Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee: What's the Difference? 

During warmer weather months, many of us make the switch from hot coffee to cold coffee. Iced lattes, frappes, iced Americanos, and of course, cold brew and classic iced coffee. You've probably seen both iced coffee and cold brew on your favorite coffee shop menus, and it's not unreasonable to wonder, what's the real difference between the two? Just looking at both types of chilled coffee, they look pretty much identical — but once you take a sip, it's clear there are some key differences.

What Is Iced Coffee?

"Iced coffee" is a broad term that can encompass numerous different drinks. Simply put, iced coffee is coffee, in any form, served over ice. Technically, cold brew, flash brew, or even a pour-over on ice can be considered ice coffee. In many coffee shops, iced coffee means drip coffee that has been refrigerated or poured over ice.

Some cafes even chill the leftover drip coffee from the end of the day overnight and serve it over ice as iced coffee the next day. It's also common to brew regular drip coffee directly over ice to chill it quickly. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can leave much to be desired in the flavor department. Watering down drip coffee dilutes the natural flavors of the coffee while simultaneously amplifying the bitterness; and most of the time, the acidity of the coffee is retained even when more water is added. Additionally, the longer brewed drip coffee sits out, the more bitter and acidic it tastes due to oxidation — meaning, ice coffee made with leftover, cooled down coffee often comes with sharp, bitter notes that some may find unpleasant.

What Is Cold Brew?

A square is a type of rectangle, but all rectangles can't be categorized as squares; in much the same way, cold brew is one type of iced coffee, but not everything labeled as "iced coffee" can be considered cold brew. So yes, referring to cold brew as "iced coffee" is technically accurate, but cold brew is a specific category of iced coffee with strict rules around preparation. Things can get confusing fast, but it's important to remember that the distinction is right there in the name: Cold brew is brewed cold. Cold brew is coffee that is brewed with cold water instead of hot water, over a much longer period of time.

One of the main distinctions in the process, aside from the water temperature, is that cold brew requires a higher ratio of grounds to water compared to drip coffee, sometimes up to double the amount. Additionally, the brewing procedure is different (more on that below), and the resulting flavor profiles are different. With cold brew, you can taste more of the subtle notes and delicious aromatics of the roast, as well as more of the natural sweetness of the beans.

How Is Cold Brew Made?

Cold brew is made by adding coarsely ground coffee beans to cool or room temperature water in a container and leaving it to "brew." The ratio for grounds to water is usually about one part grounds to four parts of water. This mixture should be brewed for at least 10 hours and up to 24 hours in a refrigerated environment; overnight is ideal. Once the mixture is brewed, it's considered to be a concentrate. Many coffee shops serve cold brew as one part of the brewed concentrate combined with one part water. Depending on the strength and concentration, some places dilute it even further (like one part cold brew concentrate to two parts water).

At home, you can experiment with different concentrations to find the right balance, depending on how strong you like your coffee. You can also add milk or creamer, which will dilute the concentrate more, if you prefer a creamier cup of cold coffee.

What Does Cold Brew Taste Like?

Cold brew generally tastes much sweeter than drip coffee. It's also much less acidic than coffee that is brewed with hot water. Many people even find that cold brew doesn't need added sugar, as it's notably less bitter than coffee produced with hot water brewing methods. If you tend to shy away from coffee because of its bitter and acidic notes, cold brew might be the coffee for you.

Cold brew usually tastes a bit stronger than traditional drip coffee as well. While it may be toned down in terms of bitterness and acidity, because of the brewing process and the long extraction period, cold brew tends to be bolder and more flavorful than other types of brewed coffee. All in all, cold brew is an excellent choice if you're interested in experiencing the full flavor profile of your coffee beans.