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Cold-brewed coffee vs. Iced Coffee is the ultimate summer refresher. I can feel it in the air; the days are getting longer, and the nights are shorter. Summer is on its way, and I’m craving cooler drinks right away, like cold-brewed coffee and iced coffee. But what’s the difference between the two coffees? I want to explain that a little more in this blog post today. I’ll compare the two coffee preparations and show you what to look for.

Cold-Brewed Coffee vs. Iced Coffee

I can feel it in the air, the days are getting longer and the nights shorter. Summer is on its way, and I'm craving cooler drinks right away, cold-brewed coffee and iced coffee to be exact. But what's the difference between the two coffees?

You can find my recipe on my website: https://thefiercelifestyle.com/cold-brewed-coffee-vs-iced-coffee/

Watch my video on how to make cold brew coffee vs. iced coffee

Cold brew coffee vs. iced coffee are very tasty coffee preparations you shouldn’t miss out on. Both are great for cooling down on hot summer days and are delicious. In the next few steps, I’ll explain how you can make these two coffee specialties at home and give you a few tricks.

What exactly is iced coffee?

Iced coffee is hot-brewed coffee with ice cubes, and if you like, you can also use oat milk or a milk of your choice.

Due to the constant consumption of coffee, iced coffees or teas such as matcha iced latte or vanilla iced matcha have become very popular.

If you don’t want additives such as a sweetener like syrup or Demerara raw cane sugar, you are welcome to leave these out. Even without these additives, iced coffee has a very acidic taste with slightly bitter notes. To avoid this, you can, of course, sweeten it.

Many coffee shops use a very high caffeine content; between two and three espresso shots are common. If you want a lower caffeine content, I recommend using a French press, as this technique allows you to regulate exactly how many teaspoons of coffee you want to use.

How to make Cold brew coffee vs. iced coffee at home

For this recipe, I use instant coffee, add hot water, and leave it to cool. Then I add ice cubes, date syrup, or sugar, and your iced coffee is ready.

These are the ingredients you need for Cold brew coffee vs. iced coffee

2x tablespoons of instant coffee
200ml of filtered water
1x cup of ice cubes
1x shot of milk of your choice (optional)
sweetener of your choice (optional)

This recipe is very good; you can change and customize everything to your taste. For example, if you don’t like oat milk, you can leave it out; the same goes for the sweetener. With this basic recipe, you can make many, delicious iced coffee recipes.

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What is cold brew coffee?

The main difference is the preparation method, such as with a French press, and that cold or room temperature water is used. Cold brew coffee is also left to stand for a period of 12 to 24 hours so that it is ready.

This gives the coffee a very distinctive but lighter taste. You can taste the difference immediately, as cold brew coffee tastes less acidic than regular iced coffee brewed with hot water.
This makes a big difference, as this process results in the coffee beans used slowly rising in the filtered coffee and allowing their aroma to develop. The result is a coffee concentrate, often drunk with a small shot of water, as the cold brew coffee is otherwise too concentrated. I recommend using cold brew coffee within 3–7 days.

Differences between cold brew coffee and iced coffee

Taste and acidity

In addition to the different preparation methods, the taste, acidity, and price are also different.

Both types of coffee look very similar but have very different taste profiles. Both coffees are refreshing for the summer and have a cooling property, but the acidity differs. The fact that cold brew coffee is infused over a longer period means there is less acidity and bitter notes.

On the other hand, iced coffee tastes more bitter and acidic, which many people also appreciate. These flavors come about because the coffee is heated to a high temperature and then cooled and poured onto ice.

In summary, cold brew is perfect for people who want a lighter, smoother taste and prefer less bitterness and acidity. On the other hand, iced coffee is very suitable for people who like a strong flavor profile with high acidity and bitterness.