Nitro coffee offers a unique twist on the traditional cold brew by infusing it with nitrogen gas to create a smooth, creamy texture, unlike anything you’ve ever tasted.
The cold brewing process makes nitro coffee deliciously sweet, while the nitrogen creates a unique velvety mouthfeel.
In this article, we’ll explore exactly what nitro coffee is, how you can make it yourself at home, what sets it apart from other coffee drinks, and its potential health benefits.
What is Nitro Coffee?
Nitro coffee is cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas.
The gas creates tiny bubbles that give the popular drink its signature creamy texture. At the same time, the cold brewing process reduces the coffee’s acidity, swapping it for a smooth, subtle sweetness in its place.
Nitro Coffee Origins
No one can be 100% sure about the exact origins of nitro coffee. But most sources agree that it was probably first created by Nate Armbrust, a food scientist in Portland, Oregon.
Armbrust dreamed of adding bubbles to a cold cup of coffee and experimented with carbonating coffee. Unfortunately, the results were terrible and had a major negative impact on taste.
After reminiscing about his home-brewing days, Armrust was inspired to add nitrogen gas to cold coffee instead. It took him just a couple of months to perfect the ratios, and by June 2013, Stumptown Nitro Cold Brew was one of the first nitro coffees available to buy from cafes in Portland.
How Nitro Coffee is Made
Cold brew is one of the most important ingredients in nitro coffee.
Here’s a basic step-by-step process for brewing nitro coffee.
For more comprehensive, detailed steps to follow at home yourself, take a look at our cold brew guide.
- Measure & Grind Your Coffee — You need around 14 g (2 ½ tablespoons) per serving. Grind your coffee coarsely for the best results.
- Combine Coffee & Water — Pour 3 ¼ oz (110 ml) of cold water into a mason jar or French press and stir in the ground coffee. Add the lid and leave to chill in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Strain — If using a mason jar, pour the coffee through a filter or fine sieve to remove the grounds. If using a French press, push the plunger through the coffee to filter out the grounds.
The nitro in nitro coffee comes after the coffee has finished brewing.
Once the cold brew process is complete, the coffee is stored in kegs that are pressurized with nitrogen gas. Specialized equipment can be bought for relatively cheap online to do this yourself at home.
Serving Nitro Coffee
Most coffee shops store nitro coffee inside kegs and pull it through pressurized taps before serving. The process and appearance of the drink could trick you into thinking that nitro coffee is a type of beer. It even produces a similar frothy head you’d expect when buying draft beer.
Needless to say, nitro coffee is completely alcohol-free. This thick and creamy head comes from proteins and sugars present in the coffee itself.
Brewing Nitro Coffee At Home Cheaply Using A Cream Whipper
It’s unlikely you have a keg with a tap suitable for nitro coffee at home — but that doesn’t mean you have to go without. You can make nitro coffee with a whipped cream dispenser and nitrogen cartridges.
- Combine Cold Brew & Water — Dilute a single serving of cold brew (around 3 ½ oz) with equal parts water. Pour into a whipped cream dispenser and seal tightly.
- Charge with Nitrous Oxide — Charge the device with one shot of nitrogen and shake for 30 seconds until the dispenser is cold to the touch.
- Release the Gas — Press the trigger to release the gas, then pour your nitro coffee into a glass over ice.
Taste Profile of Nitro Coffee
Nitro coffee is known for its subtle sweetness, creamy texture, and smooth finish. The cold brewing process lowers coffee’s natural acidity while enhancing the delicious chocolate notes and fruit flavors of the coffee beans.
Nitro vs. Cold Brew Coffee
The biggest difference between cold brew and nitro coffee when it comes to taste is the texture. By infusing it with nitrogen, nitro coffee has a much richer and creamier texture than regular cold brew, almost like stout beer or a milkshake. Cold brew is typically much smoother than nitro brew.
Cold brew tends to have the same texture and appearance throughout. However, taking a closer look at nitro coffee, you'll see there's a distinct difference between the dark brown body and the thick cream-colored frothy top.
Nitro vs. Brewed Black Coffee
Nitro coffee and regular drip coffee taste very different. Regular coffee has a rounded flavor, enhanced with a very subtle sweetness, a striking acidity, gentle bitter notes, and a satisfying aroma.
On the other hand, nitro coffee has a much smoother flavor with a more profound sweetness, a mere suggestion of acidity, and almost no bitterness at all. Nitro coffee’s natural sweetness makes it a great alternative to regular coffee if you want to cut down on your sugar intake.
How the Beans Impact Flavor in Nitro Coffee
It’s important to remember that, just like with any type of coffee, coffee beans play a huge role when it comes to taste profile.
