You might have seen many aesthetic reels on Insta where the cold brew is made in the most delicate way. However, many mistakes cold brew to be iced coffee instead and that’s absolutely wrong.
Iced coffee and Cold Brew are two different things and we are here to enlighten you with all the facts. From the best coffee exporters, we get our hands on the best coffee, and from that comes the two types of brews – one is Cold Brew and the other is Iced Coffee.
Below we have enumerated a quick guide that differentiates the two. Continue to read till the end to learn all about it.
Iced Coffee vs Cold Brew: An Overview
Cold Brew has twice the caffeine of standard coffee. No heat is involved in the making of Cold Brew. It has a smooth taste with less bitterness.
It also has a more chocolaty taste than other brews. Whereas Iced Coffee is initially brewed hot and then cooled down using ice. Iced Coffee is served cold.
Iced Coffee can be regarded as standard coffee served with ice. It has a thin consistency and taste profile. Aroma is maintained throughout the drink and the flavor profile gets weaker as the ice slowly melts.
The Making Process
The primary difference between Iced Coffee and Cold Brew is in the making process or how they are brewed. For Iced Coffee, as the name suggests it is just regular coffee that is poured over ice, on the other hand, Cold Brew is meant to be cold the entire time.
In order to make Cold Brew, the coarse coffee grind is steeped in cold water for at least 12 to 24 hours. Whereas, Iced Coffee is prepared by making regular coffee using any of the standard brewing methods.
Once the coffee is prepared then it is poured over a glass filled with ice. Some people also choose to refrigerate the hot brewed coffee to make it chilly instead of pouring over ice.
The main brewing difference between the two is the time and temperature that influence the taste of two drinks making them distinct from one another.
The Time to Brew Iced Coffee vs Cold Brew
The method of pulling in flavors from the coffee beans is termed as “extraction” and this can be affected by various factors. Although, the most noteworthy factor is time.
The different types of flavor compounds found in coffee exporters are extracted at different paces. The total time spent brewing influences the taste and which flavor you are getting out of the coffee beans.
For the making of cold brew, a long steeping method is used. The time to brew a Cold Brew is around 12 to 24 hours and since the coffee grounds are left in water for such a long period, it is essential that the coffee beans are coarsely grounded.
If the coffee grind is too fine then the extraction will be too high and you will end up having a too bitter coffee brew. However, Iced Coffee is just regular coffee prepared and so it doesn’t require any steeping time.
It is made almost immediately so the use of finely ground coffee is ideal for the making of Iced Coffee. The iced coffee preparation also depends on the hot water used.
Ideal Water Temperature to Brew Iced Coffee vs Cold Brew
Another factor that influences the brewing of Iced Coffee and Cold Brew is the water temperature. According to experts, the hotter the temperature of the water, the higher the level of extraction it is.
For the making of Iced Coffee, you need hot water whereas for Cold Brew you need room temperature water since the coffee grounds will be steeping for at least 12-24 hours.
Conclusion
These are some prime differences between Iced Coffee and Cold Brew. You need to take note of the above factors in order to brew yourself a perfect drink of either Iced Coffee or Cold Brew.