Cold Brew Versus Iced Coffee

Popular brewing vessels include coffee presses, toddies, Mason jars, and more. On top of how easy it is to make, cold brew is super customizable and can change depending on what kind of roast or coffee flavor you use.

Cold brew starts with coarse ground coffee that’s cold-steeped in cool filtered water, usually anywhere from 12–24 hours. It’s time rather than heat that extracts the flavor, caffeine and sugars from the coffee beans. This creates lower acidity and the naturally smooth, sweet taste it’s known for.

In contrast, iced coffee usually involves a specific ration of coffee to water ratio since you are diluting the coffee with ice. The gold standard for Starbucks^® Iced Coffee is double strength–4 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 fluid ounces–poured over ice. Iced coffee can be conveniently made with any brewing method from a drip coffee maker to flash brewing.

Thanks to the brewing process and thoughtfully chosen beans, cold brew boasts a natural sweetness with a hint of chocolaty flavor, versus iced coffee’s caramel and cola notes.

Cold brew is naturally full-bodied, smooth and aromatic, and frequently served black over ice (although a splash of cream and your favorite syrups are delicious, too!). Iced coffee is lighter, with a medium body but tends to be a little brighter depending on what beans you use. Iced coffee also tastes great with cream, sugar or syrup as well.

And the deliciousness doesn’t stop there. Whether you want to try a Cold Brew Old Fashioned or Orange Tonic, we have tons of recipes to help keep your favorite cold coffee ever-changing.

If you’re looking to dive into the world of iced coffee, we have all sorts of delicious recipes to try like our Iced Cinnamon Coffee or our Iced Latte.