What's the Difference Between Cold Brew and Iced Coffee?

There was a distinct moment in time when cold brew went from something I had never heard of before, to the thing people wouldn’t stop talking about, making it the hottest (or coldest, I guess) new thing on menus at independent coffee shops and Starbucks locations alike. It was around 2015 when my typical iced coffee order started to feel a bit inferior. Was it not as cool to order regular iced coffee? Why was cold brew often a few cents more? But when I finally succumbed to the social pressures of needing to fit in with haute caffeine trends, I admittedly didn’t love the taste of cold brew;. Maybe this drink, no matter how cool I sounded ordering it, wasn’t for me? Nowadays, cold brew is nearly as ubiquitous as iced coffee in both coffee shops and on  grocery stores shelves in canned and bottled versions, too. Navigating the world of cold coffee can still be confusing, and no, they are not the same. Read on for everything you need to know about the difference between iced coffee and cold brew. 

What is cold brew?

Cold brew is in some ways a misnomer. The more accurate term to describe what we know of as cold brew would be cold steep, or cold infusion, but those don’t have the same curb appeal. Even still, cold brew never truly goes through a process of brewing — which, when it comes to coffee, means mixing with boiling water. Instead, cold brew coffee is made by steeping coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for many hours. It can be made in cold brew makers fitted with a mesh or filtered compartment for grounds, or in a large container where grounds mix freely with water before being strained out. Unlike brewed coffee made more quickly with boiling water, coffee grounds slowly release their flavors and essential oils over 12 to 24 hours. While cold brew has become synonymous with coffee, it is an infusion technique that has historically been used for tea to yield a more gentle, aromatic flavor profile.

What is iced coffee?

Iced coffee is made just like hot coffee, where grounds are brewed with hot water over a short period of time. Whether it’s through a drip coffee maker or a pour over, coffee grounds quickly bloom under hot boiling water. The result is coffee in minutes, compared to many hours. “At Dawn, we brew our iced coffee just like our hot coffee, but over ice,” says Jera Corbin, lead at Dawn Coffee, located in the Bode hotel in Nashville, TN. Since iced coffee is so easy to make, and it's gentle flavor, it’s the perfect canvas for trying out different coffee syrups or flavorful riffs like a Vietnamese-inspired coconut iced coffee.  

Do cold brew and iced coffee taste different?  

“Cold brew has a bolder flavor than iced coffee since the brewing process is longer whereas iced coffee is typically milder in taste,” says Corbin. Since cold brew yields a more intensely flavored coffee, Corbin suggests cutting it with a bit of water for a more balanced blend. It’s strong and rich with a velvety consistency whereas iced coffee can be a bit more thin. “In my experience, I’ve had more folks order cold brews black, or with no cream or sugar, while iced coffees are typically ordered with cream and sugar, " she says. “It all depends on how people like their coffee!” 

Do you use different coffee grounds for cold brew and iced coffee?

“For cold brew coffee, you need your coffee to be ground on a very coarse setting, while the opposite is true for iced coffee,” says Corbin. “Since the brewing time is longer for cold brew, you want to have your grounds coarser so that the taste is not too overwhelming.” At Dawn Corbin’s team uses the same type of coffee, often a dark or medium roast, for both types of coffee. Since flavors in just about anything become less present in cold preparations, light roast doesn’t have enough power for cold brew or iced coffee, save those beans for a hot cup of Joe.  

Does cold brew have more caffeine than iced coffee? 

Yes, cold brew does have more caffeine than a typical iced coffee. Due to its slow infusion, cold brew needs a higher ratio of coffee grains to water to achieve a full-flavored cup. The more coffee grains infused, the more potential caffeine to pull from. But either way you take it, cold coffee will yield a light caffeine buzz.