Ice steeping (kōridashi) vs cold brew
Two cold extractions with different water and different intent. Cold brew adds cold water and waits hours; ice steeping adds no water at all — ice is placed on dry leaf and the liquor arrives drop by drop as it melts.
brewing method
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Ice steeping (kōridashi) | Cold brew tea |
|---|---|---|
| Water added | None. Melting ice is the only water. | Cold water, added at the start. |
| Temperature at the leaf | Close to freezing throughout. | Refrigerator temperature. |
| Volume produced | Very small — a few mouthfuls of intensely sweet liquor. | A jug. |
| Time | An hour or more for a tiny yield. | Six to twelve hours. |
| What it extracts | Almost exclusively the sweet and savoury compounds; bitterness barely appears. | The same bias, less extremely, because more water and more time are involved. |
| Leaf it suits | High-grade shaded Japanese green tea, where the yield justifies the cost. | Almost anything, and it is forgiving. |
| Second use of the leaf | Yes, and hot water afterwards gives a completely different tea. | Rarely worthwhile. |
The short answer
Ice steeping is a demonstration rather than a way to make a drink, and it is the clearest possible proof that extraction temperature selects which compounds arrive. Cold brew is the practical version of the same principle and the one to use when the aim is a jug of tea rather than a tasting.
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