Both styles of java will provide you with the boost you require, but there are a few critical distinctions between them that you should be aware of before placing your order.
If you’re a coffee novice who has only recently discovered the difference between lattes and cappuccinos (it’s all in the milk, folks), it’s understandable if you’re completely perplexed by the difference between iced coffee and cold brew. After all, both beverages have the same appearance, are chilled enough to refresh you on a hot day, and are served on the rocks — but cold brew consistently costs significantly more than its counterparts. What is going on?
Michael Phillips, director of Coffee Culture at Blue Bottle Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster and retailer, breaks down cold brew vs. iced coffee to help you decide which cup of Joe is right for you and your tastebuds.
Coffee Beans and Brewing Methods for Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee
There are no set bean requirements for cold brew or iced coffee, and the roast used varies by café, according to Phillips. For instance, while some coffee shops prefer a darker roast profile for iced coffees, Blue Bottle employs “brighter” (read: more acidic) coffees to achieve a broader range of flavors, he explains. On the other hand, “cold brew tends to detract from the fruit notes and brighter flavor characteristics of coffee,” Phillips notes. “If you have an extremely expensive, lightly roasted, and high elevation coffee from Ethiopia, you are unlikely to want to make a gallon of cold brew from it. You would almost certainly miss out on much of its enchantment.”
The brewing method is one of the most significant distinctions between the two styles of Java. Iced coffee is typically made by brewing coffee with hot water and immediately cooling it down (by pouring it over ice, a process known as “flash brewing”) or shortly thereafter (by storing it in the refrigerator), according to Phillips. Cold brew, on the other hand, takes significantly longer than an ad break on Hulu. “Cold brew is a technique that employs immersion (the coffee grounds and water sit together and steep) and is performed with room temperature water over an extended period of time — up to 24 hours in some cases,” Phillips explains. This is why the drink is frequently more expensive than its iced counterpart.
While concocting cold brew requires some forethought, Phillips notes that the process is doable even for those with the least coffee knowledge. “It requires very little specialized equipment — you could even do it in a bucket if necessary.” To brew, pour coarsely ground coffee, either pre-ground or homemade, into a jar or large container, add water (try 3 ounces of grounds and 24 ounces of water for a total of 24 ounces of coffee), gently stir, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, according to the National Coffee Association. Then strain your brew through a cheesecloth-lined coffee filter (Buy It, $12, amazon.com) or fine-mesh sieve (Buy It, $7, amazon.com), adjust the seasonings, and serve over ice. Additionally, you can invest in cold brew supplies to simplify the process, such as Trade’s cold brew bags (Buy It, $10, drinktrade.com), which are similar to tea bags and eliminate the need for filtering, or Grady’s Cold Brew Kit (Buy It, $29, amazon.com), which includes a “pour-and-store” pouch for brewing your Joe and pre-measured coffee “bean bags” for a filter-free experience.
The Taste and Mouthfeel of Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee
As a result of the disparate brewing methods, each type of beverage has a completely unique flavor. “Hot water preserves more vibrant flavor notes but can bring out bitterness when cooled improperly, whereas cold brew emphasizes body and sweetness,” Phillips explains. In other words, iced coffee will have a slight wine-like acidity and may taste bitter at times when chilled; cold brew will taste slightly sweeter and have a thick, creamy texture, owing to the slow brew method and consistent temperature.
Cold brewing is also a better option if you’re looking to brew beans that are no longer fresh — meaning they’ve been in your possession for longer than 20 days after the roasting date listed on the bag — and have begun to lose flavor. “[Cold brew] has the ability to breathe new life into older beans in a way that hot brew cannot,” Phillips explains.
Additionally, the mouthfeel of the two brews is different. Iced coffee is typically prepared in smaller batches and filtered through a paper filter, which removes the majority of the sediment and oils and results in a lighter-bodied, smoother cup, according to Phillips. On the other hand, the cold brew you’d order at a coffee shop is frequently made in large batches using a cloth, felt, or thin paper filter that may allow some sediment to enter your cup, imparting a bit more texture to the coffee, he explains. While iced coffee is typically brewed at a 1:17 coffee-to-water ratio (dubbed the “Golden Cup Standard” by the Specialty Coffee Association of America), cold brew can easily be brewed at a higher strength (think: reducing the coffee-to-water ratio from 1:8 to 1:5), which increases the body and mouthfeel, he explains.
Caffeine Content and Health Benefits of Iced Coffee vs. Cold Brew Coffee
Despite these distinctions, neither cold brew nor iced coffee is intrinsically more caffeinated. The reason for this is that the caffeine content is entirely dependent on the amount of coffee used in the brew, according to Phillips. “It is entirely dependent on the recipe used by a café,” he explains. “These can, and frequently do, vary significantly! While it is a common trend for cold brew to have a higher caffeine content, it really depends on the desired result and the café’s quality control to determine how closely and consistently they achieve it.” That is to say, the pick-me-up provided by cold brew may be comparable to that provided by iced coffee, depending on the recipe used. Additionally, a cold brew from one coffee shop may contain significantly more caffeine than a similar beverage from another.
Additionally, coffee may have a few health benefits. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains less than 3 calories and 118 milligrams of potassium — an electrolyte that aids nerve function and muscle contraction. Additionally, the brown beverage contains a high concentration of immune-boosting antioxidants — chemicals that neutralize cell-damaging free radicals, according to Rachel Fine, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian and owner of the New York City nutrition counseling firm To The Pointe Nutrition. Indeed, research indicates that roasted coffee contains approximately the same amount of polyphenols (compounds found in certain plant foods that may help slow the aging process and improve cardiovascular health) as red wine, cocoa, and tea. Nonetheless, the brewing method may have a slight effect on the amount of antioxidant activity in your coffee: According to a 2018 study, hot brew coffees contain more antioxidants than cold brew coffees.
Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee: Which Has a Longer Shelf Life?
Once again, the various brewing methods have a significant impact on how long your coffee will stay fresh after brewing. According to Trade, as hot coffee cools slowly, as is done to make iced coffee, the java begins to taste staler and the flavors mellow, making it less delicious than when it was freshly brewed. However, because cold brew can be made at extremely high concentrations (read: more coffee grounds in the water), the beverage stays fresh in the refrigerator for about a week, as the strength inhibits bacterial growth, according to Phillips. “However, once diluted, the shelf life plummets,” he explains. When you dilute your cold brew with water, cream, or alternative milk — which you should do if you’re opting for a high-strength brew to conserve fridge space — the diluted drink retains its flavor for only two to three days in the fridge, he explains.
Which is better: cold brew or iced coffee?
There is no clear winner in the cold brew vs. iced coffee debate. Both cold brew and iced coffee have their advantages, and there are no real disadvantages — only distinctions, according to Phillips. However, if you’ve always been an ardent fan of iced coffee but have never channeled your inner barista to create cold brew, Phillips encourages you to give it a try. “It’s simple and delicious to make, even more so when you use something like our Hario Cold Brew Bottle [Buy It, $35, bluebottlecoffee.com], which eliminates the majority of the guesswork,” he says. “You will be astounded by the results.”