Traditionally, cold brew was a time-intensive process – a full extraction required a minimum of 18 hours because of the lack of heat exchange or pressure. 

Brewing cold brew presented operational complexity and challenges to efficient workflows for businesses hoping to diversify their menu offerings. However, cold brew is growing in popularity as a cold coffee option among younger consumers – coffee businesses risk missing out if they don’t offer it.   

Luckily, there are a growing number of fast cold brew coffee makers on the market that are solving this common dichotomy. These makers brew cold brew faster via patented technology and modern equipment. 

Faster cold brew production simplifies service, keeps customers happy and often means safer, more hygienic and more consistent beverages. 

To learn more about the development and benefits of fast cold brew coffee makers, I spoke to Patrick O’Malley, owner of Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters and founding partner of 3 Coffee Guys.

Why do we need fast cold brew coffee makers?

Before discussing the concept of fast cold brew coffee makers, it’s helpful to understand the cold brew preparation methods that preceded them.

Coffee shops traditionally used the full immersion method to make cold brew, which involved steeping coffee grounds in cold water over extended periods, typically between 18 to 24 hours.

Unlike drip and filter coffee or espresso, cold brewing lacks a heat exchange or pressurisation, which are the steps essential to hot brewing extraction. Without these steps, cold brewing relies on a slow process of immersion, where flavour is gradually extracted from coffee grounds over time.

This lengthy brewing process largely limited cafes and coffee brands to one batch of cold brew per day: if they sold out, they could not replenish their stock for another 18-24 hours. 

In addition, this process was often very inconsistent, labour-intensive, and wasteful, which drove up operational costs. Staff had to be dedicated to setting up and cleaning the cold brew utensils, and recipes were prone to variation and inconsistency, with limited shelf life. 

As cold brew has grown in recent years, driven by modern consumer preferences for cold and convenient coffee and health-conscious beverage options, demand for better brewing technology has pushed equipment manufacturers to innovate. 

At Hardtank, after twenty years in specialty coffee and witnessing the challenges presented by traditional cold brewing firsthand, we have developed patented technology and state-of-the-art fast cold brew coffee makers to solve this industry-wide problem. 

With the Baby Hardtank or Hardtank 20, coffee brands can brew a batch of cold brew in under 45 minutes, flexibly meeting fluctuating demand and improving the cost-effectiveness of commercial cold brew production.

How do advanced cold brew systems work?

Technology has been the major driving force behind the fast cold brew revolution: equipment and methodologies have been reimagined and reinvented in order to support the wider coffee industry. 

Patrick says he’s seen various new developments in technology and equipment over the last several years that have massively improved cold brew speed, quality and consistency. 

“Many types of beer-style brewing equipment have come along, like those using centrifuge systems and draught systems,” he says. 

“What I have found most fascinating has been the advent and improvement of post-brew filtration technology. The improvement in canning quality and shelf life (without the need for refrigeration or cold-chain) is notable,” he explains.

Different fast cold brew makers leverage different technologies, methods or equipment to produce a quick cup. Percolation, vacuum chambers, and agitation have all been applied to cold brewing to speed things up. 

At Hardtank, we use our own patented recirculation technology in our machines – water is constantly flowing through the stainless steel extraction basket, dramatically increasing the rate at which water interacts with the coffee grounds and improving the overall yield.  

Patrick mentions that speed is just one aspect of technological advancement – fast cold brew coffee makers also improve cold brew quality and consistency.

“The product is much cleaner, with little to no sediment and no need for extra filtration afterwards,” he explains. 

“The taste is amazing, and total dissolved solid (TDS) levels are unobtainable in full immersion.”

When cold brew is brewed the traditional way, it needs to be diluted with more water to reduce the TDS ratio; otherwise, the drink will be too concentrated.

Beyond the beverage itself

Faster cold brew production allows coffee shops to always have fresh, high-quality cold brew on hand. This allows them to be more agile and react quickly to changes in foot traffic and demand, preventing lost revenue and disappointed customers. 

Revenue forecasting and stock planning become much easier as fast cold brew coffee makers like Hardtank improve overall yield and minimise waste. 

“I have used several, read about even more, and think that the new systems we use for cold brew production are making our lives a lot easier,” says Patrick. 

“Even small cafés can produce cold brew efficiently, with great taste, in a speedy and efficient manner.”

These modern cold brew systems automate almost the entire brewing process, minimising human error and slashing labour costs: Starbucks’ new, patented cold brewing process is expected to save the high-street giant over $50m a year on labour costs across its US portfolio. 

Beyond speed and cost savings, fast cold brew coffee makers are more hygienic and promote better health and safety standards. Hardtank machines have an automatic cleaning and sanitation cycle, eliminating the need for manual cleaning. 

Exploring Hardtank’s fast cold brew makers

Hardtank’s fast cold brew coffee makers ensure quick, easy, and accessible cold brew production for businesses of all shapes and sizes. 

Our cold brew equipment is designed to meet a wide range of production needs, from single-location coffee shops with limited counter space to large-scale commercial coffee brands looking to produce cold brew en masse. 

The Hardtank 20 is a commercial machine capable of producing over 1,200 200 ml cold brew portions per day. It is well-suited for servicing multi-outlet chains or RTD businesses. 

Hardtank 1T and 2T combine the Hardtank 20 with either one or two built-in nitro dispensing draught systems for direct nitro coffee serving.

Baby Hardtank is a compact, 30 cm x 30 cm countertop-friendly fast cold brew coffee maker, ideal for smaller businesses working with limited space. 

Its award-winning design enhances customer experience while leveraging the same patented technology found across our line of cold brew machines. 

To learn more about our range of fast cold brew coffee makers, visit our website or get in touch with the Hardtank team. 

Don’t worry if you missed our recent cold brew masterclass. You can still watch the recording by following this link!

Fast cold brew coffee maker