Does cold brew have more or less caffeine than regular coffee?
Cold brew concentrate has significantly more caffeine per sip. Diluted to drinking strength, it's similar to filter coffee — about 100–150 mg per 250 ml glass. The long extraction time dissolves a lot of caffeine.
Why that is
Caffeine is water-soluble and dissolves in both hot and cold water. Its solubility is higher in hot water, but the extremely long contact time of cold brew (12–24 hours vs. 3 minutes for filter coffee) largely compensates for that. Ultimately, cold brew contains a similar amount of caffeine per gram of coffee used as hot-brewed coffee.
The concentrate factor: Cold brew is often made as a concentrate — with significantly more coffee per liter than filter coffee (100–200 g/L vs. 60 g/L). This concentrate contains a correspondingly high amount of caffeine. If you drink it undiluted, you're quickly consuming double or triple the amount of a normal coffee.
Caffeine content comparison (per 250 ml ready-to-drink beverage):
- Filter coffee: 80–120 mg
- Cold Brew (diluted 1:1 from concentrate): 100–150 mg
- Espresso (double shot, 50 ml): 100–140 mg
- Cold Brew Concentrate (undiluted): roughly double to triple
So, cold brew has slightly more caffeine than filter coffee, but the difference is smaller than often claimed — provided you dilute the concentrate. The problem: Many people drink cold brew over ice from large glasses (400–500 ml) and don't realize they're consuming significantly more caffeine than with a standard cup of hot coffee.
Why cold brew still feels milder: Cold brew contains less acid than hot-brewed coffee. That is why it tastes softer, even though the caffeine content is similar or even higher.
In practice at Green Wall Coffee
We don't have cold brew on the menu at Sophienstraße 27 at the moment. If you make it at home, dilute the concentrate about 1:1. And for anyone sensitive to caffeine: Cold brew isn't caffeine-free just because it tastes cold and gentle. A large glass can pack as much caffeine as two cups of filter coffee.
Feel free to drop by for a coffee — Green Wall Coffee, Sophienstraße 27 in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Mon–Fri 8am–5pm and Sat 10am–5pm.
Further reading
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Also relevant:
- How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee? — Health & Caffeine
- Does espresso or filter coffee have more caffeine? — Health & Caffeine
All questions in this topic: Cold Brew & Iced Coffee