Difference Between Iced Coffee And Iced Latte – The Key Differences!

Last updated on July 28th, 2024 at 13:41

As summer hones in, many coffee lovers and coffee enthusiasts start to switch up their coffee drinks to something with ice. Two great drinks are Iced coffee and Iced Latte – and we have had a few questions mailed in to us asking about the difference between iced coffee and iced latte.

This article is dedicated to discussing the major differences between these two rather delicious coffee drinks.

Here is the quick answer if you are in a rush.

Iced coffee is brewed using the hot brewing method, typically a drip coffee machine and is instantly chilled by pouring it over ice. Often, an iced coffee is enjoyed or served with a little splash of milk. An iced latte is very different. It is brewed with a set method using a shot of espresso coffee and much more milk. It, the iced latte, is then poured over ice and, then optionally, some milk foam is added on top.

Keep reading as I dive in and detail the differences between iced coffee and an iced latte.

What Is An Iced Coffee?

Hardcore caffeine enthusiasts love iced coffee as it contains an ample amount of caffeine and is a great tasting cold but not milk-infused coffee. It is very refreshing for a summer night.

Strictly speaking, iced coffee can be brewed by using any technique or brewing method, including using instant coffee or any form of powdered coffee.

It is brewed hot, often with a drip coffee maker, using the pour-over method, or any regular coffee brewing method and is then instantly chilled by pouring it over ice.

Cream or milk or any variety can be added later as per preference of the drinker. It has been known for some coffee shops to make iced coffee with just a dash of milk or with a small jug for the customer to add if they want to.

It actually originates and dates back almost 200 years to 1840 and Algeria, when it was made with cold water and coffee syrup. Its popularity grew in the United States in the 1920s.

Now, a century and more later, it is a very broad term and iced coffee varies slightly from state to state, country to country and even on a barista by barista basis.

Read: How to make Dunkin Iced coffee at home?

What Is An Iced Latte?

An iced latte is the much-loved summer variation of a regular hot latte and is brewed with a shot of espresso and steamed milk. The iced variation is that the shots of espresso coffee are poured over a cup or glass that is filled with ice and then the milk is added. Often, frothy milk is added.

Various flavored syrups can be added as per the liking and choice of the person ordering the drink.

A regular hot latte is said to originate in Europe with no distinct location quoted. It is said to be Italy or Vienna, which is quite a distance!

Iced latte originates from just before the American Civil War and is the result of coffee enthusiasts of the day living in the hotter states of America that simply could not drink hot coffee during the hot summer days.

The Difference Between Iced Coffee And Iced Latte

Let’s now talk about the difference between these two cool and tasty coffee drinks starting with their flavor and how they taste.

Their Taste

The ingredients of both these drinks are very different and thus do not even taste similar in any way at all. An iced coffee has a very distinctive and strong coffee taste that is less acidic, smoother and rounder than other coffee drinks of a similar nature, such as a Caffe Americano or black coffee. It has a bitter taste which can be taken down a notch by adding sugar syrup.

An iced latte has a milky taste with only a hint of coffee due to the amount of ice and milk that is added.

Their Appearance

Both of these drinks look different also. An iced coffee has only two layers, which is coffee with ice on top.

An iced latte has three layers which are the coffee base, the milk and the ice on top. It may also have milk foam on top.

Caffeine Content

An 8 ounce (240 ml) serving of iced coffee will have on average 100 milligrams of caffeine. The exact amount varies depending on the brewing method and coffee beans used.

An ounce (24 ml) serving of an iced latte has 65 mg of caffeine on average.

Calorie In Take

An 8 ounce serving of iced coffee has virtually no calories in comparison an 8 ounce serving of iced latte has 130 calories.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Difference Between Iced Coffee And Iced Latte

What Is The Difference Between Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee And Iced Latte?

The principle difference between a Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee and their iced latte is that their iced coffee is double brewed and served with just a splash of milk while their iced latte is brewed with an espresso shot as the base and a lot more milk is used.

Is Iced Coffee The Same As Iced Latte?

No,

an iced coffee and an iced latte are two different coffee drinks.

Both are prepared and brewed differently. An iced coffee is brewed with any hot brewing method, usually drip, pour over, siphon, percolator or even a French press, to name a few possibilities. It is then poured over ice to immediately cool the coffee.

Depending on the barista and your request, it may come with a dash of milk. An iced latte is brewed with a shot of espresso as the base with steamed milk added and a light topping of microfoam added on top and then poured into a glass with ice.

Are Lattes Sweeter Than Iced Coffee?

Assuming no sugar is added to either drink and both are made with the same coffee beans, a latte should taste slightly sweeter due to the added milk and the natural sugar content of it. There will be very little difference in taste for the average coffee drinker, unless, of course, the barista adds sugar to either during the brewing process.

Does A Latte Have More Caffeine Than Iced Coffee?

No,

an iced coffee has approximately 100 milligrams of caffeine per 8 ounce (240ml) serving on average. An 8 ounce (240 ml) serving of iced latte would have approximately 65 mg of caffeine, which means an iced coffee approximately 50% more caffeine than a latte or iced latte.

What Is The Difference Between Cold Brew And Iced Latte?

Both a cold brew coffee and an iced latte make for great cool summer coffee drinks. A cold brew coffee is brewed with cold water and is best brewed overnight in your fridge for best results. A cold brew uses full immersion of the coffee grounds to extract the low temperature flavor compounds.

Iced coffee is double brewed using hot brewing techniques to extract the high temperature compounds from the coffee grounds and is then chilled by pouring it over ice.

They are two very different coffee drinks and taste very different also.

Is An Iced Latte Stronger Than Iced Coffee?

The caffeine content of an iced latte, and iced coffee and a more similar drink and iced coffee with milk is displayed in the table below.

Drink Size	Iced Latte	Iced Coffee	Iced Coffee With Milk
Tall 12 Oz (360 ml)	75 mg	120 mg	90 mg
Grande 16 Oz (480 ml).	150 mg	165 mg	125 mg
Venti 24 Oz (720 ml)	225 mg	235 mg	170 mg
Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml)	N/A	285 mg	190 mg

It is clear to see that iced coffee has more caffeine than an iced latte for all drink sizes.

Is Iced Latte The Same As Iced Coffee?

No, an iced latte and an iced coffee are two very different coffee beverages with distinctly different brewing methods. An iced latte is made with espresso and milk using an espresso to milk ratio of 1:2.

An iced coffee, despite being a cold coffee drink is a hot brewed coffee, a drip coffee to be more concrete that is chilled using ice cubes.

Are Iced Lattes Actually Lattes?

Yes, an iced latte is actually a latte. While a hot latte is brewed with an espresso and steamed milk using an espresso to steamed milk ratio of 1:2 an iced latte is brewed using an espresso and cold milk using the same ratio.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – The Difference Between Iced Coffee And Iced Latte

The differences between iced coffee and an iced latte are laid out above. If you have read this far, you already know the key differences. Just in case you are skimming down to this part, the main difference is the way in which they are brewed. One can be brewed using any brewing method, while the other, an iced latte must be made with a shot or a double shot of espresso as its base.

Also, due to a latte having milk it has a greater calorie content than iced coffee, which is normally enjoyed black or with only a dash of milk.

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