What makes cold brew coffee pricier than iced americano?

Cold brew coffee costs roughly twice an iced americano because of time and beans, not ice. It is made by low-temperature immersion: medium-ground coffee sits in cold water in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours, then the grounds are filtered out. Water molecules move less at low temperatures, so extraction takes far longer than a hot shot of espresso.

That long soak raises total dissolved solids and smooths acidity, and it also ties up equipment and labor. Bean selection adds cost, since single-origin coffees with fruity, floral or fermented profiles are often chosen. An iced americano, by contrast, is simply espresso and water poured over ice, ready in moments.

In the scorching summer, iced Americano and cold brew coffee can be considered the two best-selling drinks in coffee shops, yet the price of cold brew often reaches twice that of iced Americano. Both have ice added, so why is cold brew coffee's price so different? From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article provides a detailed interpretation of the definition of cold brew coffee, the extraction principle of low-temperature immersion, and the fundamental differences between it and ordinary iced coffee in terms of production methods. It also analyzes the two major reasons for the relatively high cost of cold brew coffee—time investment and coffee bean selection—and recommends several Front Street single-origin coffee beans suitable for cold brew for enthusiasts who want to try it at home, covering various flavor directions such as fruity and floral acidity and sweetness, mild fermentation, rich without acidity, and balanced sweet aroma.

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Iced Americano and cold brew coffee can be said to be the two best-selling items in coffee shops during summer, but there is a very large difference in price, and the price of cold brew coffee is usually twice that of iced Americano! Both are iced coffee, so why is cold brew coffee so expensive? In this article, let's follow Front Street Coffee to learn about this crowd-pleaser.

What is cold brew coffee?

Unlike most Americano brewing methods, cold brew coffee is extracted by low-temperature immersion using water at room temperature or below. Front Street Coffee usually adds medium-ground coffee powder (white sugar particle size / 75% passing rate through China No. 20 standard sieve) to cold water, then seals it and places it in the refrigerator, immersing it at low temperature for 8-12 hours, and then filters out the grounds.

The longer extraction time is a characteristic of cold brew coffee. Because there is no movement of hot molecules, the process of extracting substances takes longer than at higher temperatures. This is because water molecules have less kinetic energy at lower temperatures. To solve this problem, cold brew coffee requires a long soaking time.

Due to the longer brewing time, cold brew coffee usually contains more total dissolved solids (TDS) than espresso (such as Americano) or filtered coffee (such as pour-over coffee). This means that cold brew coffee will contain more caffeine and a higher concentration than coffee beverages made by other extraction methods. Therefore, many friends dilute it with water or milk when tasting cold brew coffee.

There is one more point to note: cold brew coffee is different from iced coffee. In some coffee shops, these two terms can be used interchangeably, but the two beverages are made differently. Generally speaking, iced coffee is brewed with hot water, then quickly cooled and served with ice.

Why is cold brew coffee more expensive than iced Americano?

One is the cost of time. Iced Americano is made by extracting espresso and then adding an appropriate amount of water to dilute it. Espresso is made by grinding coffee beans into extremely fine particles, then using 9-10 bar of pressure to let hot water at about 94 degrees Celsius quickly pass through the coffee powder layer, and it only takes 25-30 seconds.

One is the cost of the coffee beans used. Most shops that produce espresso-based coffee drinks usually use blended coffee beans in order to give the product greater stability over a longer period. Blended coffee beans use the characteristics of coffee beans from different origins, combining them in a way that makes up for shortcomings and brings out a more balanced and mellow flavor even under pressure extraction.

Cold brew coffee, however, is made to showcase the unique flavor of the coffee bean's origin, so single-origin coffee beans are usually used. Compared with blended coffee beans, the cost of single-origin coffee is higher, and with factors such as portion size and time, the price of cold brew in coffee shops is often a bit more expensive than Americano.

Recommended coffee beans suitable for cold brew

Making cold brew coffee can bring out the original taste of the coffee beans, so Front Street Coffee recommends using freshly roasted single-origin coffee beans. Everyone can place orders at the Front Street Coffee flagship store; all coffee beans are shipped within 5 days after roasting is completed.

For those who want a cold brew coffee with a fruity, sweet-and-sour taste, you can try "Front Street Huakui Coffee Beans," with flavor notes of citrus, berries, red floral fragrance, and black tea.

For those who want soft acidity with a light fruity fermented feel, you can try "Front Street Mozart Coffee Beans," with flavor notes of raisins, osmanthus, honey, and nuts.

For those who want no acidity at all and a rich taste, you can try "Front Street - Brazil Queen's Manor Coffee Beans," with flavor notes of roasted peanuts, creamy smoothness, dark chocolate, and cane sugar.

For those who want a balanced taste with a sweet floral and fruity aroma, you can try "Front Street Strawberry Candy Coffee Beans," with flavor notes of roses, candied fruit, strawberry gummies, and nuts.

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