For the fans
If you’re among the legions of pumpkin spice fans, ordering your first pumpkin-flavored drink of the season can feel like a holiday. Pumpkin cream cold brew from Starbucks is a classic cold brew with a pumpkin-flavored cold foam that melts and filters into the drink as you sip. And, it turns out, it’s not that complicated to make at home.
In this article: Vitamix Quiet One Blender, Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder and Boao Cloth Coffee Strainers.
Equipment to make cold brew
Making cold brew at home is much easier than you might think, and it requires very little in the way of equipment.
- Coffee grinder: The best coffee always comes from beans you grind fresh yourself. You can skip this if you don’t want to grind your own beans, but cheap pre-ground coffee may not taste as good.
- Bottles: You typically need two bottles to make cold brew: one for steeping and one for storage.
- Coffee strainer: Unless you like chewing on little chunks of coffee, you need a strainer.
- Ice mold: This is a bonus for those that like to sip their cold brew for extended periods and hate when ice dilutes the taste of their coffee. Just fill it with some cold brew and stash it in your freezer for later.
Ingredients to make cold brew
The only ingredients you need to make cold brew are water and coffee beans or pre-ground coffee. Make sure to get the best possible ingredients for the highest quality taste.
However, if you want to make an “authentic” Starbucks cold brew as used in the pumpkin cream cold brew recipe, you need to few more things. For example, you'll need a few pumps of vanilla syrup with your cup of cold brew.
If you don’t want to make your own, you can use canned or bottled cold brew. Any will do, but you can go with Starbucks-brand cold brew for accuracy.
How to make cold brew
Making cold brew is a simple three-step process:
- Grind your beans. A coarse grind is best for cold brew.
- Soak your coffee for 12 to 15 hours in a refrigerator. Use 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of coffee.
- Strain your cold brew into a fresh container. Store in the refrigerator.
Equipment to make pumpkin cream cold foam
The equipment needed to make pumpkin cream cold foam depends on how you want to make it. There are two approaches.
For the Starbucks method, you only need a blender. Simply add all the ingredients in, and blend them together.
For the alternate method, you need:
- A jar: You need something to hold your ingredients. A glass mason jar is best for its durability and easy-to-use lid for keeping leftovers.
- A frother: This is the best way to mix the ingredients, as it can give the same kind of froth that a blender would.
- A mixing spoon: If you don’t want to buy a frother just for one drink, you can also mix everything by hand. Keep in mind that this method mostly just mixes the flavors rather than whipping up a legitimate Starbucks-like cold foam.
Ingredients to make pumpkin cream cold foam
Like cold brew, the pumpkin cream cold foam only requires a few ingredients. Starbucks uses a proprietary pumpkin syrup — the same one used for pumpkin spice lattes — plus vanilla syrup and milk.
Even though you can't purchase Starbucks’ pumpkin spice syrup, you can buy syrups from other brands that taste close enough.
For the base, you can use milk, cream, half-and-half or a mix of the three depending on how thick you want the finished product to be. Starbucks uses special blenders to make the milk frothy and thick, so at least some cream or half-and-half is recommended if you don’t have this blender.
How to make pumpkin cream cold foam
The pumpkin cream cold foam recipe involves two steps. Add your ingredients together and use your preferred mixing method. The ingredient ratios and time spent mixing are up to you.
Best equipment to make pumpkin cream cold brew
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder
This grinder can grind enough coffee beans to make up to 12 cups of coffee. Its cord has hidden storage, so it doesn’t tangle up your counter or cabinet.
County Line Kitchen Cold Brew Mason Jar
This cold brew mason jar comes in 32- or 64-ounce sizes with a pouring lid that can have a handle. It also comes with an insertable strainer to hold your coarse coffee grounds, letting you combine the steep and strain phases.
Boao Cloth Coffee Strainers
This four-pack of strainers has washable flannel cups that are perfect for straining your cold brew or making pour-overs.
Wibimen Round Ice Cube Trays
This set comes with two silicone ice cube trays that make 33 ice balls each and a container with a lid to keep them stored. It also comes in blue, green, pink or white.
Vitamix Quiet One Blender
This is the very Vitamix blender that Starbucks buys for its coffee shops. It’s quiet and programmable, and it can hold up to 48 ounces.
Ball Mason Jars
This set of Ball mason jars comes with four 32-ounce jars and matching lids. The lids have spaces for writing dates so you can accurately track how long the cold foam has been inside.
Zulay Kitchen Executive Series Milk Frother
This Zulay milk frother comes with a stand, a “froth cheat sheet,” a recipe book, a guide to coffee drinks and a lifetime warranty. It runs on two AA batteries.
Briout Bar Spoon
This bar spoon is 1-foot long, which is perfect for reaching down into large mason jars when mixing big batches. It doesn’t hurt that it’s useful for making all manner of other drinks too.
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Jordan Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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