Cold Brew Kit by Goat Story review
18.9.2023
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Pictures: Pia Seidel
Goat Story has revamped its Cold Brew Kit. It now comes with a separate filter instead of a filter bag. I tested it to see what effect this has on cold coffee.
The end of summer marks the end of cold brew season for most people. It won’t be long before it takes a sabbatical from Zurich cafes. Unfortunate, as I’ve come to like cold brew just as much as pour-over filter coffee – and I’ll take it over an espresso any day. That’s why I want to be able to make it at home all year-round. So, I grabbed myself a coffee maker from Goat Story.
The Slovenian brand, which also does drinking bottles and hand brew sets, previously offered a cold brew kit consisting of a glass container with a lid and three prepacked filter bags of ground coffee. The latter were meant to make brewing easier and ensure perfect extraction with the immersion method, which involves drawing out the coffee in water for hours. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out in practice. While the bags did simplify the process, the result was bland – mainly due to the coffee included in the set. Coffee beans should, in fact, always be freshly ground. Their aroma is volatile, dissipating a short 15 minutes after being ground. Not even a 24-hour extraction can revive the lost flavour.
Goat Story seems to have recognised the old set’s shortcomings. The brand has released a new set – and promptly sent it over to me for testing. The new brewer consists of the same stylish glass carafe as its predecessor, along with an airtight lid, and a fine mesh filter attached to the lid.
Something new – packaging and design
The carafe’s simple shape and frosted glass immediately catch my eye. The graphic elements – the logo and the measurement markings – are an elegant addition to the otherwise minimalist design. The individual components of the second-gen kit give off an air of quality. We’ll see if that’s really the case.
The only aesthetic black mark is that the packaging is very much purely functional. If you’re hoping to gift the set, you’ll be better off removing the box it comes in or wrapping it nicely. Another shortcoming is the carafe’s diameter. It’s wider than conventional bottles and doesn’t fit in the designated compartment in my fridge.
The first brew
With the previous kit, I liked that I didn’t have to think about anything. The process was simple: place coffee bag in glass container, fill with water to the top line and place in refrigerator. With the new kit, I feel a bit hung out to dry. All I got was an instruction manual for the lid and filter – no cold brew recipe was included. So, I scour the web and turn to my colleague Simon Balissat, who has already tested two different methods of preparing cold brew.
Most recipes say I need 6 grammes of coffee per 100 millilitres of cold water and recommend a light to medium roast. The carafe can hold up to 800 millilitres. I measure out 48 grammes of beans and grind them at the coarsest setting so that they’re roughly the size of cane sugar. This helps avoid over-extraction, which creates a bitter taste. I put the ground coffee in the filter, then screw iton with the lid, which closes so well, it doesn’t even drip when you hold it upside down.
I let one batch of coffee brew for 20, one for 24 hours. Both times, I’m satisfied with the result. The cold brew’s delicious; I can use my favourite beans and dose the ice cubes to my taste. Once you remove the strainer, there’s enough room in the carafe to top it up with a little water, should the brew ever taste too intense. The ratio is rarely perfect in cafes. Time and again, I’ve witnessed the brew getting stretched with an arbitrary, excessive amount of water.
Still happy several brews later
After several days of use, I’m just as happy. Refrigerated, the brew will keep up to ten days. Mine never lasts that long; it’s gone after just two days. The only thing that bothers me with frequent use is that, unlike the filter, the carafe isn’t particularly easy to clean. Unsightly water spots always rear their heads on the matt glass surface after letting it air dry. I then have to remove them by hand.
The lowdown – no eye for detail, but good taste
The Cold Brew Kit from Goat Story serves its purpose, is easy to use and looks nice. Having a suitable recipe included in the package would be helpful for beginner brewers. But once you’ve found your blend, you can get a delicious brew out of it. Price-wise, the kit is in the midfield. The Mazagran from Alessi costs just under 50 francs, and the Luckies Daily Grind costs just under 20 francs. I prefer a model with a slim design like Alessi’s so it fits into my fridge better.
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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