Cold Brew Vs. Iced Coffee: Differences

Both are just coffee on ice! No sir! Hear me out;

Taste

Cold brew and iced coffee made with the same coffee grounds will have different tastes. The coffee drinks are far apart on the flavor intensity spectrum. Cold brew has a unique and more complex flavor profile than iced coffee. It is mellow (smooth and sweet) on the flavor intensity spectrum.

Iced coffee, on the other hand, is perfect for giving your palette an acidic and/or bitter awakening. It is just regular coffee on ice. Depending on the type of coffee used to make it; iced coffee is likely to be bold, bitter, and acidic, which you likely get from your everyday cup of joe.

I don’t entertain iced coffee slander. If you have had disgusting iced coffee before, it was probably stale before someone added ice. Once in my life, my uncultured self would wake up super-pumped for the day, head to the kitchen, and make a giant batch of coffee to take me through the day. We live to learn. The compounds in coffee (solubles) that give it its signature smell and flavor oxidize and degrade when coffee beans or grounds touch air. They degrade even further when you mix coffee grounds with hot water. Technically, if you brew coffee and let it sit on your kitchen counter for hours, you drink poor-quality coffee. 

The flavor differences between cold brew and iced coffee result from the beverages’ varying brewing methods and time.

Brewing process and time

Preparation method sets the two brews apart. Cold brew, as its name suggests, is cold from the beginning of the brewing process to the end product. To make a cold brew, you have to steep coarse coffee grounds in cold water for 14 to 24 hours. You can steep the coffee grounds for a shorter period, not less than 14 hours. Steeping for a longer time ensures the extraction of all the stubborn flavor compounds from the coffee grounds.

In essence, cold brew owes its complex flavors and high caffeine level to a long, drawn-out extraction period. Unfortunately, there is no standard definition for cold brew by the FDA, hence the varying flavors on different cafe menu offerings. Worst yet, many cafes have resorted to using cold brew concentrate that they add water to and it is straight piss compared to the real stuff.

Iced coffee also lives up to its name. Its brewing process is less complicated than cold brew as it is regular coffee poured over ice. After brewing coffee in your most preferred style you can let it cool, refrigerate, or pour it over ice directly. Unlike cold brew, the extraction period for iced coffee is super-brief, because of the high heat in the first stage of the brewing process. 

Cold Coffee or Hot Coffee?

For a long time, hot brewed coffee would make my acid reflux flare badly. I discovered I had gastrointestinal issues and was advised to drop coffee. As I was figuring out how to manage my triggers, I realized that cold brew is easier on my stomach than hot coffee. A study on the acidity and antioxidant properties of cold brew reveals that hot coffee brews have higher levels of titratable acids than cold brews. The cold brew method does not extract as many non-deprotonated acids as hot brewing. If you have GERD and can’t quit coffee switch to cold brew. On cold days, warm it in the microwave.

Cold Brew Vs. Iced Coffee: Caffeine

Cold brew has higher caffeine levels than iced coffee. A standard 16 ounce serving of cold brew has 205 mg of caffeine while a similar amount of iced coffee contains only 165 mg of caffeine.

Caffeine levels may vary across brands for various reasons like coffee grind size, bean type, serving size, brewing time, and the amount of coffee beans used. 

Cold Brew Recipe

Prep Time: 14 to 24 hours

Equipment: Coffee filter (cloth, felt, or paper), a brewing vessel ( a glass mason jar or pitcher), serving glass.

Ingredients

• 20 ounces (567 ml) water (can be room temperature or refrigerated)
• 2.5 ounces (71 g) coarse coffee grounds
• Ice

Notes

• A coarse grind size is perfect for the recipe as it does not leave a lot of sediment in the final product, and is much easier to filter.
• You can use a kitchen strainer or cheesecloth if you don’t have a coffee filter.
• The perfect ratio is 1 part coffee: and 8 parts water.

Iced Coffee Recipe