By now, the term ‘cold brew’ has been thrown around plenty of times in the coffee world for most people to at least be familiar with the term, but a lot of people aren’t aware that cold brew is actually different than iced coffee!
In fact, cold brew is made with a completely different method and actually changes the flavor of the end result completely!
If you haven’t tried cold brew before, and are already a fan of iced coffee, you need to try this method out- it’s really a game changer!
While iced coffee is simply coffee that is cooled down, and then filled with ice, making it an excellent (and fast!) choice for a cool summer coffee, cold brew involves a much longer steeping process that actually uses cold water (directions!), changing the flavor of the coffee.
Considering the different brewing process, the flavor of the coffee changes because the water extracts the oils from the coffee beans themselves differently, and over time, giving the cold brew a naturally sweeter, less bitter, and less acidic taste.
This slow steeping process also naturally pulls out a higher caffeine content from the beans creating a coffee that has 2-3 times more caffeine! (This is good for me!)
There are pros and cons to each however, as the cold brew takes a much longer time to make and isn’t always as convenient (I usually try to make mine at night so it’s ready to be pressed in the morning).
Iced coffee is a quick alternative that is easy to make and takes hardly any more time than it does to make your regular morning cup of coffee.
Iced coffee can also be made with most types of coffee beans, while I highly recommend checking out our pacific crest cold brew beans for making cold brew (they’re really good for cold brews!)
The other downside to making a cold brew is it needs certain brewing techniques. While you can make iced coffee with a regular old coffee machine, cold brew usually works best with a french press or you can also use a pour over method.
If you haven’t had cold brew before, I would definitely recommend giving it a try, it’s really that good and so much different than iced coffee that you might just never go back!
Cold brew coffee is easily my favorite way to start a hot summer day.
Stay adventurous friends!