Why Does Cold Brew Coffee Have More Caffeine than Hot Coffee

Most time you consider types of beans, grinding methods, brew temperature and  time as crucial elements to affect the final caffeine content in coffee. And even a subtle change in quantities makes a great difference to its concentration and flavor. Therefore, what about cold brew and hot coffee in caffeine content? Is cold brew, which gives you a refreshing summer cool contains more caffeine than hot brewed coffee?

Two factors listed below show you the complicated results.

Round 1: Temperature for coffee extraction

What makes cold coffee a popular alternative beverage for hot-brewed is the so-called room temperature of water. As a result of this special condition, it entails longer time for coffee beans extraction, normally from 3 hours to a whole day. (How to make cold brew coffee at home?) However, with the temperature rising, more caffeine is extracted from beans to coffee. Thus we can have an understanding expressing that cold brew contains less caffeine than hot coffee. Then, can you assert that cold brew coffee has less caffeine than hot brew coffee? No, let’s go to the round 2 comparison. 

Round 2: Ratio for concentration

Cold brew is typically brewed with a higher coffee-to-water ratio than that of regular coffee. It decreases more water content at the proportion, generally from 1:4 to 1:8, to make cold brew coffee concentrated and is stronger than the coffee made with a richly conventional ratio of 1:15 or 1:25. Here are two pie charts clearly showing you a comparison of the ratio of coffee-to-water between cold brew and regular coffee.

This in turn leads to more caffeine in cold brew. However, the caffeine content can be diluted with milk consumed together to balance its strong taste.

Let’s take a look at some cold brew coffee with comparatively high caffeine level.

Stumptown Cold Brew

Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee is typically high in caffeine. A 10.5 fluid ounces cold brew stubby contains nearly 279 milligrams of caffeine. And with milk added in a 16 fluid ounces cold brew, it is about 340 mg of caffeine in it as it is measured.

Chameleon Cold Brew

The caffeine content in Chameleon Cold Brew is reported to be higher than that is in the Stumptown Cold Brew. A ready-to-drink beverage of 296 milliliters in bottles contains around 270 milligrams of caffeine. And thus, it generally serves together with water or milk to cut half of its caffeine content.

Espresso, counted as typical coffee drinks with rich caffeine is actually not as it supposed to be. As is often the case, cold brew with longer time brewing contains more caffeine which is usually leveled down to a more common and acceptable degree with some additives. (Learn: What’s the difference between espresso and coffee)

Hope you have got some useful information about the difference in caffeine content between cold brew and hot brewed. If you have any question or opinions, please contact us in the comment boxes below.

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