Preparing cold brew coffee fast without the aid of modern technology, brewing techniques, and equipment can be an arduous task, especially for businesses with more limited resources.

12 to 24-hour steeping times, unhygienic brewing utensils, and short shelf life restrict coffee companies’ ability to leverage the growing interest in cold brew properly. 

By unlocking brewing speed, profitability quickly follows, and safety and quality are simultaneously enhanced, especially when using the most cutting-edge technology. 

To learn more about the value of modern cold brew equipment and how to retail it effectively and profitably, we spoke to Mike Roy, director of business operations at Pure Spirits World in Ontario, Canada. 

Prepping the infusion basket of a Baby Hardtank machine

Why can manufacturing cold brew be a slow and inefficient process?

Traditionally, cold brew coffee has been prepared by steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water for at least twelve hours, but ideally more than 18 hours. Cold brew coffee does not use pressure or heat during the brewing process, so time becomes the key extraction variable. 

As the coffee grounds steep over an extended period, the coffee beans’ natural oils, aromas, and flavours are extracted via immersion, eventually creating a cold brew concentrate

Once the concentrated cold brew has been produced, the liquid needs to be diluted with water to establish the optimum TDS (total dissolved solids) ratio before being served as a coffee beverage. 

Of course, excellent cold brew can be produced via the tradtional approach – especially when using specialy beans and the brewing process is carefully observed and executed. Nevertheless, it is a time-consuming exercise, requiring its own set of management, oversight and labour practices, as well as a dedicated space. 

In a practical setting, retailing cold brew coffee can become challenging: coffee shops need to dedicate time, staff, and space to its production, and it cannot be created quickly or reactively, meaning management needs to accurately predict demand or risk wasted product or missed sales. 

Cue cold brew machines – equipment dedicated to producing cold brew coffee fast, with greater consistency, higher quality, and safer processes. Examples include the Baby Hardtank and Hardtank 20

Commercial cold brew machines make cold brew coffee faster by using various patented technologies. At Hardtank, we use our own recirculation approach to speed up the interaction between the brewing water and coffee grounds and produce a batch of ready-to-drink cold brew in under 60 minutes. 

Moreover, the extraction is closely controlled via intuitive software programming, greatly enhancing the consistency and quality of the cold brew by allowing management to pre-set and save recipies and processes for repeateably brewing. 

“Considering the category is still quite new in comparison to espresso-based and or hot brewed beverages, I think the quality of cold brew in any format is extremely important,” says Mike.   

“With the boom of consumer-facing RTD products in the last decade – cans, bottles, draught coffee, nitro coffee, etc.), quality is a way for brands to set themselves apart and succeed. 

With a machine like Hardtank 20 or Baby Hardtank, your cold brew is more likely to match expectations

Barista making cold brew coffee fast with Baby Hardtank

How do commercial cold brew systems help save money?

For hospitality businesses, time equals money. The faster and smoother an operation like a coffee shop can run, the more profitable it will become. Faster service speed means more customers served and more revenue generated.

Hardtank machines make cold brew coffee fast and more profitable by greatly enhancing the overall efficiency of the entire cold brew production process, from reduced labour costs, to higher beverage yield, and automated cleaning cycles. 

“Modern equipment and innovation are crucial aspects to cold brew production,” says Mike.   

“By utilising technology, science, and automation, cold brew brewers can increase their yield and quality while reducing COGS and speeding up the long brew times of traditional steeping methods.  

“Reimagining and rethinking the brewing process is important for coffee companies as it allows them to reduce their costs, produce higher quantities of cold brew at a higher quality, and be able to market themselves as doing something different than the rest.”

With a Baby Hardtank, businesses can expect a cost per 200 ml serving of cold brew of €0.39 cents – a profit of €3.61 per serving at a retail price of €4.00.

With a Hardtank 20, businesses can expect a cost per 200 ml serving of cold brew of €0.32 cents – a profit of €3.68 per serving at a retail price of €4.00. 

In summary, comercial cold brew systems make cold brew coffee fast and more profitable by reducing the brewing times from 18-24 hours down to less than one, and by increasing the brewing yield significantly – 1 kg of coffee will generate over 60 servings of cold brew. . 

Once purchased and selling 20 portions of cold brew per day, a business can expect a ROI on their Baby Hardtank commercial cold brew coffee machine in just 58 days. On their Hardtank 20, selling 90 portions per day, they can expect an ROI in just 39 days. 

To make your cold brew coffee faster and more profitable, visit our website or get in touch with the Hardtank team directly

Cold brew coffee fast