What Is Cold Brew Coffee, and How Is It Different From Iced?

Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold or room temperature water for 12 to 24 hours, then filtered. It is not iced coffee. Iced coffee is brewed hot and poured over ice. Cold brew is never heated, and the slow cold extraction produces a completely different flavor.

The result is smoother, lower in acidity, and higher in caffeine concentration than standard drip coffee.

Steeping for 12 to 24 hours produces about 67% less acid than hot brewed coffee.

The acidic compounds that form during hot brewing do not develop at cold temperatures. The flavor shifts toward chocolate, caramel, and sweet malt notes. Cold brew is often sold as a concentrate at a 1:4 ratio. Drink concentrate straight and you are getting significantly more caffeine than a standard cup.

"Cold brew concentrate can have 200mg of caffeine per serving. Most people do not realize they are drinking the equivalent of a double or triple shot served cold."

Cold brew vs iced coffee: not the same thing

Iced coffee takes minutes. Cold brew takes 12 to 24 hours. Iced coffee tastes like hot coffee served cold. Cold brew tastes smoother, heavier, sweeter. Read the full comparison in cold brew vs iced coffee. And for the nitrogen-infused version, see what is nitro cold brew.

Making cold brew at home

The ratio is 1 part coarsely ground coffee to 4 to 8 parts cold water. Stir, cover, refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Filter through fine mesh or paper. Keeps for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Full method in how to make cold brew at home.

Find specialty shops with exceptional cold brew in Los Angeles and Chicago. Shops like Stumptown and Blue Bottle bottle theirs commercially.

Related: Cold brew vs iced coffee, Nitro cold brew, Make cold brew at home.