Difference Between Iced Latte Vs Iced Coffee You Should Know

In the battle of iced latte vs iced coffee, we know that both are the best cold coffee in the world. It’s easy to confuse the two since the line of difference between these are very thin. But why stay in doubt when we can clear it up for all the coffeenomies.

Let’s look at both these two drinks and their differences while you chill with a cup of coffee.

The Difference Between Iced Latte Vs Iced Coffee

Let’s jump right into the differences between these two chilled drinks without fancy introductions.

But remember, this is less of a competition and more of a specification of the differences between each coffee drink type. So there’s no winner here.

Difference #1: Preparation Method

Iced coffee can be made using multiple methods. All you need to do is make up your mind.

• French press
• Keurig
• Drip coffee maker
• Chemex
• Espresso machine

After you brew your coffee with your preferred brewing technique (you can skip the hot water if you want), add some ice to the glass and pour the brewed coffee over the ice. Add in any sweetener you prefer or simple sugar, and you’re ready to go after a stir or two.

On the other hand, an iced cafe latte is just a colder version of a standard latte recipe. Any traditional Espresso maker can get you a fine cup of iced latte, or you can order it in coffee shops.

There’s no point in steaming your milk for this coffee cup since it will be cold with ice anyway. Instead, brew your Espresso; put the Espresso and cold milk in a cocktail shaker along with ice and sweeteners. It’s all about simple methods with excellent results. You might miss the awesome latte art in milk foam, but the drink makes up for it with taste.

Shake, stir and pour into a tall glass, and you have your drink. You can also prepare the whole drink without using a cocktail shaker. Instead, just pour the hot latte over ice, and you can enjoy an iced latte.

If you are going for the pour-over-ice method, use coffee ice cubes instead of water ice cubes so that your drink doesn’t get diluted with cold water.

You can also use other brewing methods like AeroPress, French press, Moka pot, or a simple cold brew.

Difference #2: Coffee to Milk Ratio

Iced latte has a higher coffee to milk ratio than iced coffee. Though iced coffee doesn’t need milk, an iced latte wouldn’t exactly be a latte without milk.

You could also call an iced latte a “coffee-flavored milk” since there’s more milk than coffee in the drink. There might not be milk in an iced coffee recipe, but an iced latte is one part espresso mixed with three parts milk, almost like a cold coffee milkshake.

But what if you’re looking for something in between?

The solution I’m talking about is a Cafe Au Lait, also known as an Iced Cafe Misto. You can also try out an Iced Cappuccino.

You can use any type of coffee beans to brew any of these delicious drinks, so don’t worry too much. Along with fresh coffee grounds from your preferred beans, you can use the same type of sweeteners for all these coffees as well.

In the end, the real difference is between the amount of milk you are planning to pour and mix into your coffee.

Difference #3: Strength Of The Coffee

Though it’s easy to assume iced latte is more robust since iced latte uses shots of Espresso as its base drink. But surprisingly, an iced coffee drink has more caffeine strength than an iced latte.

The reason is the high amount of milk mixed in a latte. The milk content waters down the coffee and provides you with a lesser caffeine kick. On the other hand, Iced coffee can keep you awake for longer with a strong serving of caffeine without interruptions.

The difference, once again, comes down to the amount of milk used in each type of coffee drink.

Difference #4: Flavor Profile

Iced latte can provide you with a fine coffee flavor even when there’s milk in the mix. If you think the standard single-shot Espresso isn’t giving you enough caffeine flavor, you can always use a double shot Espresso drink as the base of your iced latte.

When you use the 1:3 ratio I mentioned before, you can taste the right amount of sweetness from the milk while getting the fine taste of Espresso coffee.

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Difference #5: Calorie Levels

Black coffee on its own has zero calories, so the difference in calorie levels comes from the amount of milk you add to both types of coffee drinks.

To make the information easily understandable, I’ve put the whole thing on a table, and this table is based on using 3/4 cup of milk.

Types Of Milk	Calorie Count
Whole Milk	110 Calories
2% Fat Milk	92 Calories
Non-Fat Milk	65 Calories

Since iced coffee is just black coffee without any add-ins, it has no calories or fat content. But if you decide to add some milk or granulated sugar in, you’ll increase the calorie count of the cup of coffee.

Here’s how many calories you’ll be taking in if you use 30 ml of milk with a single serving.

Type Of Milk	Calorie Count
Whole Milk	19 Calories
2% Fat Milk	15 Calories
Non-Fat Milk	10 Calories

If you’re on a mission to cut your calorie count down while keeping your coffee habit alive, iced coffee is your best bet.

Difference #6: Caffeine Content

Even when you are keeping the same recipe, the amounts of caffeine differ significantly. This depends on the brewing method and the type of coffee you’ll use for iced coffee.

Let’s look at three different brewing methods and how much caffeine they bring to an iced coffee.

Brewing Method	Amount Of Caffeine
French Press	223 mg
Hario V60	185 mg
Chemex	172 mg

On the other hand, it’s easy to count the caffeine count in an iced latte since you use Espresso to make an Iced Latte. But if you use darker coffee roasts, your Espresso will have lesser caffeine content.

A single shot of espresso coffee contains 68 mg of caffeine. A standard iced latte uses two espresso shots, so the caffeine in Espresso comes to 136 mg.

Double Espresso shots are usually made out of dark roast coffee to give them a higher caffeine level. However, if you’re trying to reduce your caffeine intake, it’s best to order an iced latte. The drink may seem heavy, but there’s much less caffeine in the final serving than iced coffee.

You can reduce the caffeine amount even more by ordering a single shot Espresso iced latte instead of a double shot Espresso iced latte, or any other lowly caffeinated drinks for that matter.

Difference #7: Personal Preference

Now, I’m not here to persuade your personal preferences in a certain way. What you want is up to you, which makes the actual difference.

Are you looking for a stronger caffeine kick, a stronger taste of double-strength coffee with a cold flavor to kick back and relax with? Then, iced coffee is the way to go.

Are you looking for a coffee drink with a decent amount of milk, sweetener, and a refined, balanced yet rich taste? Then, you should go for an iced latte.

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Bottom Line

Though I kept it short and sweet, I’m sure you have enough points in your hands to take a pick when you’re ordering your next summer drink or brewing it at home.

Whatever your favorite coffee may be, I wish you a happy cold coffee experience.

Cheers!

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