studio we sure are coffee nerds, so we researched the possibilities with serving type, hot and cold brewed methods. The results of the research were turned into a pop up cold brew bar and the article you are reading. Including the top 5 of cold brew benefits.
Espresso vs Filter
A lot of people believe espresso contains the most caffeine. Where the fact is that filter coffee has the biggest impact due to its extraction time. Caffeine is found in the heart of the coffee bean and the longer water is in contact with the ground coffee - the more caffeine it will contain. The heat of the usually boiling water makes sure all the terpenes (aromatic oils) are extracted - which gives the oily and ‘coffee kick’ leading to more bitter taste. So what happens if we take out the heat in the brewing process?
The top 5 of Cold Brew benefits
1. Improved control of gastric acid secretion - due to less acid
2. Increased amounts of antioxidants - meaning chlorogenic acid is better preserved
3. Less cafestol of kahweol - meaning less effect your cholesterol
4. Cold brew makes you smarter - cognitive functions
5. Helps to lose weight - due to the afterburn effect
Hot brew coffee stimulates acid production because of the compounds like caffeine, catechols, and hydroxytryptamines. In cold brew the total acids and compounds content is lower; so it has less impact on your stomach.
The higher the temperature of the water the more the antioxidants in coffee and tea are destroyed. With Green tea it’s really important the water is never hotter than 80% not only for the flavour which gets bitter also the antioxidants breakdown. Chlorogenic acid is a powerful antioxidant which is found in coffee beans. With dark roast beans, the breakdown of this acid is 100% - with Light Roast (like white label ) the breakdown can go up to 60%. With cold brew, the terpenes (aromatic oils) are not extracted. The floral, earthy and fruity notes get more space. You don’t need sugar cause the taste is very mild. Cafestol and kahweol extracted with heat - part of the terpenes - are responsible for stimulating the LDL cholesterol.
In cold brew the total acids and compounds content is lower
Cold brew contains due to the long steeping process (for 12 - 24 hours) more caffeine. The caffeine contained in a cup of cold brew increases the flow of blood to your brain, thus boosting your cognitive function. Research carried out by the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging shows that the bioactive compounds found in coffee can reduce cognitive deficits, as well as improving motor function.
Thanks to its high caffeine content, cold brew coffee can help you to lost weight. How? Well, by drinking a cup of cold brew or nitro following a workout, you’ll increase your post-energy expenditure, or after-burn effect. The after-burn effect is the term used to describe the body’s ability to continue burning calories after exercise. Drinking coffee increases the body’s fat-burning capabilities, increases insulin sensitivity, and decreases the risk of dementia.
All in all, the nerdy research let to a great base of knowledge to design a pop up cold brew bar and made us able to explain why other types of coffee serving should be put into new coffee concepts!
By invitation of CBRE Netherlands we contributed to their ‘The Evolution of Work’ event in April through a workshop on adding value though service. And because we believe people need to experience a concept in order to fully understand it, we designed a pop-up "Cold Brew Bar" for the guests to visit and experience our cold brew recipes.