Cold brew coffee has quickly become the latest coffee trend. Brewing cold-water-steeped grounds takes 12-24 hours, creating a smoother flavor profile without as much acidity or nutty undertones than its iced coffee counterpart. But is cold brew really healthier, or the best choice if you want to increase daily caffeine intake?

Answering both questions honestly depends on using high-quality ingredients with reduced added sugars and fat content; but cold brew may not always be the healthiest choice depending on its recipe and cafe of origin.

Cold brew differs from traditional iced coffee by being steeped for up to 24 hours, steeped in water in a jar and left sitting, producing a less acidic and bitter beverage with subtle nutty undertones that is easily mixed with liquids such as water, milk, or oatmeal. Because its lower acidity level makes cold brew easier on your stomach than traditional iced coffee with its strong acids and bitterness.

Regarding caffeine content, both have about the same amount; cold brew typically contains slightly more due to its steeping process which extracts more caffeine from its grounds than iced coffee does. But this largely depends on which cafe serves it; caffeine levels may differ significantly between cafes.

Cold brew coffee advocates claim that heat used during regular brewing destroys antioxidants associated with healthy benefits; yet research shows no definitive proof that cold brew has more antioxidants than regular iced coffee.

Taste-wise, both options offer similar profiles; ultimately it comes down to individual preference. Cold brew may be suitable for those with delicate stomachs while for those who enjoy more robust coffee flavors like cold brew or traditional coffee flavors (iced coffee) it could be more fitting.

But if you’re uncertain which cold brew to choose, homemade is often the way to go as you can control what ingredients go into it and adjust its caffeine and acidity levels as needed. There are many recipes online for cold brew that make it simple for you to customize to your own preferences. Store-bought cold brew concentrates may also offer this flexibility as they’re designed to be diluted depending on strength or caffeine level – some brands such as Rise have 180 milligrams per ounce while Stumptown only 29.4 milligrams per ounce compared to their competitors!