Ice, Ice, Coffee: Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee
Too cold, too cold? Never! The polarizing topic of hot or cold coffee dives a little deeper once we delve
into the differences between cold brew and iced coffee. Besides the obvious, cold brew is always cold,
and iced coffee was once hot coffee, there are a few other intricacies to these brews. Let’s dive in!
Cold brew
This delightful brew takes a little patience, but the reward is oh so delicious. Requiring a course ground,
and a minimum steep of 12 hours minimum (we recommend a full 24 hours for best flavor), this brew
takes a little planning. For us, we like to start our day out making tomorrows cold brew. This ensures
that we have our daily fix ready to sip first thing in the morning. Using a cold brew pitcher; you simply
strain the grounds and enjoy each morning.
Cold brewing uses time, not heat to extract the coffee. This means that you are left with a less acidic
and bitter cup of joe. We specifically selected our beans for our cold brew, Intertwined, for their full-
bodied, smooth chocolatey flavor. Cold brew has a naturally sweeter flavor, so while you can add in your
cream and sugar, you’ll likely find you need less than you would any other cup of coffee.
Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is a quick and easy way to get your coffee fix. You can use whatever your preferred method
of brewing is, drip, pour over, coffee press, espresso machine, the world is your oyster when it comes to
iced coffee. Once you have the brew, simply pour over ice and enjoy.
Iced coffee uses heat, so once you pour over ice, you are diluting your coffee. To combat this, you can
double down on the amount of coffee you brew or make coffee ice cubes with your leftover coffee.
Keep in mind that because you are heating the coffee beans to extract the flavor, your cup will be more
bitter and acidic.
There is a reason cold brew has become all the rage, and it’s simply because it is a better cup of cold
coffee, in this cold brew lover’s opinion. Don’t let the brew time deter you from trying cold brew. Your
patience will be rewarded once you try that first smooth, complex sip of cold brew.
