You may have heard of cold-brew coffee, but have you ever heard of cold-brew tea? Yes, that thing exists! Cold-brew tea has actually been around for a while, but its popularity is not as high as its hot-brew counterparts. In this article, you will find out more about the history of cold-brew tea, the innovative ways of cold-brewing teas, the caffeine level of cold-brew tea, the differences between cold-brew tea and iced tea and hot-brew tea, and of course, the health benefits of cold-brew tea!
Interested? Read more to find out!
Traditional way of Cold-brew
Cold-brew tea is not a new innovation. The Japanese have long believed that hot-brewing tea destroys the tea’s natural benefits as it burns the tea, which gave rise to the traditional way of cold-brewing teas: steeping tea in cold water for hours. However, this process may take a long time to finish – from 6 to 24 hours.
Our way of Cold-brew
In this fast-moving world, it is always convenient to have the instant option for our everyday necessities – and that includes cold-brew teas!
If you are looking for the natural benefits and low caffeine level of cold-brew tea but steeping your tea for a day is not feasible for you, try BornTea’s Instant Cold-brew Tea™. Our Instant Cold-brew Tea™ comes in a packet that is designed to be refillable for up to ~80oz of water. Once you get the packet, add cold water to your tea, shake, sip, and refill. Good for the Earth, good for your wallet!
There are five options for you to choose from: Dragon Well Green Tea, Mao Feng Green Tea, Dianhong Black Tea, Raw Pu-erh Tea, and Jasmine Green Tea. You can choose to buy all of them or only one of them – up to you!
Cold-brew Tea Caffeine
Are you looking for a refreshing tea drink that you can drink even on a hot summer night? Cold-brew tea is the answer for you! Cold water is less effective in extracting caffeine from tea leaves than hot water, and the caffeine level of cold-brew tea can be half or even two-thirds of its hot-brew counterparts. This is good news for all of you black tea fans who are getting more concerned about the caffeine level.
Cold-brew vs hot brew
Just like the name suggests, the differences between cold-brew and hot-brew tea lies in the temperature of water used to brew the tea. For traditional hot-brew teas, the water must be heated/boiled first to 175°F/80°C or even 210°F/ 100°C. Meanwhile, for cold-brew teas, the water does not have to be heated – only room temperature water is needed.
The “cold” or room temperature water used in brewing cold-brew tea preserves a lot of the natural health benefits in the tea – vitamin C, L-theanine, and catechins. Cold-brewing tea also reduces the bitter flavors that come from caffeine and tannins, which gives you a sweeter flavor from the same type of tea. This is a win-win solution for you – naturally sweet, healthy, but still instant!
Cold-brew vs iced tea
They are both cold, so what are the differences?
The main differences between cold-brew tea and iced tea lie in the temperature of water used for brewing, brewing time, and health benefits.
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Water temperature used for brewing
Cold-brew tea–like its name–uses cold or room temperature water for brewing, whereas iced tea uses hot water (175°F/80°C to 210°F/ 100°C) for brewing, as iced tea is basically made from hot-brew tea which is then added with ice.
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Brewing time
Cold-brewing tea requires a much longer time for brewing, ranging from 6 to 24 hours. Meanwhile, hot-brewing tea takes a much shorter time, from 3 to 5 minutes.
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Health benefits
Cold-brewing and hot-brewing tea create different health benefits. Cold-brew tea contains more health benefits because some of the healthy components, such as polyphenols, catechins, and vitamin C, are preserved better when the tea is brewed using cold/room temperature water. Not only that, cold-brewing tea releases the natural sweetness and reduces the bitterness hot-brewing tea has, so you do not need sugar to sweeten the tea! More health benefits and no sugar needed, what else can you ask for?
If you like your tea cold but you want more health benefits, of course, you can put ice in your cold-brew tea! Just remember that although cold-brew tea and iced tea may sound similar, they actually differ in three areas: water temperature, brewing time, and health benefits.
Health Benefits of Cold-brew Tea
Good news! Cold-brew tea can give you more health benefits even from the same type of tea. Here are the health benefits of cold-brew tea (and how it is better than hot-brew tea):
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Higher levels of natural antioxidants
Cold-brewing tea preserves more natural antioxidants that are killed by hot water, which means it gives your body more power to fight off free radicals, reduces the risk of heart disease, as well as fights cancer!
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Increases metabolism
Compared to hot-brew tea, cold-brew tea contains more natural catechins, a type of polyphenols, which can increase metabolism by 16-18%.
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Keeps you calm and refreshed
Cold-brew tea still contains caffeine, but it is at a much lower level. To put things into perspective, cold-brew tea only contains 1/6 caffeine of a regular brewed coffee! Cold-brew tea also contains a high level of a natural amino acid called L-theanine, which means that drinking cold-brew tea can keep you calm and refreshed without the jitters.
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High level of vitamin C of Cold-brew Tea
This is a major win for cold-brew tea because hot water (like in hot-brew tea) destroys vitamin C. Vitamin C is good for strengthening your overall immune system, which makes you less prone to diseases – even a common cold!
Where To Buy Cold-brew Tea
Are you ready to get your first cup of cold-brew tea? Worry not, you can get one in BornTea! BornTea provides 4 types of cold-brew tea: raw pu-erh cold-brew tea, dianhong black cold-brew tea, dragon well green cold-brew tea, and jasmine cold-brew tea. If you're not sure which one to choose, you can always get the Instant Cold-brew Tea™ Variety Pack!
No matter which cold-brew tea you choose, you can always be sure that BornTea's cold-brew teas are authentic and sustainable. We source every single one of our teas from the farmlands in China, and we ship it directly to your doorstep! Learn more about BornTea's sustainability here.
Get your cup of authentic (yet modern!) Chinese cold-brew teas now with BornTea.