Have you ever taken a sip of hot coffee — expecting the blossoming heat of the drink to warm you up on a cold morning — only to be betrayed by its scalding contents coating your tongue?

If so, you’re clearly familiar with the pain, betrayal, and anguish related to drinking coffee hot. As someone who has spent too much on coffee — both hot and cold — in the past few weeks, I believe that iced coffee is a superior product to hot coffee for three key reasons: It’s pain-free, better for you, and more versatile.

As discussed, you’re far less likely to face any semi-permanent injury in the name of your favorite cold beverage. At the most, you’ll suffer a brief brain freeze, but really, is that so bad compared with third-degree burns?

Second, iced coffee can actually be better for you than hot coffee. While iced coffee made from simply cooling off the previously warm coffee is no different from its warm counterpart, cold brew is significantly less acidic because it doesn’t involve the heating process, which gives coffee a pH suitable for etching metal. Cold brew is much better for your stomach, because your body prefers a more alkaline environment.

Last, while warm coffee has its perks, there are few things that beat a refreshing — and cheap — iced coffee complete with whatever syrup or flavoring fits your mood. Iced coffee is simply far more versatile than hot coffee. Are you feeling like enjoying a nice dessert? Deck out your iced coffee. Need a quick, cheap, and low calorie pick-me-up? Go with iced coffee. Want to enjoy coffee in its purest form? Consider iced coffee because the coffee’s natural flavor, when unimpeded by hot coffee’s acid, is far stronger in iced coffee.

Next time you’re feeling like a nice caffeine boost, consider iced coffee over hot coffee. Even as winter approaches, make sure to stunt on everyone at your 8:30 discussion by proving your tolerance against the cold pangs of winter.