What Are the Differences in Flavor Between Cold Drip and Cold Brew Coffee? A Tutorial on Cold Brew Coffee Brewing Parameters

Ice drip coffee and cold brew coffee are two common types of iced coffee. Many people haven't yet distinguished the differences between them, so FrontStreet Coffee would like to share some related knowledge.

Both ice drip coffee and cold brew coffee share the common characteristic of low-temperature extraction, with both requiring long preparation times, making it nearly impossible to prepare on demand. However, their extraction methods differ—ice drip coffee uses drip extraction, while cold brew coffee uses immersion extraction.

Ice Drip Coffee

Ice drip coffee is made by having ice water drip drop by drop through the coffee grounds, extracting rich coffee substances. The process is quite lengthy and requires specialized ice drip equipment. FrontStreet Coffee's typical parameters for making ice drip coffee are: 60g of coffee grounds, ground finer than pour-over coffee with 85% pass-through through a #20 sieve, drip rate of 7 drops every 10 seconds, to produce 600ml of ice drip coffee over approximately 6 hours. The finished coffee liquid should be stored in the refrigerator for 12 hours before consumption.

Many friends have asked FrontStreet Coffee how much water and ice to add. Regarding this question, FrontStreet Coffee explains that as long as you ensure it's an ice-water mixture throughout the entire process, it will be fine. This is because we use a method where extraction stops when the target coffee liquid volume is reached, so the excess ice water in the upper chamber won't affect the coffee liquid.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee, also known as cold steep coffee, as the name suggests, is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for extraction. FrontStreet Coffee's recommended preparation method uses a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12, with coffee ground slightly finer than pour-over, also achieving 85% pass-through through a #20 sieve. Place the coffee grounds in a sealed bottle, add 12 parts of water, shake well, and refrigerate for 12 hours. Then use filtration equipment to thoroughly filter out the coffee grounds. Store the clean coffee liquid in the refrigerator for 4 hours before consumption.

Differences in Appearance and Flavor

Due to differences in preparation methods, their appearance and flavor profiles also vary. Ice drip coffee typically appears clearer and more transparent.

To highlight the characteristic rich, wine-like quality of ice drip coffee while avoiding the bitter notes that come from extended dripping, many coffee shops specifically choose high-quality single-origin beans rich in fruit aromas. With the enhancement of slow dripping and low-temperature maturation, the resulting ice drip not only carries the transparent charm of fruity acidic coffee but also exudes a fermentation quality reminiscent of fruit wine—rich and fragrant yet refreshing. For this reason, compared to regular espresso blend beans, the raw material cost for ice drip is obviously higher.

In terms of flavor, the same coffee beans perform differently between these two methods. Ice drip coffee, having undergone overnight fermentation, exhibits stronger fermentation notes, tastes more refreshing, and has wine-like fermentation flavors. Cold brew coffee retains more of the coffee bean's original flavors (for example, fruity coffee beans maintain rich fruit notes) and has a fuller body.

Conclusion

Ice drip coffee and cold brew coffee each have their own merits. If you want to experience how coffee beans perform as iced coffee, you might try cold brew coffee. If you want to experience the unique flavors expressed by the preparation method, you might consider trying ice drip coffee.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473