Serious coffee drinkers hate the concept of iced coffee. It tastes flat and weak and really, takes away from the whole coffee experience. But thanks (or no thanks) to giant coffee chains serving the most un-traditional of caffeinated beverages, these oppositions are being drowned out by the masses who patronize the watered-down saccharine concoctions in freezing temperatures.
And the latter may be on to something. Reports are coming out saying that cold coffee may actually be a healthier option than its hot counterpart. However, only cold brew coffee qualifies and not the typical iced coffee that we're used to. Iced coffee is usually made simply by adding ice to hot coffee – and this doesn't make any difference to the drink's chemistry. According to some nutritionists, coffee must never be hot in order for the drinker to take advantage of its full health benefits.
Brewed coffee is strong and full-flavored, which aficionados argue is the only way to enjoy the beverage. But it's not without its flaws.
“On the downside, oxidation and degradation also occur more rapidly at higher temperatures. The oils in coffee solubles can oxidize more quickly at elevated temperatures, causing coffee to taste sour. Acids also degrade, the most notable of which is chlorogenic acid into quinic and caffeic acid, causing coffee to taste bitter,” says Alice Chi Phung, writing for the Science And Food blog of the University of California Los Angeles Division of Life Sciences and Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology.
That's where cold brew comes in. Cold brew, which is super trendy right now, is the process of steeping coffee grounds in room-temperature or cold water for long periods of time, patiently waiting for the solids to be filtered out (usually overnight). Without the presence of intense heat, no oxidation happens and no acids are released, and the coffee maintains its alkaline state.
As you probably know, acids cause the body a lot of problems – the most common ones being stomach pains and acid reflux leading to heartburn. We are all healthier when our bodies have a pH level of 7 or a bit higher, which is also why pH-balancing alkaline drinking water is getting popular.
“Oxidation and degradation will still occur in cold brew methods, but this happens much more slowly; bitterness and acidity are just about absent in cold brew coffee, especially if it is kept cold. Though, cold brew doesn’t merely taste like hot brew without the bitterness. Fans of the cold brew method have emphasized that cold brews contain a completely different flavor profile that can’t be found with hot brews,” Phung writes.
So to recap: Cold brew coffee is sweeter, less acidic and less bitter than regular hot coffee. And that's all the reason we need to give it a shot.
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