Hot take: Cold brew versus iced pour over is a real debate people keep getting wrong

I was at a shop in Portland last weekend and this barista told me cold brew is the only way to get smooth iced coffee. But I think iced pour over brings out more flavor notes, like that bright acidity you lose in cold brew's 12 hour steep. Am I missing something or do people just follow the trend without testing both side by side? Has anyone else done a taste test and landed on one over the other?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_sanchez7519d agoTop Commenter

My buddy tried making cold brew once and left it steeping for like 16 hours by accident. Took one sip and said it tasted like dirt and old coffee grounds mixed together. That experiment ruined cold brew for him forever. Now he only does iced pour over with a dark roast and says it's the only way to get any real flavor without the mud taste.

drewsullivan19d agoMost Upvoted

12 hours is the sweet spot for cold brew, any longer and it gets that bitter dirt taste. Sounds like your buddy just overshot it by a few hours, which is brutal for a first try. Iced pour over is solid but cold brew done right is way smoother in my book. Tell him to try a coarse grind and 12 hours max, it's a game changer.