Cold Brew VS Iced Coffee – What’s the Difference?

We have seen a lot of people getting confused between a cold brew and an iced coffee. Therefore, we decided to make a full-fledged detailed article on it so new coffee enthusiasts will never get confused.

In this article, we have made a detailed comparison between both Cold brew VS iced coffee from their brewing process to their health benefits. 

We have also included coffee machines, which we prefer for making these coffees in a minimal time.

Moreover, we have also provided their detailed review for your comfort. Now, let’s move towards the major topic of this article and get to know the difference between both. 

Cold Brew VS Iced Coffee

What is a cold brew?

A cold brewed coffee is a lot different from a normal brew in which we at least add hot water to the coffee grounds. In a cold brew, the coffee is never heated and brewed at a normal room temperature.

Moreover, unlike other coffee recipes, the cold brew coffee doesn’t brew in some minutes or hours, it takes a whooping 12 to16 hours for brewing a cup of cold brewed coffee, also more than that.

The more time it takes, the more flavor enhances. It doesn’t taste much bitter and has a smooth consistency. 

How is cold brewed coffee made?

For making a cold brew you will require some coarse coffee grounds and some water at normal temperature. Mix both of them in a container and lock the container for at least 12 hours.

Within this time, the coffee grounds get infused with the water giving a highly concentrated coffee beverage. A cold brewed coffee has nothing to do with its name, you can serve it with ice or by heating it.  

Benefits of having a cold brew

• Having a shot of cold brewed coffee is known to be a good mood enhancer because of its antioxidants
• Moreover, an adequate amount of caffeine in a day will lead to a good metabolism and good mental health
• The high caffeine content will keep you awake and attentive through your lazy days
• Lastly, a moderate dose of coffee will keep your heart healthy and free from cardiovascular diseases 

Side effects of having a cold brew

• Due to the high caffeine content, having a cold brew coffee in high amounts will lead to fatal heart conditions 
• Moreover, the chemical compounds found in a cold brew are known to lower blood pressure, which will not be good for some people 

What is Iced Coffee?

As the name suggests, iced coffee is nothing but a normal hot brewed coffee with ice topped on it. You can make a cup of iced coffee within an hour so you don’t have to wait for a whole day like in a cold brew.

Moreover, like any other heated coffee recipe, you will find the taste to be bitter like a coffee should be. However, you should have it as soon as it’s made because the ice can dilute the flavor of your coffee cup leaving behind a watery taste. 

How is iced coffee made?

An iced coffee is a lot easier to make. Firstly, you have to brew a cup of normal coffee and let it cool for some time.

After the coffee gets cooled, add some ice cubes to it. Some people also add ice cubes in hot coffee. However, we would not recommend that as the coffee gets diluted as the cubes dissolve in hot water. 

Benefits of having an iced coffee

• It has a high calorie count so you can have it if you want to lose weight in a healthy way
• The antioxidants found in a coffee may help in slowing the ageing process in humans 
• Moreover, having only iced coffee may reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes 
• Can help in relieving stress and anxiety and also lift your mood within seconds 

Side effects of having an iced coffee 

• The high caffeine content can cause sleeplessness and restlessness in some people with poor sleep 
• Moreover, excess amounts of iced coffee may lead to cardiac arrest.

Here are the products which we talked about earlier in this article. Both of them will help you in making a cold brew or iced coffee, anything you like. Moreover, we loved them too.

Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker-Best cold brew coffee maker

Why do we love it?

• This coffee maker can brew up to 4 cups of cold brewed coffee in one go 
• Moreover, the coffee maker also comes with a mesh filter which provides filtered coffee 
• However, the material used is plastic but its BPA free so use if carefree, it won’t take any toll on your health 

With a small and portable size, this cold brew coffee maker is popular amongst coffee enthusiasts for its versatility and easy-to-use quality.

The water capacity is 4 cups which is ideal for a small family. Moreover, you can store it anywhere and still have a lot of space left. Also, the BPA-free material used, makes sure that your coffee doesn’t get any chemicals into it. 

What makes it more special is its long-lasting and durable build made of plastic. Also, it’s way easier to clean by hand and also it’s dishwasher safe so simply toss it in a dishwasher and enjoy. Therefore, it’s a great option at a cheaper price. 

People who love having a strong yet less acidic coffee as soon as they start their day will love getting this coffee maker as it does not require any heat or electricity.

Moreover, depending on the good build quality, we think it will last for years. However, it can make only 4 cups of coffee at once. Therefore, if you want a big one, you are free to buy another coffee maker. 

Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker-Best iced coffee maker

Why do we love it?

• This coffee maker only takes 4 minutes even less than that for brewing a cup of iced coffee
• Furthermore, the price range is under $30 so it’s quite affordable for any coffee lover 
• Also, you will get a tumbler with this coffee maker which has an insulated body so your hands won’t get burnt.

Coming from a renowned brand, Mr Coffee, this iced coffee maker will never let you down because of its performance. It’s extremely easy to use and within 4 minutes will provide you with great tasting iced coffee.

Moreover, they have also provided a tumbler with this coffee maker which is cool to touch. 

Also, what makes this coffee brewer more special is the ice added to the coffee will never dilute the taste of coffee as it uses a rapid chill brew method.

You can also customize your iced coffee according to your preference for which you were paying a lot of money at an expensive cafe. 

A well-built coffee maker which can perfectly brew a cup of iced coffee that’s all we can say about the Mr. Coffee coffee maker. Unlike other coffee makers, it is a cheap one with outstanding coffee-making abilities. Moreover, it will never water down your coffee.

However, the plastic build may be a problem for some people. Otherwise, it’s a great coffee maker for iced coffee which also comes with a measuring scoop and tumbler.

Conclusion

So that’s all, we have tried our best to include all the details which we found out to be important and contrasting between a cold brew coffee and an iced coffee. We hope that you have got what you wanted and don’t have any confusion between these two. You can also check out our similar articles like 

• Americano VS drip coffee 
• Cappuccino VS latte
• Mocha VS latte

Also, we have included the top products regarding these beverages in all these articles which we have used personally and found to be the best. Now, we are taking your leave. Goodbye!