What Makes Hot & Iced Coffee Different?
The summer solstice is only a month away, and temperatures are already warmer. During this time, café visitors will make the switch from hot coffee to iced coffee. Although iced and hot coffee taste similar, the two varieties can lead to a different flavor profile and nutritional value.
Iced coffee is made using several different methods. For making iced coffee at home, simply pour hot coffee over ice. This is an easy way to enjoy cold coffee, but the hot coffee will melt the ice cubes, affecting the quality of the coffee.
One way to get around this problem is by using coffee ice cubes. Brew hot coffee the night before, pour it into an ice tray, and freeze to create ice cubes made from coffee. Using these ice cubes, people can enjoy iced coffee without a watered-down taste.
Alternatively, coffee can also be cold brewed. This lengthy process involves letting coffee steep in room-temperature water for several hours before straining out the coffee and refrigerating the liquid. In this process, the coffee is never heated.
Which Coffee is Healthier?
When making iced coffee by pouring hot coffee over ice, the melted ice lowers the acidity of the coffee, but not enough to create a substantial difference. Therefore, when choosing between pouring hot coffee over ice or enjoying the hot coffee as it is, the nutritional values are relatively the same.
When cold brewing, however, the nutrition of the coffee changes more drastically. Since the coffee isn't heated to high temperatures, the oils inside the coffee beans aren't ever released. The lack of these coffee oils makes cold brew coffee less acidic than its hot counterpart. However, the oils also add additional antioxidants, which aren't present in cold brew drinks.
When choosing between hot or iced coffee, the question of which is healthier is down to the individual. Those trying to add more disease-fighting antioxidants to their diet will enjoy more benefits from hot coffee. On the other hand, if a person has an easily upset stomach or an outstanding medical condition, the soothing flavor of iced coffee will be easier to digest.
At the Dilettante Mocha Café, each iced and hot coffee is made through the effort of talented coffeemakers and baristas. To find one of Dilettante's Seattle-based cafés, view all locations and enjoy a favorite flavor during the spring and summer months.
Ryan
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Ryan has a fondness for the outdoors, music, and coffee. Some of his favorites are Dilettante's Chocolate-Covered Bing Cherries and L'Orange Truffles. Through his writing and content, he hopes to grow the Dilettante community.
