Whether we want to relax whilst reading a book or are struggling to meet a deadline, coffee can become our best friend.
To keep up with our hunger for coffee, apart from different coffee brewing devices, there are also different methods of brewing coffee now- two such being iced coffee and cold brew.
Key Takeaways
- Iced coffee is brewed hot and then chilled, while the cold brew is brewed with cold water over a longer period.
- Iced coffee is served with ice cubes, while the cold brew is served without ice.
- Due to its longer brewing process, cold brew is less acidic and smoother than iced coffee.
Iced Coffee vs Cold Brew
Iced coffee is a type of coffee that is made with the normal brewing process, but then the coffee is emptied into a glass with ice cubes to make it cold. Cold brew is a type of coffee in which the coffee beans are brewed in cold water for hours with no heat, making it bolder and smoother.
Iced Coffee is a prepared coffee. This method requires that hot water be poured onto the coffee beans. This releases the caffeine into the water.
Following this, the content is then emptied into a glass with ice cubes. As the cubes melt, it dilutes the taste of the coffee, inducing it to cool down in the process.
If someone has a propensity for acid reflux, then this is the kind of coffee they would want to avoid.
On the other hand, the name Cold Brew makes its method of preparation abundantly clear. It is literally, as its name suggests, in a sense, in this method, the coffee is brewed in cold water for hours, and no heat is applied to it whatsoever.
Since it uses cold water to brew it, the taste of the coffee is much bolder but also smoother.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Iced Coffee | Cold Brew |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Cold coffee that is brewed in hot water | Cold coffee that is brewed in cold water |
| Procedure | The beans are first soaked in hot water and poured over ice thereafter | The beans are soaked in water for approximately 10 hours or more, following which the content is strained and served |
| Preparation Time | This is a better option to choose if you are running late and have less to no time to spare | It takes more than 10 hours for the water to extract the flavor of the beans as there is no application of heat to speed up the process |
| Flavor | Considerably strong and bitter | Smoother in comparison |
| Sensitive Stomach | It can affect you adversely if you have a sensitive stomach or are prone to acid-reflux | Since it is smoother it isn’t bitter and is gentle on the stomach |
What is Iced Coffee?
This name most certainly resounds with coffee lovers. It is a method of preparing coffee that stands in dire contrast to its name. This method requires that hot water be poured onto the coffee beans.
This releases the caffeine into the water. Following this, the content is then emptied into a glass with ice cubes. As the cubes melt, it dilutes the taste of the coffee, inducing it to cool down in the process.
This is a better option to choose if you are running late and have less to no time to spare. The only time that this process takes is to cool down the coffee after pouring it over the ice. Apart from that, it takes the same time that one requires to brew hot coffee.
Since the hot water extracts the flavour of the beans, it has an acidic taste. The flavour is much stronger and as acidic as black coffee. But as the ice cubes melt with time, it dilutes the strength of the coffee and the acidic flavour.
However, it also ends up losing its flavour in the process.
Another factor that should not be skipped is the fact that since this coffee is a little acidic, it is harsh on the tummy, and it’s best to avoid it if you have a troubling history of acid reflux.
What is Cold Brew?
This, too, is another method of preparing coffee that agrees with its name. The beans are soaked in water for approximately 10 hours or more, following which the content is strained and served.
In this method, no heat is applied to the coffee beans at all. Instead of the hot water extracting the flavour, it is the time taken to brew this coffee that gives it its flavour.
Since time is so crucial in deciding whether you have a tasty cold brew served to you or not, do not mistake preparing this coffee to prepare a normal cup of coffee.
The coffee gets its flavour from the duration for which it is brewed. Therefore, the process consumes at least 6 hours to a maximum of 12 hours.
But do not be disappointed either! This coffee sure has its perks. Given that the coffee beans release their flavour with time into the water (that is kept at room temperature), the coffee is a lot smoother in comparison.
The real taste of the beans comes out best, thereby making the experience of drinking it exotic and refreshing on a sultry summer afternoon.
Furthermore, since this coffee is smooth and strong but not acidic, it is not harsh on our stomachs.
Main Differences Between Iced Coffee and Cold Brew
- Iced Coffee is a kind of cold coffee that is brewed like any other coffee. In contrast, Cold Brew does justice to its name as it is the kind of cold coffee that is brewed using normal water instead of hot and steaming water.
- The process of preparing Iced Coffee involves the beans being soaked in hot water first and poured into a glass containing ice cubes thereafter. On the other hand, the manner of brewing Cold Brew is that the beans are soaked in water for approximately 10 hours or more, following which the content is strained and served.
- The time required to brew an Iced coffee is less. However, Cold Brew should not be on your preference list. You are running on a packed schedule. This is because it takes more than 10 hours for the water to extract the flavour of the beans.
- The taste of Iced tea is quite bold. In contrast, the taste of Cold Brew is not acidic but smooth and strong.
- Iced Coffee has only one thing pulling it down, which is its propensity to adversely affect one who is troubled by acid reflux. In contrast, Cold Brew is gentle on our stomachs.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950329306000814
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-34392-w
Last Updated : 27 August, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
I was looking for detailed information about these two brewing methods and I’m happy to have stumbled upon this article. Wonderful work!
I agree, Elsie. The details provided are very helpful in understanding the nuances of iced coffee and cold brew.
I’m glad I found this post. It explained everything I needed to know about iced coffee and cold brew.
I found this article very enlightening. I’ve always wondered about the differences between iced coffee and cold brew, and now I feel like an expert
Exactly, Natasha. It’s important to know the differences so we can make informed decisions when choosing. I really learned a lot from this post.
This article is very informative. I never knew about the differences between iced coffee and cold brew before now, this is really helpful.
I had never considered the differences between iced coffee and cold brew before. This article was eye-opening.
This was really well written and easy to understand. Kudos to the author for such an informative piece.
I love how this article delves deep into the science of brewing coffee. The detailed explanations are brilliant.
Agreed, Paul. The article was thought-provoking and explained everything I wanted to know about iced coffee and cold brew.
This is some high-quality content right here. The comparison table was particularly helpful.
This post was a fantastic read. The detailed comparison between iced coffee and cold brew is very well-presented.
Fantastic read! I appreciate how the post thoroughly explains the differences between iced coffee and cold brew.
Great article. As someone who loves coffee, I really enjoyed reading about the differences between iced coffee and cold brew.