The coffee world always seems to have something else to learn about and Dutch Coffee is just another example of one of these. So, to help you add to your your Coffee brewing options, I’ll explain Dutch Coffee.
What is Dutch Coffee? It’s essentially a brewing method where coffee is made by letting ice-cold water drip over fresh coffee grounds for a period of between 3.5 hours to 18 hours!
If you are interested in finding out if Dutch Coffee is for you, then read on. I will also give you some pros and cons of this brewing method as well as how to have the best experience when drinking Dutch Coffee.
The Basics About Dutch Coffee
This might be quite hard to believe, but one of the most important things that fuel the Dutch people is coffee! Believe it or not, the Dutch love their coffee so much that it’s almost impossible to match them cup for cup.
It’s a widely known fact that the Netherlands consume more coffee per day than any other country in the world! So if you’ve been wondering about the Dutch coffee, an artful brewing method that’s making a great comeback in the world’s coffee scene, you’ve come to the right place.
Centuries ago, almost 300 years before Starbucks became a thing; the Dutch invented a unique method of brewing coffee. Known as the Dutch coffee, this coffee brewing method creates arguably the finest coffee.
After years of hiatus, Dutch coffee is making an incredible comeback and is highly popular in Japan and Korea where it has become an art form.
What is Dutch Coffee?
Contrary to common coffee brewing methods that use hot water, Dutch coffee is a unique brewing method that uses cold water. It’s essentially a brewing method where coffee is made by letting ice-cold water drip over fresh coffee grounds for a period of between 3.5 hours to 18 hours!
Generally, the drip rate should range from a few drops per second to about six drops per minute. So depending on the type of brewer that you’re using, the entire Dutch coffee brewing process should last from a few hours to almost 18 hours.
An important part of making Dutch coffee is that coffee grounds react differently with cold water to the way they react with hot water. The fact that cold water is used means that Dutch coffee does not oxidize, which makes it less bitter, less acidic, and of course, extremely easy to taste. This principally gives Dutch coffee a fruitier flavor than almost all types of coffee brewed using hot water.
In addition to the fruity flavor, Dutch coffee is highly beneficial since it doesn’t have any calories like coffee brewed with hot water. This is because the fats in coffee beans are insoluble in cold water, so there won’t be any fats in your Dutch coffee.
The History of Dutch Coffee
The connection between the Dutch and coffee can be traced back almost 300 years ago during the Golden Age. At the time, coffee was only grown in its original home: Yemen. Although it was a valuable commodity, it was illegal to transport or export fertile coffee plants from Yemen.
That didn’t, however, stop the resilient Dutch sailors from shipping fertile coffee plants from Yemen to faraway places such as India and Indonesia. The main aim was to plant coffee in these places to supply the flourishing coffee market back in Europe.
As far as Dutch coffee is concerned, it was created by the Dutch sailors working for the Dutch East India Company. These sailors were not allowed to use fire anywhere else but in the ships’ kitchens.
They discovered that this type of coffee lasted longer since it didn’t oxidize. This was also beneficial to them during longer voyages, especially when it was hot as it was a cooling and refreshing beverage.
So when voyaging to Asia, the Dutch sailors introduced this brewing method to Japan and Korea where it has remained to date. Today, Dutch coffee is not a specialty found in Japanese and Korean coffee shops or in hip coffee shops. It’s becoming a modern version of cold brew and it’s steadily becoming famous all over the world.
Why is Dutch Coffee not More Popular?
Despite being arguably one of the finest coffee brews out there, Dutch coffee is still not very popular. This has nothing to do with its flavor. If anything, it has a fruity flavor than most coffee brews.
Unlike most cold brew methods that can easily make large capacities of coffee at a time, Dutch coffee requires the use of a special coffee maker that can only make smaller quantities of coffee at any given time. This definitely makes it highly inefficient, especially for commercial brewing.
So if you want to enjoy Dutch coffee, it would be advisable to invest in your own Dutch coffee maker. Keep in mind that the prices of these coffee makers can be quite expensive.
Nonetheless, Dutch coffee is one of the finest brews that you should try out. Its flavor is one of the best and will definitely change your perception of cold brew.
The Dutch coffee makers are also nice to look at and can be an appealing addition to your kitchen. Better still, Dutch coffee is like an art form, something that you can boast to your friends and relatives about. In short, the charm that comes with brewing Dutch coffee cannot be matched.
Pros of Dutch Coffee
One of the most crucial reasons to try out Dutch coffee is the taste. Dutch coffee not only tastes better than other types of brews but it’s also more complex than most coffee brews. It also has a fuller body than all cold brews.
It’s also efficient. Despite taking close to 18 hours to brew, Dutch coffee is still faster than most cold brews. So if you want a faster way to make a cold coffee brew, Dutch coffee is your best option. In other words, Dutch coffee has the shortest brewing time in cold brewing.
In addition to its taste, Dutch coffee is also known to produce a smooth, non-oxidized low acid coffee. You also don’t have to worry about calories since the fats in coffee beans are insoluble in cold water.
Con of Dutch Coffee
Its takes a long time to make requires a special cold brew coffee maker that can be quite expensive. The coffee maker depending on the one you get is also made with a lot of glass parts, which make it highly fragile.
Final Thoughts
Dutch coffee has a rich history dating back almost 300 years ago. It’s a unique style of brewing coffee using cold water instead of hot water. For this reason, Dutch coffee is less acidic, less oxidized but highly flavorful, almost akin to a Belgium chocolate.
This type of coffee is currently gaining its mojo back and will soon be a new trend of making a great cup of coffee that’s worth waiting for!
