Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee

Time vs Heat

Is there a difference? While both are served cold and offer caffeinated delights, there are key differences. Cold brew is a deliberate, extended process that extracts coffee flavors over a 12 to 24-hour period vs brewing.

 Below is a simplified illustration of the differences.

 So how to cold brew? There are machines of course! But the manual way is fairly straight forward:

1. Coarsely ground coffee – it’s important to use high-quality coffee as the flavors will be more prominent.
2. In large jar combine the course ground coffee with cold, filtered water, stir well to ensure all grounds are saturated.
3. Cover or wrap the jar to prevent contaminants from getting in but leave room for gases to escape (especially important if using freshly roasted coffee like Hog Heaven Coffee).
4. Let steep for 12-24 hours, the longer the steep, stronger and more concentrated the cold brew will be.
5. Strain the coffee to remove the grounds using filter, fine mesh or even cheesecloth.

That’s it! Drink it straight or dilute. You can also store it in the fridge of up to two weeks.

 For iced coffee: either pour fresh coffee over ice or refrigerate, keep in mind ice will dilute the caffeine and the flavor depending on how much you use so load up on the coffee ground when brewing.

 What about the difference in taste?

Cold brew is less acidic so you may be able to drink it straight (for those that normally use additives to brewed coffee). Because the flavors are more concentrated, you can taste the various notes (flavonoids).  If your coffee normally tastes bitter, then you need to drink our Hog Heaven Coffee! Or try the cold brew and as it’ll reduce the bitterness.