Make Nitro Cold-Brew Coffee at Home With This Slick Countertop Setup
Nitrogen, despite being an inert gas, can still cause a reaction, especially when added to a beverage. Nitrogen aerates a beverage with tinier bubbles than carbonation, but without the bitterness, and is best known for giving Guinness stout its luscious viscosity and thick, creamy head when served on tap. This makes it a natural complement to cold-brew coffee. Whether you steep it yourself or dilute a ready-to-drink concentrate such as Grady’s, GrowlerWerks’ $219 uKeg Nitro cold-brew coffee maker improves the flavour of your morning brew; use it with tea and batch cocktails, too.
Since the nineteenth century, the family behind the Austrian company ISi has manufactured syphons and carbonation equipment. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the $220 Nitro 32-ounce stainless steel coffee whipper is built to last.
If you believe there is no such thing as too much coffee, or if you need something commercial-grade, the Royal Brew’s $180 Nitro cold-brew 128-oz coffee keg is the best option for you. It may not fit all refrigerators due to its 19.5-inch height, but a 64-ounce model is also available.
Naturally, coffee in a can is a convenient option. Rise Brewing Company offers oat-milk-enhanced nitro cold brew in vanilla latte, mocha, and plain or vanilla latte. It has partnered with Emshika’s to produce nitro coffees and teas in the Thai style.
Even Keurig users should be able to make nitro cold brew in an uKeg without experiencing tremors. Nitrous oxide capsules costing approximately $3 each (though the price decreases with volume) screw into the cap that serves as the infusion controller. Under the tap on the front of the 50-ounce, double-walled, black stainless-steel keg is a glass sight tube and a pressure gauge, so you’re always aware of the situation. GrowlerWerks even offers fine mesh sachets that can be filled with your own coffee grounds or purchased prefilled, allowing you to cold-brew coffee directly in the keg. $219; growlerwerks.com
