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There is a huge confusion between iced latte and iced coffee, as both of these contain a good quantity of ice cubes. No doubt, both are good options for your summer days but vary in taste and flavors.
Are you sitting in the restaurant and looking for a good comparison between an iced latte and an iced coffee? Then read this article to find out your choice of iced drink between an iced latte and iced coffee.
1. Huge Differences between Iced Latte and Iced Coffee
Now, it’s not that difficult to find the difference between an iced latte and iced coffee, as the difference lies in the water-to-milk ratio. These drinks are made differently using the distinct amount of milk in them, making them different from each other.
For example, if you love milky taste and flavors, Iced Latte would be your take, while water folks should be in the team of iced coffee. In an iced latte, you can say the percentage of milk is relatively high compared to water.
On the other hand, for iced coffee, the water percentage is extremely overloading compared to milk, or you could also take it as a no-milk drink. Another crucial difference that concerns any coffee lover is the type of coffee1 used in both iced latte and iced coffee.
Espresso shots are the hero ingredients of iced latte whereas brewed coffee is the superstar of iced coffee. So, you need to decide which one is your choice and preference.
In short, you can say that even if the milk percentage would increase in iced coffee, it won’t change to an iced latte. To learn it better, you must get into the preparation method for both of these drinks.
2. Preparation of Individual Beverage
2.1. How to Prepare an Iced Coffee?
Many methods could be used to prepare iced coffee but the French press is convenient. You could use many brewing tools2 for an iced coffee if the French press is not your preference.
To make iced coffee, you need a tall glass and pour some brewed coffee (available easily in coffee shops) into it. Then add ice cubes and your choice of sweeteners (or sugar). Then after stirring it a little bit, your iced coffee is ready to drink within seconds (immediately). With a little effort, your delicious iced coffee is ready on your table.
There are some procedures you should follow before preparing your iced coffee. You have to cool down the brewed coffee for a while before adding it to the ice cubes.
This method is essential. Otherwise, ice cubes will entirely dissolve your brewed coffee, and that’s not how an iced coffee should be. Super dilution will destroy the essence of iced coffee.
If you need instant iced coffee within minutes, you can use an ice coffee cube instead of standard ice cubes.
You can freeze your coffee ice cube by taking the same brewed coffee you use for iced coffee. Add your creativity skills by making more flavorsome using various coffee flavors.3
2.2. How to Prepare an Iced Latte?
In Italian, they call coffee with milk an iced latte. The iced coffee latte comes out to be one part of espresso with a three-fourth amount of milk in it, along with pretty-looking foam on the top. This type of coffee is beautiful in its looks and appearance with a creamy texture.
You must have heard that in a regular latte, milk is steamed before being used. That’s not the case in an iced latte. In an iced latte, steamed milk is not preferred to be used, as the ice would make the temperature of the milk cold.
You can make your iced latte using an espresso machine, and this is the huge difference if you compare iced latte vs. iced coffee. In an iced latte, an espresso shot is pulled using an espresso machine. That’s the first step.
Then you have to put your shot of espresso in a shaker and add milk as well. Then add your sweeteners or syrup (optional) and ice in it and give a pretty good shake for that foamy iced latte. Now, take it out in a tall glass and pour your delicious iced latte into it.
For people with no espresso machine, there is an alternative way. You can use an Aeropress or Moka pot and then start brewing a concentrated coffee (made with the French press). Here, there is no requirement for a shaker or mixer. Just pour all the ingredients instantly after your brew coffee is ready. In case you need some foam on the top, you can use a blender as well.
3. Preparation Method Difference between Iced Latte and Iced Coffee
Here is a differentiating between iced latte and iced coffee about the preparation method. There are two more points that you should consider for analyzing iced latte vs. iced coffee. These are:
3.1. Brewing Method
There is no specific category for using coffee in iced coffee, whereas in the case of an iced latte using espresso is mandatory.
In an iced latte, the brewed coffee is mixed with ice cubes and poured into a tall glass, whereas in an iced latte, the espresso shots are mixed with milk and ice and then poured into a tall glass.
