"Does cold brew coffee have more caffeine?" is one of the most asked questions at our café. Many customers are curious if the whispers about cold brew being more caffeinated are actually true. The answer is sometimes, and here's why.
What's the Deal with Caffeine in Coffee?
Caffeine content in coffee is affected by many factors. Here are a few important ones to think about:
-Type of coffee beans: There are a lot of varieties of coffee and each variety naturally contains a different amount of caffeine.
-Roasting: Typically, lighter roasts have more caffeine than darker roasts, but darker roasts usually have a more robust flavor.
-Brewing: Caffeine content will vary based on brewing methods. For example, espresso is much more concentrated than a cup of drip brewed coffee and although it may have more caffeine per volume, the serving size is usually smaller so it may actually have less caffeine than a large cup of coffee.
So, how does this affect Cold Brew coffee?
In general, cold brew coffee does have more caffeine than hot coffee, however that is mostly because of the higher coffee-to-water ratio in the brewing process. If you happen to drink straight cold brew concentrate, you will be bouncing off the walls for a bit. But if the cold brew you drink has been diluted, you'll probably be getting just about the same amount of caffeine you would from a regular old cup of joe.
The most important factor to us at White Horse Coffee is freshness and flavor. Our cold brew is one of our most popular drinks based on taste and smoothness. Who wouldn't want their coffee to go down as easily as water, but taste like coffee?! That's the angle we go for and overall we have found success with our cold brew this way. If you want to recreate our cold brew at home, you can use our Grand Prix Roast, which makes a delicious and smooth cup of cold brew coffee.