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

They look similar sitting on a café counter — both iced, both coffee — but cold brew and iced coffee are actually very different drinks. They're made differently, they taste different, and they suit different preferences. If you've ever wondered which one to order (or which to make at home), here's everything you need to know.

What Is Iced Coffee?

Iced coffee is exactly what it sounds like: hot-brewed coffee that's been cooled down and served over ice. You make it the same way you'd make any filter, plunger, or pour-over coffee — you just let it cool (or brew it directly over ice using a method called flash brewing).

Because the coffee is extracted with hot water, you get all the brightness and acidity that hot brewing produces. The flavour profile is familiar — it tastes like the coffee you're used to, just cold. It's quick to make, taking only a few minutes from start to sip.

The trade-off is that iced coffee can taste a bit thin or diluted once the ice melts, especially if you use a standard brew ratio. The fix is simple: brew it stronger than you normally would (use a higher coffee-to-water ratio) to account for the ice melt.

What Is Cold Brew?

Cold brew is a completely different process. Instead of using hot water to extract flavour quickly, you steep coarsely ground coffee in cold or room-temperature water for an extended period — typically 12 to 24 hours.

The long steep time compensates for the lower temperature. Because the water never gets hot, the extraction pulls different compounds from the beans. You get a smoother, less acidic, often sweeter-tasting coffee with a heavier body. Some people describe cold brew as chocolatey, mellow, or rich.

Cold brew also tends to be stronger in caffeine content because of the long extraction time and the typical ratio of coffee to water used. Many people dilute cold brew concentrate with water or milk before drinking.

The Key Differences

Brewing temperature: Iced coffee uses hot water; cold brew uses cold water.

Brewing time: Iced coffee takes minutes; cold brew takes 12–24 hours.

Flavour profile: Iced coffee is bright, acidic, and crisp. Cold brew is smooth, mellow, and sweet.

Acidity: Cold brew is significantly less acidic than iced coffee, which makes it gentler on the stomach for people who find regular coffee too harsh.

Body: Cold brew has a heavier, silkier body. Iced coffee is lighter and more refreshing.

Caffeine: Cold brew typically has more caffeine per serving, though this depends on the concentrate ratio.

Which One Should You Choose?

It comes down to preference. If you like bright, fruity, acidic coffee — the kind where you can really taste the origin character — iced coffee is your drink. It preserves the complexity of the beans and gives you a refreshing, lively cup.

If you prefer something smoother, sweeter, and less sharp, cold brew is the way to go. It's particularly good if you find hot-brewed coffee too acidic, or if you like adding milk — cold brew's rich body pairs beautifully with milk or cream.

How to Make Cold Brew at Home

You don't need any special equipment. Here's a simple recipe:

What you need: 100g coarsely ground coffee, 1 litre of cold filtered water, a jar or jug, and a strainer or plunger.

Step 1: Add the ground coffee to your jar or jug.

Step 2: Pour in the cold water and stir gently to make sure all the grounds are wet.

Step 3: Cover and leave in the fridge for 12–18 hours. Don't go much over 24 hours or it can become bitter.

Step 4: Strain through a fine sieve, cheesecloth, or plunger to remove the grounds.

Step 5: Dilute to taste. The result is a concentrate, so mix roughly 1:1 with water or milk. Serve over ice.

That's it. The whole batch will keep in the fridge for up to a week, so you can make a big batch on Sunday and have cold brew ready every morning.

The Best Beans for Cold Brew

Because cold brew emphasises smoothness and sweetness over acidity, beans with chocolatey, nutty, or caramel notes tend to work best. Our Brazil Peaberry is an excellent choice — its naturally smooth, chocolatey profile becomes even more pronounced in a cold brew. The result is rich, dessert-like, and incredibly easy to drink.

Lighter, fruitier beans like our Colombia Tolima can also make interesting cold brew, but expect a different experience — more like iced tea than the classic smooth cold brew most people are after.

Which Will You Try First?

If you've never tried making either at home, start with cold brew. It's almost impossible to mess up, requires no special equipment, and the results are impressive enough to convert even committed café-goers. Once you've got cold brew sorted, experiment with flash-brewed iced coffee for those days when you want something brighter and more complex.

Ready to brew your first batch? Grab a bag of beans perfect for cold brew and try it this weekend.