If you’re looking for an earthy taste with chocolate notes, try brewing nitro coffee with our HaNoi 100% robusta coffee beans. Alternatively, if you’re searching for something more bold and velvety, our SaiGon robusta, arabica, and peaberry blend is the best choice.
Health Benefits of Nitro Coffee
The nitrogen that goes into cold brew to make nitro coffee doesn’t have any impact on the potential health benefits. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for an espresso, iced coffee, drip coffee, or nitro coffee — you’ll enjoy very similar health benefits.
Benefits of coffee may include:
- Improves mood [1]
- Promotes longevity [2]
- May lower your risk of type 2 diabetes [3]
- May help protect the brain from dementia [4]
- Weight loss supportive [5]
- Enhances brain function [6]
- Improves physical performance [7]
- May help protect against heart disease [8]
- Liver-protective [9]
Nitro Coffee Caffeine Content
Despite what many coffee shops tell you, nitro coffee isn’t incredibly high in caffeine. It contains 12–13 mg of caffeine per oz, which is similar to regular drip coffee.
The cold brew that forms the foundation of nitro coffee is a concentrate. It needs to be diluted before it can be turned into cold brew. This naturally lowers the caffeine level.
Side Effects of Nitro Coffee
The side effects of nitro coffee are the same as any other type of coffee. Nitrogen is inert and doesn’t add any additional risk to the coffee.
Although coffee is generally considered safe, excess consumption can lead to some side effects.
Side effects of coffee may include:
- Restlessness and trouble sleeping [10]
- Headaches and migraines [11]
- Increased risk of miscarriage [12]
- Irritability and anxiousness
- Dizziness and nausea
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommends a maximum of 400 mg of caffeine per day [13]. That’s equivalent to about 30 oz of nitro brew.
Stay under this amount, and you should avoid the negative side effects of caffeine.
Low Acid Nitro Coffee
Nitro coffee is less acidic than other types of coffee. This is because most acids in coffee beans only become apparent at high temperatures of 195–205°F (90–96°C). The cold brewing method creates much lower acidity levels than hot coffee [14].
If you’ve ever experienced digestive discomfort from coffee, nitro coffee may be the brew for you. The natural acid in coffee can cause digestive problems and irritate your stomach. Switching to nitro coffee may improve your symptoms.
Storing & Serving Nitro Coffee
If you make nitro coffee with a whipped cream dispenser, we don’t suggest making a big match of nitro coffee and storing it in the fridge. No matter how airtight your container is, the coffee won’t keep its signature texture and will quickly go flat.
Instead, we recommend making cold brew and storing it inside a mason jar or other airtight container in the fridge. When you’re craving nitro coffee, remove the cold brew from the fridge and infuse it with nitrous oxide. Making nitro coffee this way will give you the best texture.
If you have a keg, you can store prepared nitro coffee under nitrogen pressure inside the keg in the fridge. Your coffee will stay thick and creamy for up to two weeks when stored this way.
FAQs: Nitro Coffee
Nitro coffee is all the rage these days. Here are 10 of the most common questions we get asked about this trendy brew style.
1. What makes nitro coffee different from regular coffee?
Nitro coffee is cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas. The gas creates small bubbles, creating the signature creamy texture. Because nitro coffee is made with cold brew, it’s also less acidic than regular coffee.
2. Can nitro coffee be made at home?
Yes, you can make nitro coffee at home — if you’ve got the right equipment. The simplest way is with a whipped cream dispenser.
Pour cold brew coffee into the whipped cream dispenser and seal. Charge the canister with a nitrous oxide cartridge and shake for 30 seconds. Leave the canister to sit for 30 seconds and pour your delicious nitro coffee.
3. Is nitro coffee alcoholic?
No, nitro coffee is completely alcohol-free. While it may look like beer and is often served out of beer kegs, the only ingredients are coffee and nitrogen gas. It contains absolutely no alcohol.
4. How much caffeine is in nitro coffee?
Nitro coffee contains the same amount of caffeine as cold brew coffee. That’s 197-213 mg of caffeine for a 16 oz cup. Nitro coffee contains 12–13 mg of caffeine per oz, which is similar to regular drip coffee.
The relatively average caffeine content is due to nitro coffee being made with cold brew coffee and nitrogen gas. The gas doesn’t increase the caffeine content, leaving you with the caffeine from the cold brew alone.
5. Does nitro coffee taste sweet?
Yes, nitro coffee tastes slightly sweet with a creamy texture and a smooth finish. The cold brewing process enhances the natural sweetness of the coffee, along with the subtle chocolate notes and bright fruit flavors of the beans.
Because of this, you don’t need to add as much sweetener to nitro coffee as you do other kinds of coffee. This makes it a healthier alternative.
