In honor of this NYC heatwave, let’s divulge why iced coffee is more expensive than hot coffee, shall we? I always thought it was just because the ice was a little something extra, and as we all know (especially in NYC), anything extra is never free. That is kind of why iced coffee is more expensive, but there are more legit reasons, don’t worry. Dedicated to our illustrious intern Casey Stanton – it’s her birthday today, and she loves iced coffee!
Reason #1. It’s not really the ice itself, but the machines. Usually, cafes rent their ice machines, and this can cost around $12 per day.
Reason #2.Cold brewing coffee requires more time and twice the amount of coffee beans than the normal hot brew.
Reason #3. Iced coffee requires more paper. Think about it: Clear cups are more expensive than paper cups, then you have the whole straw issue, and more napkins are used to take care of the condensation. Paper costs in cafes can increase up to 20 percent during times of iced drink popularity (hi, summer).
When it’s 100 degrees and humid in NYC, iced coffee is totally worth the ice machine rent, extra coffee beans, and plastic cups!!!
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