How do cold brew, ice drip, and iced coffee differ?

Cold brew and ice drip both extract coffee with low-temperature water, but cold brew relies on steeping, while ice drip passes water slowly through a bed of grounds. Espresso-based drinks such as the dirty latte and iced latte differ mainly in milk and temperature, and pour-over can be served hot or over ice.

The Dutch first used cold steeping to ship coffee from Indonesia to Europe without hot water on board, and the method later spread to Japan. Extraction temperature and time decide the flavor: longer, cooler contact yields a rounder, less acidic cup, which is why an iced americano can taste softer than its hot counterpart.

Friends who are just getting into coffee are often confused by the terms on the menu: espresso, pour-over, cold brew, ice drip—what exactly is the difference between them? This article systematically sorts out the differences between hot coffee, iced coffee, ice drip coffee, and cold brew coffee from four angles: brewing method, extraction temperature, time, and flavor performance. The article will also explain the historical origins of cold brew and ice drip, the relationship between water temperature and extraction time, and the differences between the two in taste layers, and combine Front Street Coffee's bean list to give bean selection suggestions for fruity and mellow flavors, helping you make the cup that suits your taste at home.

Many friends who have just come into contact with coffee have similar confusion: they want to brew a cup at home, but as soon as they hear all kinds of methods and extraction parameters, they find it difficult, yet they are unwilling to give up just like that. Today, Front Street will help everyone explain clearly, one by one, these terms that baristas often mention.

Common coffee brewing methods

When looking through the menu in a coffee shop, the most frequently appearing category is espresso coffee; Americano, latte, cappuccino, mocha, dirty, and flat white all belong to this category; next are cold brew and ice drip, both of which complete extraction at low temperature; in addition, there is pour-over, whose movements look similar to brewing tea, but if you really want to brew a delicious cup of coffee, there are quite a few details to pay attention to. Espresso and pour-over can mostly be served hot or cold, while ice drip and cold brew can only be made into iced drinks.

What is cold brew coffee?

Cold brew coffee, literally understood, is using lower-temperature water to extract coffee flavors. Strictly speaking, it includes two forms: cold steep and ice drip, but nowadays many people mention cold brew and ice drip together, and even directly equate cold brew with cold steep.

How did this method come about? Front Street has learned that the Dutch were the first to come up with the idea of cold brew, and only later did it gradually spread to Japan. Back then, the Dutch needed to transport coffee from their colony Indonesia back to Europe, and there was no hot water on the ship, so the cold steep method was forced into existence. Interestingly, people at the time thought cold coffee was gentler and did not hurt the stomach, but they did not clearly understand that the real reason was that hot water brings out more acidic substances, while cold-steeped coffee has relatively lower acidity.

Making coffee with ice water or cold water can be traced back to Japan at the earliest, and is usually called "Kyoto-style coffee," because this cold-water extraction method was very popular around Kyoto back then, and the name came from that. As early as the 17th century, Japanese people had already begun using cold water together with different cold brew methods to make coffee. Whether filtered or drip-brewed, these extraction methods and techniques evolved over time, eventually giving rise to today's exquisitely shaped, highly designed ice drip coffee pots.

So what water temperature is actually suitable for making cold brew? Front Street tells everyone: cold brew uses water at room temperature or lower, and the water temperature is generally below room temperature, around 20-22°C. When the water temperature is low, the production cycle is long, usually taking 12 to 48 hours. Cold brew can only bring out some small-molecule substances, such as floral and fruity aromas, while large-molecule substances like smoky and roasted flavors are not easily extracted, and acidity is also noticeably reduced. The biggest shortcoming of this method is that its extraction capacity is relatively weak, requiring longer contact between water and coffee grounds.

As one of the most common black coffees, cold brew, like iced Americano and ice drip, belongs to iced coffee. The difference is that iced Americano first uses hot water to extract coffee grounds, while cold brew is carried out entirely in a low-temperature environment.

What is the difference between ice drip coffee and cold brew coffee?

Theoretically, ice drip is actually a type of cold brew, except that it extracts by water dripping drop by drop. Ice drip coffee is also called Dutch coffee or Kyoto coffee. Cold water or ice water is also used during production, but unlike the "water soaking coffee" method of cold steep, ice drip relies on water slowly permeating the coffee grounds to complete extraction. In terms of time, ice drip can be finished in about 5 hours, roughly half that of cold steep. In an interview, American barista champion Laila once mentioned that compared with cold brew, Front Street believes ice drip coffee has a more prominent aroma and a more delicate and subtle mouthfeel.

Which tastes better, cold brew coffee or ice drip coffee?

At FrontStreet Coffee, whether cold brew or ice drip, carefully selected specialty coffee beans are used, ground into powder and then brewed.

[Cold Brew Coffee] The coffee grounds and ice water are soaked together throughout the whole process, and after extraction is finished, the coffee grounds bag is removed, or the coffee grounds are filtered out. Because of full contact throughout, extraction is relatively sufficient and the concentration is also higher. During the entire process, the only thing interacting with the coffee grounds is cold water, with few variables and more stable flavor, which is also why coffee chains generally use cold brew.

[Ice Drip Coffee] Although it also uses ice water, it is more like giving coffee an "IV drip" at the bar: a device like a vintage clock lets ice water fall drop by drop into the coffee grounds and then slowly permeate downward. There are two biggest differences from cold steep: first, the contact time between each drop of water and the coffee grounds is shorter than in cold steep; second, during the ice drip process, the coffee has fuller contact with air, and gentle oxidation brings some uncontrollable changes to the flavor.

Because of this, ice drip coffee shows completely different flavors in the front, middle, and back sections, and the extracted taste is bright and fresh, with a stronger sense of layers. Ice drip can usually be completed in 5 to 8 hours, but after making it, placing it in a refrigerator compartment without odors and letting it sit overnight to develop steadily often yields unexpectedly wonderful aromas.

As for which is better, cold brew or ice drip, Front Street's view is: both are good; cold brew is richer, while ice drip is brighter and more layered. Taste varies from person to person, and the key is which one you like. If you prefer fruity notes, you can try Front Street Strawberry Candy Coffee, Front Street Huakui Coffee, and Front Street Xizhua Coffee; if you like a mellow flavor, then Front Street Queen's Manor Coffee and Front Street Huilan Coffee are recommended.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.