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I’m a huge fan of cold brew and in today I’m sharing why cold brew is better than iced coffee.
If you’ve walked into a coffee house in the last couple of years, you probably have heard of cold brew. If you’re reading this, you more than likely are part of the 150 million Americans who drink espresso, latte, cappuccino, or iced/cold coffees. Cold brew coffee has been a trend increasing in popularity as more people have recently demanded it from the market. That’s a topic for another day, so until then, here’s 5 reasons cold brew is better than iced coffee.
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Low Acidity
Because cold brew is made with, you guessed it, cold water, the oils (which carry the acids) is not extracted. So if drinking coffee causes stomach upset, try cold brew. You may find that to be your drink of choice! (stick around though, because I have some ideas on how you can control the acid in your coffee; wha-whaaaaaat?!)
Smoother Taste
Since the coffee grounds in cold brew are steeped and not brewed, the taste is more concentrated and smoother. It also eliminates the bitterness because of the typical 12 hour steep time. Cold water prevents the bitter qualities from being extracted from the grounds so you will naturally have a sweeter flavor that shines through.
Cost
Some experts consider iced coffee kinda wasteful. I mean, you brew coffee and then pour it over ice, which melts and further dilutes your coffee. Bleh. The only way to really combat that is to make coffee ice cubes, but even still you have an element of added water. With cold brew, you are extracting all of the flavor from the coffee which creates a concentrate that still is flavorful even if you choose to add ice to it.
Cold Brew is Easy to Make
If you’re a meal prepper, you’re gonna love cold brew. You can make it while you’re prepping your weekly lunches and dinners and have it ready to consume before you leave for work the next day. Check out my recipe here for the best homemade cold brew!
No Loss on Caffeine
Cold brew has the same if not a bit more caffeine than your normal cup of hot coffee. So you can rest easy knowing you won’t be sacrificing any pick-me-up if you have cold brew. Conversely, if you’re trying to cut out your caffeine, make your morning cup with 1/2 c of water and 1/2 c of cold brew concentrate to decrease the amount of caffeine. You STILL won’t sacrifice taste. I promise!
So, there ya have it. Cold brew is just as enjoyable as hot coffee, without being watered down like it’s counterpart, iced coffee. It’s easy to make, a cinch to store, and a smooth taste will have you making a Mason Jar full every week, even during winter! And you can still fancy up a cold brew with some soft top, gently whipped milk or cream, sprinkled with salt or raw sugar. So GOOD!
Check out the Home Barista Essentials where you will find links to all of the products you need to make the coffee bar of your dreams right at home!
Did you switch to cold brew? Let me know how you love it!
Till next time!
Cold-Brew is NOT just for folks that like their caffeine cold. Cold-Brew can also be heated. Yep. I mix 1/2 Cup course grounds into a quart Mason jar, add cold filtered water, put the lid on, shake, then put it in the refrigerator over night. The next morning, I filter off half the jar into a 2 cup measuring cup and then microwave it for 3 minutes.
Believe it or not, heating the cold brew still maintains the cold-brew’s super smooth and naturally sweet flavor. AND I get to drink my coffee hot.
So, I’m not a fan of microwave coffee, BUT I think it’s probably more to do with warming up coffee that’s been brewed hot. I’ll have to give this a shot with cold brew, although I LOVE cold brew coffee.