If you love coffee, have been to an upmarket cafe, or even stepped foot into a Starbucks recently, you’ve likely noticed the recent trend in America for cold brew coffee that is both delightful and trendy.
This strong, daring, and powerful cold beverage makes an impression and brings a fresh perspective to the idea of iced coffee. How does it compare to the traditional espresso? Which one has more caffeine? And which one tastes better?
Unsurprisingly, the answer depends on a variety of factors. The ultimate choice of coffee beverage for a coffee connoisseur depends wholly on their own taste, but other elements such as the espresso blend, beans, and preparation methods used will also influence this decision.
Espresso: The Basics
Espresso is a luxurious, attractive, black beverage that can be found in chic cafés around the world. It’s that coffee served in those extremely small containers, however it is likewise the basis for all your preferred coffee drinks like lattes, frappuccinos, cappuccinos, or any other decadent coffee beverage.
So what exactly is espresso? It’s the same thing as coffee except brewed differently. You need the same type of coffee bean to make a regular cup of coffee as you do an espresso.
The main distinction is in the method of grinding the beans and the way in which they are brewed. The beans are grinded to a very small size and packed tightly before hot water is forced through them, forming a shot of espresso. Consequently, espresso is a stronger version of coffee that can be consumed. The brew is significantly more intense, full-flavored, and tends to have a more sour coffee flavor.
Not many people are aware that, while espresso is served in smaller amounts compared to coffee, it contains a lesser amount of caffeine than a regular cup of coffee
The widespread appeal of espresso is due to the fact that it is the foundation of all beloved beverages. No matter if you’re opting for an oat milk latte, a cappuccino with lots of foam, or a classic macchiato, they all are built upon espresso. Each drink has one integral espresso shot, yet the quantity of dairy, foam, foam and seasoning will differ based on what has been ordered.
Espresso has been around for years. Espresso, which originated in Italy, is often used for a boost of energy throughout the day or to slowly sip after eating as a flavorful drink.
Cold Brew: The Basics
Cold brew is a stronger and more costly variant of iced coffee. Since Starbucks introduced it in 2015, cold brew coffee has gained a lot of fans in the United States. The widespread popularity of cold brew coffee can largely be attributed to the successful marketing campaigns of companies such as Stumptown and Starbucks, despite its early beginnings.
This beverage is typically more costly (usually by a couple of dollars), however the taste, smoothness, and the amount of caffeine it gives is significantly more than iced coffee.
The primary divergence among cold brew and iced coffee is in their making process. This applies to all coffee beverages. Cold-brewed coffee is prepared by brewing the grounds in hot water and then leaving the mixture in the refrigerator for a predetermined period of time to allow it to cool.
After you have obtained your coffee cold, add one to six ice cubes to the chilled beverage and you will have an excellent cup of iced coffee. Nevertheless, this rudimentary approach does not make for the tastiest cup of coffee since the flavor can be somewhat weak and the beans are not always very fresh.
In contrast, cold brew is created using an entirely different method. Cold brew is made by infusing coarsely ground coffee beans in room temperature water for an extended period of time, ranging from six to twelve hours. Brewing up the floor coffee makes a concentrated coffee that can be blended with cold water to produce a strong coffee drink.
Given that the grounds are soaked for lengthy periods, the resulting cold brew coffee tends to be significantly less acidic in taste.
Experts state that those who favor coffee have found that one cup of cold-brewed coffee is significantly less acidic than when made through traditional methods. If you are prone to acid reflux, cold brew can be a great choice instead of iced coffee or espresso-based drinks.
Cold Brew vs. Espresso
Taste
Many elements can influence the flavor of a cup of coffee. The acidity level definitely has the biggest impact on the taste as a more acidic cup usually tastes more bitter. If you do not like coffee that is too harsh and acidic, you may find that a cold brew is more enjoyable to drink than espresso.
Certainly, espresso is more functional than cold brew coffee. Most people opt for a latte when consuming their espresso, while only those with a strong affinity for coffee will enjoy a straight shot. The bitterness can be reduced by increasing the volume of milk or water. This dilutes the potent flavor of espresso while still maintaining the same level of caffeine in the beverage.
Making cold-brewed coffee produces a less acerbic flavor and an overall creamier coffee taste. If we look at one single drink of cold brew versus one shot of espresso, it is quite clear that the intense flavor of cold brew is significantly stronger than the taste of espresso.
Using hot water and pressure when making coffee will bring out a selection of aromas and components from the coffee beans. Espresso possesses the greatest quantity of ingredients than any other brewing method.
Some of the espresso flavors include:
- Acidity: Espresso can retain acidic flavors, and they are often a great complement to other flavors and notes. A tangy, fruity flavor to the coffee. offers balance to the shot.
- Bitterness: The high temperature and pressure will cause some bitter compounds to be extracted, which gives espresso its characteristic bitter taste. Caffeine is the most famous bitter compound, but chlorogenic acids, (the antioxidant in coffee), is the major source of bitterness in hot coffee. Chlorogenic acid needs a high temperature for proper extraction, and it’s lacking in cold brew.
- Caramel motes: The high heat during the roasting, causes the coffee’s sugars to caramelize, adding a sweet, nutty flavor to the coffee. This implies you are using a dark roast, or at least a medium roast.
- Aromatics: The high temperature and pressure cause the coffee’s volatile compounds, such as aromatic oils and flavors, to be released, which gives espresso its complex aroma and taste. Some of these compounds can be only extracted under pressure.
