What is the Difference Between Iced Coffee and Hot Coffee?

There are still a lot of people who like to drink coffee. Some people prefer to drink their coffee primarily hot, while others prefer it cold and iced. With the relatively cold weather recently, there should be more people who like to drink hot coffee. So what is the difference between hot coffee and iced coffee, and what effect will it have on our body?

It is generally believed that hot coffee contains more caffeine. But in the case of the same size, hot coffee and iced coffee contain the same amount of caffeine.

Hot coffee is made by putting coffee extract in hot water, while iced coffee is made by putting water with ice cubes in it, that's the difference. However, although the content is the same, the caffeine concentration of iced coffee is the highest before the ice cubes melt.

It seems that the caffeine in hot coffee will be absorbed more easily, but in fact there is no difference in the absorption rate of caffeine in hot coffee and iced coffee. Because no matter what the temperature is, it will soon become the same temperature as the body temperature of the stomach after drinking it. Therefore, if you drink the same amount, the time to produce the awakening effect is similar. The awakening effect of caffeine varies depending on how fast (time) you drink and how much (concentration) you drink. For example, the effects of caffeine should be felt most quickly when you drink a strong shot of espresso in one sip. Although it varies from person to person, the total time spent drinking coffee is relatively shorter for hot coffee than for iced coffee. Therefore, when drinking hot coffee, the awakening effect will be relatively slightly stronger. Because the same amount is ingested in a shorter period of time. Moreover, the cold stimulation of iced coffee can also inhibit the excitatory effect of caffeine on the sympathetic nerves, so the contrast effect is more obvious. The taste of coffee is mainly bitter and sour. Although caffeine also plays a role in this taste, it is mainly various phenolic compounds like chlorogenic acid that play a role. In addition, if a lot of browning occurs during the roasting process, it will also increase the bitterness. Sourness varies depending on the type of coffee beans. In general, bitterness and sourness are perceived more strongly in cold beverages, and sweeter in hot beverages. Like, like melting ice cream feels sweeter. This is because the activity of the taste buds varies depending on the temperature. Therefore, iced coffee made with the same strength will have more bitter and sour taste. However, the aroma particles diffuse more actively at high temperatures, so the aroma of iced coffee is relatively weak, while hot coffee will feel a stronger aroma.

The ingredients of iced coffee and hot coffee are the same, but there are still slight differences. This is for 'cold brew coffee (also known as ice drip coffee)', and the difference is still obvious compared with hot coffee. Ice drip coffee means 'cold brew' in English, which means extraction with cold water. First, cold brew coffee is about 3 times less acidic than coffee extracts extracted with hot water. This is because phenolic compounds are less extracted at low temperatures. Therefore, the irritation of the stomach and the worry of tooth staining can be reduced. In addition, because it is extracted slowly, it contains various fine components, which makes the flavor more intense. However, phenolic compounds are antioxidant components that are beneficial to the body, so less extraction may not be a good thing. If you are sensitive to caffeine or have trouble sleeping, you also need to be cautious about drinking any kind of coffee. In particular, hot coffee is not only high in acidity but also relatively hot, so people with poor stomachs need to pay more attention.

Coffee has different effects on the body depending on the method of making it, the temperature at which it is made, and the speed of drinking it. Even so, it cannot be concluded which temperature of coffee is more beneficial to the body. There are many types of coffee, so you can only choose according to your own preferences. Similar but different iced coffee and hot coffee are really just coffee.