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Cold Brew and Iced Coffee

Steeping cold for 12–24 hours makes a different drink from pouring hot coffee over ice.

Cold brew and iced coffee are frequently treated as synonyms and are not. Cold brew never meets hot water: coarse grounds steep in cold or room-temperature water for 12 to 24 hours. Iced coffee is brewed hot and then chilled, which takes four minutes rather than a day.

The difference shows up in the cup. Cold water extracts fewer of the acids and aromatic compounds that hot water pulls, so cold brew reads as smoother and less bright, and it keeps in the fridge for a week or more.

What you'll learn

  • Concentrate at 1:5 versus ready-to-drink at 1:8, and how to dilute either one
  • Why steep time past 24 hours makes the result woody rather than stronger
  • What 'stronger' means for cold brew, and why the honest answer is 'it depends on dilution'
  • How to flash-chill hot coffee over ice without watering it down

6 articles on cold brew & iced

Common questions about cold brew & iced

How long should cold brew steep?

Twelve to 24 hours. Below 12 hours the result is thin and under-extracted; past about 24 hours you gain little caffeine and start picking up woody, papery flavours. Room temperature extracts faster than the fridge, so shorten the steep if you leave it on the counter.

Is cold brew stronger than regular coffee?

Cold brew concentrate is much stronger — it is brewed at roughly 1:5 rather than 1:16. Once diluted to drinking strength the caffeine is broadly comparable to drip coffee. The number depends entirely on how much water you add back.

Can I use pre-ground coffee for cold brew?

Yes, but standard supermarket grind is cut for drip and will make the brew muddy and over-extracted after 18 hours. A coarse grind, the texture of raw sugar, filters far more cleanly.

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