Alternatively, when coffee is produced with the cold brew technique, the slower steeping period and decreased temperature draw out a separate set of elements and tastes from the roasted beans. Some of these flavors are:
- Smoothness: Cold brew coffee is known for its smooth, clean taste. This is because the cold water does not extract the bitter compounds from the coffee beans, resulting in a less bitter and less acidic coffee. As we mentioned before, chlorogenic acid doesn’t get extracted, but don’t worry, some other antioxidants and polyphenols get extracted in cold water, and they are destroyed by heat. So it’s all balanced.
- Chocolaty and nutty notes: The low temperature and long steeping time allow coffee to extract flavors from the beans that can come across as chocolate or nutty notes.
- Fruity and floral notes: Cold brew coffee is also known for its fruity and floral flavors. This is because the cold water does not extract the acidic compounds from the coffee beans, resulting in a sweeter and more nuanced coffee.
- Aromatics: Many of the compounds in coffee are very volatile. With minimal heat, they get evaporated and we lose them. Cold brewing preserves these compounds, and this results in a complex coffee, with delicate notes and flavors, specific to cold brew only. Espresso lovers will find these delicate flavors faint, in comparison with the sharp, bold taste of espresso.
It is important to realize that the taste of the coffee can differ based on which beans are used, the place the beans were sourced from, the degree of roast, and the way the coffee is brewed. The flavors mentioned above are general tendencies.
Caffeine Content
No matter how you cut it, cold brew has a higher level of caffeine than espresso. It takes more coffee beans to make a cold brew than a standard brew, often two to three times the amount.
Generally speaking, you will be creating a cold brew coffee infusion. This cold-brew concentrate can be thinned out with water, dairy milk, or other dairy-replacement products. This manner enables you to dilute your cold-brew coffee, yet it still retains roughly the equivalent measure of caffeine as an espresso.
Alternatively, an espresso is merely one portion of ground coffee beans. It isn’t only the case that espresso is served in a smaller cup, but it also tends to pack less of a caffeine punch than a cup of typical coffee.
But don’t count espresso out just yet. An espresso-based drink may contain multiple shots, due to the espresso shot’s tiny size. Experienced coffee connoisseurs often order beverages with two, three, or even four shots of espresso in a single serving.
This not only boosts the caffeine content, but it also improves the balance of the flavors of milk and espresso, allowing you to more distinguishably taste the coffee.
What About Cold Brew Espresso?
A method of making coffee which involves using cold water to soak coffee beans for an extended time period is called cold brew espresso. This type of coffee yields a powerful, concentrated drink with a loads of caffeine.
This beverage can be drunk regular strength like espresso, but it is served chilled and should be consumed in small quantities. This technique of making coffee yields an outcome that is less sharp and less harsh than standard espresso. It is often used as the foundation for cool caffeinated drinks, like chilled lattes, Americano made with cold brew coffee, or Frappuccino.
Even though it sounds like it, the name “espresso” is not the same as that of traditional espresso. Different people who enjoy coffee tend to enjoy different flavors of the drink. Those who are devoted to espresso typically do not have the same enthusiasm for cold brew, and conversely. I will explain in a bit why.
Traditional Espresso vs Cold Brew Espresso
Let’s take a closer look at why cold brew espresso is not the same as true espresso, as I brought up before. Let’s investigate what that difference consists of.
Espresso, previously known as caffè crema by the Italians, is a type of brewed coffee which requires a combination of hot water and high pressure to create the beverage from the coffee beans’ soluble solids.
High pressure is used to push hot water through a finely ground coffee mixture. A special extraction technique is utilized to mix the temperature of the water and the pressure to create a strong and tasty cup of coffee. This coffee is served in small portions, called shots. The standard espresso shot is 1 ounce. An espresso machine is needed to make espresso.
Espresso has a distinctive ability to draw out certain flavors and aromas that are not detectable in other forms of coffee brewing. Due to its design that does not include a paper filter, coffee that has been made with this technique contains small particles (known as fines), which create a richer, bolder flavor and a distinct consistency that cannot be recreated using another form of brewing.
For cold brew espresso, the coffee grounds are kept in cold liquid over a long time. The beverage which has been made is then given in a condensed form, instead of being thinned out. The beverage is presented in small cups, in a shot-glass-sized serving, or incorporated into frozen or iced coffee concoctions.
Since cold brew espresso is brewed with cold water, it has a distinct taste compared to traditional espresso which is brewed with hot water. The flavor of cold brew espresso is not as sharp as the flavor of hot espresso, and is instead milder and more pleasant with a sweeter taste. The flavor of cold brew concentrate deviates from that of traditional espresso.
Cold brew espresso can be made with an immersion cold brew coffee system like the Toddy, Filtron, or the easier method of a cold brew coffee bag and a mason jar. There are also coffee machines that are specifically designed to brew cold coffee quickly, with a vacuum or other technique used to accelerate the cooling process in just a few minutes. This article provides instructions on how to quickly make cold brew.
Chilled Espresso
Chilled espresso, is another popular form of concentrated coffee. Iced espresso is a beverage made by cooling off hot espresso before drinking it. This task can be accomplished by either putting the shots in a refrigerator or submerging them in cold water. Espresso that is served cold has a taste that is similar to regular espresso, but it is cool.
Chilled espresso is mainly used to make iced coffee. Espresso’s intense concentration makes it an excellent choice for those looking for an alternative to the filter coffee when making iced coffee. The goal is to rapidly cool the espresso, in order to avoid oxidation.