3.2. Coffee to Milk Ratio
In an iced latte, the coffee-to-milk ratio is 1:3. The milk content is exceptionally high as compared to coffee. In iced coffee, the milk ratio is significantly less, and the water ratio is relatively high.
3.3. Beans and Sweeteners
The coffee beans for both iced latte and iced coffee are the same, as there are no different beans for each type of coffee. The sweeteners added in both the coffee are also the same. You can use the same syrup (coffee), sugar, or any other sweeteners.
3.4. Health Benefits
Health benefits come. First, no matter which drinks or food it is on your plate or cup. Coffee is not for your health, but caffeine could turn you into an addicted coffee lover. Too much caffeine is no way to improve your health as it would bring several side effects to your body.
Many reviews came for an iced latte, tagging it as a good and healthy coffee due to espresso. The first point that comes with Espresso is a healthier version of coffee that is safe to be consumed without any side effects. Also, the presence of powerful antioxidants one espresso coffee makes it more beneficial for coffee lovers.
The second point is the addition of cold milk that’s not that unhealthy for your body, and milk could be substituted with healthier milk such as almond milk. Now, it’s we take ice coffee for a health benefits test, it could be a little unhealthier than an iced latte due to the excess amount of calories present.
If you are doing a calorie-deficit diet or are willing to lose weight, it could be tough with an iced coffee on your diet list.
4. Iced Latte Vs Iced Coffee: Which Has More Caffeine?
The primary concern is the caffeine content in iced latte versus iced coffee, as many people like their coffee to be strong (sometimes with more caffeine content). Caffeine is something that is one of the main reasons behind people drink coffee. In Iced coffee drinks, the caffeine content would be higher as compared to cold-brewed coffee drinks.
The iced coffee drink would give you the amount of caffeine you generally get after having your regular coffee made up of roasted coffee beans or common beans. The same is supported by an article published by Mayo Clinic, which says the caffeine contained in 1 ounce of expresso is greater than 8 ounces of ordinary brewed coffee.
Now, it’s all clear that if you’re looking for an excellent caffeine-rich cup of coffee, then an iced latte is up for you.
5. The Best Cold Drink for Coffee Lovers
While forming an excellent comparative analysis about iced latte vs. iced Coffee, it’s pretty difficult to say which one is the best for coffee lovers. You can divide yourself into two teams, the one always craving strong coffee and the other looking for a creamy yet not so bitter taste coffee.
People in the first category should blindly take iced coffee in their cups, and others in the second category should jump into the iced latte choice.
Conclusion
It’s all about how creative you can be with your iced latte or iced coffee or what you put in your cup of cold coffee drink. The coffee type matter and the type of syrup or sweeteners you put in your coffee.
Iced latte vs. iced coffee is a herculean comparison as both vary from each other in many ways. It’s you whose preference could decide the best coffee you could make at your home.
If you love simple, strong-flavor coffee served with ice cubes, then make your iced coffee at home. For espresso lovers, prepare an excellent foamy attractive iced latte in your kitchen. Go ahead and try out your type of coffee by exploring various methods and techniques of coffee making.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which is a stronger, iced coffee or iced latte?
Iced Coffee is stronger than the latte because the latte has more milk content and lesser coffee content.
2. Which is cheaper iced coffee and iced latte?
Iced coffee is usually cheaper than an iced latte. An iced latte is more expensive than iced coffee due to the additional ingredients and work required to make one latte.
3. Which has more calories, in iced latte and iced coffee?
Iced latte has more milk and added sweeteners to give it a good taste whereas iced coffee is stronger with or without sugar and with little or no milk. Therefore, the iced latte contains more calories.
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- Cordoba, Nancy, et al. “Effect of grinding, extraction time and type of coffee on the physicochemical and flavour characteristics of cold brew coffee.” Scientific reports 9.1 (2019): 8440. ↩︎
- Vrellas, Charisis G., and George Tsiotras. “Quality management in the global brewing industry.” International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management 32.1 (2015): 42-52. ↩︎
- Lee, Moon Jo, et al. “A study of coffee bean characteristics and coffee flavors in relation to roasting.” Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition 42.2 (2013): 255-261. ↩︎
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