What's The Difference? Iced Coffee VS Cold Brew
Have you recently stumbled into a cafe looking for an iced coffee and been confronted with the option of cold brew or iced latte? Or maybe an iced long black? Cold brew with milk? Do you want whipped cream on top? It’s all too much. It’s hard to keep up with trends at the best of times, let alone before you’ve even had your first coffee of the day. Cold brew seems to be seriously trending right now though, and we think it’s here to stay. So if you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the hot barista again (seriously though, why are all baristas so hot?) Here's the lowdown on Iced Coffee vs Cold Brew.
Iced Coffee
Ok lets start with the original, the one we all know and love - Iced Coffee. Iced Coffee is kind of an umbrella term for a lot of different cold coffee drinks. An iced coffee can sometimes be a big sweet milkshake kind of coffee with cream on top, or it can also be served straight up as an iced long black. However you take it though, iced coffee generally just means it’s coffee that was brewed hot and then cooled down.
So the good thing about iced coffee is you can make it quickly. Just brew your coffee however you usually do and pour over ice to quickly cool it down. Something to be wary of though is that the ice will dilute your coffee a bit, which can make iced coffees generally a bit weaker in flavour and caffeine. If you need it, you can always add an extra shot though.
Cold Brew
Cold brew is for those of us who are a little more patient. As implied in the name, cold brew is brewed in cold water and as such, takes a bit more time. It’s great to make in the fridge overnight to have ready for your morning coffee.
To make cold brew, take your choice of ground coffee and steep in cold water for at least 12 hours. The longer you leave it, the stronger your cold brew. As you aren’t using hot water, cold brew is generally less bitter and acidic than hot brewed coffee, so don’t panic if you leave it too long - it will only get richer in flavour. Once the steeping is complete, it’s filtered to leave you with a coffee concentrate that you can pour over ice, serve with milk, or water.
Whether you choose a smooth cold brew or an easy iced coffee, both are the perfect way to stay refreshed and caffeinated on a hot day - multitasking at its finest. Oh, and both work perfectly in an espresso martini too…