Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee: Are They The Same?

On the hottest summer days, a refreshing coffee drink is delicious- but you're faced with a dilemma: cold brew vs iced coffee. Which do you choose?

Can cold brew and an iced coffee be all that different? They are, in fact, both cold coffee.

In contrast, these two delectable caffeinated pick-me-ups are very different in flavor and brew method.

We'll delve into the prominent similarities and differences between these two popular coffee drinks, and along the way, don't be surprised if a craving for one (or both!) appears!

How To Make Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is made through an immersion technique over a considerable period of time, generally 12-18 hours.

Here are the steps:

1. Start by adding coarsely ground coffee coffee beans to a large container (generally a pitcher, large jar, or French Press). The coffee-to-water ratio for cold brew coffee is about 1:8, meaning 1 oz (roughly four tablespoons) of coffee per 8 oz of water.)

2. Pour cold or room temperature filtered water over the grounds, ensuring they are all saturated.

3. Stir for about one minute and then seal the container with a lid or plastic wrap covering it completely.

4. Let the grounds sit and steep for 12-18 hours in a cool, dark place at room temperature. If you brew in the fridge, note you will have to allow it to brew for much longer- at least 3-5 hours more to get the same flavor and taste.

5. After steeping, strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve, coffee filter, or cheesecloth into another pitcher to remove any coffee grounds left behind. 

6. Since this brew is very concentrated, add more water to your concentrate when serving a glass. Serve over ice with sweetener or milk, if desired.

How To Make Iced Coffee

Iced coffee is made similarly to hot-brewed coffee but requires the extra steps of cooling and adding ice after brewing.

Here are the steps:

1. Brew your favorite Good Cuppa Coffee in your drip coffee machine/french press. 

2. Leave the brew out to cool and reach room temperature, or put it in the refrigerator to cool down. At this point, we like to add sugar to the hot coffee so it dissolves well, and then let it cool.

3. Fill a glass with ice and then pour the cooled coffee over the ice. PRO TIP: Freeze some coffee in ice cube trays and use those as your ice. As the ice melts, your coffee doesn't get diluted.

4. Flavor up your iced coffee as you like with any cream/kind of milk and syrups of your choice.

Now you know how to brew iced coffee and cold brew, but how do their tastes compare?

Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee Taste

Cold brew tastes much more mellow and smooth, full-flavored with a natural sweetness from the beans, making it a wonderful choice for those who drink black coffee. It's also much less acidic than iced coffee due to its lower pH level. 

Iced coffee has a much bolder taste because of the hot brew method used to make it. It also has a higher acidity because of its hot water extraction process. For people who like a more robust flavor, iced coffee is the way to go.

Acidity in coffee plays a significant role in flavor profiles, so higher acidity is a good thing unless you have to watch the acid for health reasons. If your preference leans towards iced coffee, but you still prefer the lower acidity.

Both coffee brews are delicious in their own way and taste excellent on a hot day! With such unique flavors and tastes, sampling both is essential to determine which one you favor the most.

Is Cold Brew Coffee Stronger Than Iced Coffee?

Cold brew coffee often tastes much stronger than iced coffee because of the long period of time it brews for. Since iced coffee brews quickly using hot water, you may still get a strong cup of joe, but you will often find it a bit watered down due to the ice.

Cold brew brews over 12-18 hours, really enriching all of the brewing water with the coffee grind's oils, flavors, and caffeine.

However, you can adjust cold brew to your taste if you find it too strong by diluting it with water. Since cold brew is generally brewed cold as a concentrate, diluting with water is not uncommon, yet some prefer to drink it at its full strength as a strongly caffeinated and full-flavored morning/afternoon pick-me-up.

Speaking of caffeine…

Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee Caffeine

Cold brew coffee is usually stronger in caffeine than iced coffee because of the way it's brewed- over a more extended period, allowing for more caffeine extraction from the beans. Brewing cold brew also involves a higher coffee-to-water ratio than hot-brewed coffee, which naturally provides a higher caffeine content.

However, there are a few contingencies with this. Cold brew is a concentrate meaning it's generally diluted. This brings the caffeine content down in a standard cup. Iced coffee is also often diluted because of the ice inside. If creamer or milk is used, less coffee is poured into a cup reducing the caffeine content as well.

All this said, cold brew generally still provides a slightly higher caffeine content. Still, with all factors considered, after your drink is prepared, it wouldn't be uncommon to find yourself with a similar caffeine level in either cold brew vs iced coffee.

Which Is Sweeter Cold Brew Or Iced Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is sweeter than iced coffee because the long brew time allows more sugar extraction from the beans.

Coffee beans also have a variety of chemical compounds, acids, naturally inside them. These acids come out quickly and easily in hot water brewing methods, leaving you with more flavor and bitterness, overpowering the natural sugars in the beans.

Using the cold brew method, some of these acids never emerge because of the omission of hot water, eliminating some bitterness and compensating by enhancing the natural sweetness inside the coffee bean.

Don't be fooled by the ideation that cold brew has a sugary sweetness, one equivalent to coffee with sugar. It is not sweet in that sense, but you will find more people able to palate a "black" cold brew coffee over a traditional black coffee because of its smooth, mildly sweet, and bitter-less flavor.

Takeaways

So, cold brew vs iced coffee: despite being traditionally cold coffees, they are very different.

While iced coffee is brewed traditionally, brought to room temperature, and then served over ice, cold brew is brewed with room temperature water for 12-18 hours.

Both pack a punch with caffeine; however, cold brew tends to have a slightly higher amount of caffeine.

If you prefer lower acidic, smoother, naturally sweeter flavors, cold brew is the one for you. If you enjoy a robust coffee flavor with the traditional acid components bringing extra flavor and slight bitterness to the table, iced coffee is your go-go juice.

No matter what your palate prefers, cold brew and iced coffee are excellent drink choices and are guaranteed to make the inner coffee lover inside you jump with happiness during every sip.