I recently came across a trending Instagram Reel that claims you can make a cold nitro brew using your espresso machine. Of course, I was skeptical right away and had to give the video a watch to see it.
Key Takeaways
- Hot steam balances the melting ice so the drink stays cool throughout the process.
- The heating process gives the iced americano a smooth mouthfeel, especially after settling.
- I recently came across a trending Instagram Reel that claims you can make a cold nitro brew using your espresso machine.
- Of course, I was skeptical right away and had to give the video a watch to see it.
There were different opinions about the result in the comments, so I decided to go ahead and try it myself. While it’s not a cold cup of nitro since there’s no nitrogen involved in the process, this hack is said to get you closer to the real thing.
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Nitro Cold Brew in an Espresso machine
In a video from @tannercolsoncoffee on Instagram, an idea given by Redditor named Tom V is shown explaining how to make a cold nitro drink using an espresso machine with a steam wand.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pull a double shot of espresso, making sure it’s dialed right. |
| 2 | Fill a small carafe or pitcher with ice cubes and a splash of water. |
| 3 | Pour shots of espresso over a mixture of ice and water to make a mini iced americano. |
| 4 | Inject air into the mixture using your steam wand. |
| 5 | Once the ice is done melting and the drink is bubbly, it’s ready to go. |
Although this is technically called an Aerocano, since the Americano has hot ice, it is said that this method offers all the delicious effects of a nitro cold brew in a much faster process.
The video instructs coffee lovers to first pull a double espresso from their machine, making sure it is brewed properly. This ensures a delicious taste that will greatly affect the taste of your drink creation.
Next, you’ll want to fill a small carafe or pitcher with ice cubes and a splash of water. Pour the shots of espresso you pulled into this mixture and you have a small iced americano. By using this along with your steam wand, you will put air into it.
As the steam slowly melts the ice in the mixture, you get a frothy and airy texture. Hot steam balances the melting ice so the drink stays cool throughout the process. After you’ve properly poured your americano and the ice has finished melting, the drink is ready to go.
Making My Own Nitro Cold Brew Using an Espresso Machine
I was curious to try this method of making a nitro cold brew myself. So I followed the steps listed in the Instagram video and ended up with my Aerocano.
I could see how it looked like a cold nitro drink as the foamy head was very similar. However, when it comes to the taste of this drink creation, it is not much like a cold nitro drink.
The heating process gives the iced americano a smooth mouthfeel, especially after settling. There is no doubt that this drink is still delicious and, if you are looking for a drink that is almost like a cold nitro that you can make at home without special equipment other than a steam wand, then this is a quick and very tasty hack.
Wrapping up
Overall, this was a fun experiment to find and try. While you won’t get the unique flavor you get from cold nitro beer, you can still replicate the smoothness of one by building your own Aerocano.
Adding a little air to your iced americano using a steam wand is a quick and easy way to improve your coffee making skills and home brewing options.