6. Why is nitro coffee more expensive than regular coffee?
Nitro coffee is more expensive than regular coffee because of the equipment, ingredients, and process that goes into making it.
Most coffee houses store their cold brew in a keg and push it through a pressurized valve to create a creamy texture. All this equipment costs money and takes more time to prepare than a standard drip coffee or espresso.
The ingredients are more expensive, too. Nitro coffee is made with cold brew, which requires 2-3 times as much ground coffee to brew as other kinds of coffee. The cost of nitrous gas also needs to be taken into account, as well as the space needed to store the specialist equipment.
7. Can I use any type of coffee for nitro brew?
While you can use any type of ground coffee, we recommend a well-balanced and flavorful blend for the best results. Our 100% arabica DaLat Coffee is an excellent choice for making a light and fruity nitro coffee.
8. How long does nitro coffee stay fresh after brewing?
When you store it properly under nitrogen pressure inside a keg, nitro coffee will last for up to two weeks.
If you’re making nitro coffee at home, we recommend you make cold brew and store it inside an airtight container in the fridge. Infuse the cold brew with nitrogen just before you’re ready to drink. You’ll get the best texture this way.
9. What is the best way to serve nitro coffee?
Nitro coffee is best served cold, directly from the tap or whipped cream dispenser, depending on how you make it. Pour the nitro coffee into a clear glass so you can see its rich, dark body and light, creamy top.
The cold brewing process makes nitro coffee sweeter than other types of coffee. Because of this, we suggest you sip your coffee before adding sweetener.
10. Are there any health risks associated with drinking nitro coffee?
Like any caffeinated beverage, moderation is key. Excessive consumption of nitro coffee may lead to caffeine-related side effects, like anxiety.
Consuming less than 400 mg of caffeine daily is a good way to avoid side effects. So, if you drink less than 30 oz of nitro coffee each day, you should be fine.
References
- Dr. Michel Lucas, Dr. Fariba Mirzaei, An Pan, Olivia I. Okereke, Walter C Willett, Éilis J O’Reilly, Karestan Koenen, Alberto Ascherio, (2012). Coffee, Caffeine, and Risk of Depression Among Women.
- Erikka Loftfield, Marilyn C Cornelis, Neil Caporaso, Kai Yu, Rashmi Sinha, Neal Freedman. (2018). Association of Coffee Drinking With Mortality by Genetic Variation in Caffeine Metabolism: Findings From the UK Biobank.
- Andrew O Odegaard, Mark A Pereira, Woon-Puay Koh, Kazuko Arakawa, Hin-Peng Lee, Mimi C Yu. (2008). Coffee, Tea, and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: The Singapore Chinese Health Study.
- Catarina Santos, João Costa, João Santos, António Vaz-Carneiro, Nuno Lunet. (2010). Caffeine Intake and Dementia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- A G Dulloo, C A Geissler, T Horton, A Collins, D S Miller. (1989). Normal Caffeine Consumption: Influence on Thermogenesis and Daily Energy Expenditure in Lean and Postobese Human Volunteers.
- Melanie A. Heckman, Jorge Weil, Elvira Gonzalez De Mejia. (2010). Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) in Foods: A Comprehensive Review on Consumption, Functionality, Safety, and Regulatory Matters.
- D L Costill, G P Dalsky, W J Fink. (1978). Effects of Caffeine Ingestion on Metabolism and Exercise Performance.
- James H O'Keefe, Salman K Bhatti, Harshal R Patil, James J DiNicolantonio, Sean C Lucan, Carl J Lavie. (2013). Effects of Habitual Coffee Consumption on Cardiometabolic Disease, Cardiovascular Health, and All-Cause Mortality.
- Sammy Saab, Divya Mallam, Gerald A. Cox II, Myron J. Tong. (2013). Impact of Coffee on Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review.
- Chad J Reissig, Eric C Strain, Roland R Griffiths. (2008). Caffeinated Energy Drinks — A Growing Problem.
- Niels P Riksen, Gerard A Rongen, Paul Smits. (2008). Acute and Long-Term Cardiovascular Effects of Coffee: Implications for Coronary Heart Disease.
- Ling-Wei Chen, Yi Wu, Nithya Neelakantan, Mary Foong-Fong Chong, An Pan, Rob M van Dam. (2014). Maternal Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy is Associated with Risk of Low Birth Weight: A Systematic Review and Dose-response Meta-analysis.
- The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). (2023). Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
- Erol Uman, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, Lesley Colonna-Dashwood, Matthew Perger, Christian Klatt, Stephen Leighton, Brian Miller, Keith T. Butler, Brent C. Melot, Rory W. Speirs, Christopher H. Hendona. (2016). The Effect of Bean Origin and Temperature on Grinding Roasted Coffee.
