Cold brew and iced coffee are NOT the same, but it’s easy to think that when they’re both iced coffee drinks. They are considered two different categories of coffee. Cold brewing is a way of preparing coffee, and iced coffee is a way of serving coffee.
Cold brew is prepared without touching hot water. The brewing process is done by cooling down the temperature of the water and lengthening the brewing time. The flavor slowly leaks out of the grounds, and all the acidity and oils are left. Therefore, cold brew is smooth, less acidic, and has a naturally sweeter taste.
When it comes to caffeine, cold brew packs on a ton, on average around 200 mg of caffeine per 16 ounces.
Choose cold brew over iced coffee if you…
- Need more caffeine
- Prefer or need low acidity coffee
- Want naturally sweet coffee rather than adding sugar, syrups, or creamers
Iced coffee is a serving method. It’s as it sounds, pouring brewed coffee over ice. The key to serving a nice cup of iced coffee is controlling the strength of the coffee. As the ice melts from the heat of the coffee, it waters down the coffee, so adding more or less ice in your cup will allow you to have a stronger or weaker coffee, based on your liking. Iced coffee is a great option if you want it less bold, but then you can customize it with sweeteners, syrups, or milks to change the strength and flavor.
You may prefer iced coffee over cold brew if you…
- Prefer customization as iced coffee does well with syrups and milk
- Want a little less caffeine than cold brew and want more control over the strength of the coffee
