There are endless ways to make coffee and every day people are looking for new ways to enjoy the second most consumed beverage in the world.
Have you ever heard of nitrogenated coffee or nitro coffee? It is one of the latest trends in the world of coffee brewing that attracts a lot of attention because it is innovative, eye-catching, and delicious.
Learn more about the nitro coffee boom and how you can make this coffee at home.
Table of Contents
What is nitro coffee?
In 2012, some baristas in the United States experimented with nitrogen and coffee. What started as an experiment is now a success that more and more baristas are incorporating into their coffee offerings. Now, the practice is not only successful in the United States, but also very popular in Australia, New Zealand, and virtually everywhere else in the world.
The product is also known as Nitro Cold Brew or nitrogenated coffee. Its name expresses what this brew is really about. It is cold coffee with nitrogen. The same Cold Brew coffee (coffee obtained by cold extraction) that you may be familiar with.
Its innovative character and unique taste have put it on the menu of major coffee houses like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. Some brands even sell nitrogenated coffee in cans.
What does nitro coffee taste like?
Nitrogen has no taste. It merely adds many small bubbles to the cold coffee. That being said, nitro coffee does feel sweeter and smoother than any other coffee. However, this is a matter of perception because, as mentioned earlier, nitrogen neither enhances nor changes the taste of the coffee.
Consumers who have tried this type of coffee find the experience similar to that of beer.
In addition, nitro coffee has lower acidity because the coffee is not brewed in hot water in which this ingredient dissolves. In general, cold brew coffee is less acidic than regular coffee. It also contains more caffeine, which is characteristic of cold-brewed coffee.
What is nitro coffee like?
The big difference between Nitro coffee and traditional Cold Brew coffee is its texture. If we could describe its texture, it would be bubbly and frothy. If you’ve ever tried any other nitro drink, you’ll know what that special feeling is all about. It is a lot of microbubbles that unfold on the palate. Its texture is very similar to Guinness beer, a nitrogen beer.
Nitro cold brew coffee recipe for home
Ingredients
- Coarse ground coffee
- Nitrogen refill
- Ice
Tools
- Cold Brew Coffee Maker
- Whipped cream or liquid nitrogen dispenser with nitrogen refill
- Large glass or cup
How to make nitro cold brew coffee?
You should be aware that you need special equipment to make nitro coffee. Let’s take a look at the step-by-step instructions:
- First, you need to make the Cold Brew coffee. You can find the recipe and the recommended machines in our guide to cold brew coffee machines. Keep in mind that a coffee maker of this type will take between 12 and 24 hours to brew the drink. It is best to let the coffee sit for 24 hours so that the liquid can absorb all the flavor and aroma of the ground coffee.
- Pour the coffee into the nitrogen or whipped cream dispenser.
- Load the nitrogen charge.
- Squeeze the charge to release the nitrogen and mix it with the coffee. You can shake the dispenser up and down for 5 minutes to make sure the nitrogen mixes perfectly with the coffee and micro-bubbles form.
- Wait 5 minutes for the bubbles to settle on the top layer of the coffee and pour the nitro coffee into a glass.
Done. Enjoy a cold, creamy, frothy and sweet coffee!
