How to make iced coffee perfectly

By Mary Hunt

The idea left me, well, cold. Coffee is supposed to be hot. Very, very hot.

And then, I made a serious mistake. I accepted a sample of iced coffee in a popular coffee shop. It was strong, sweet, creamy and icy, icy cold. Wow.

I needed to figure out how to make this myself — it was that good — because as much as I might want iced coffee again, I was not going to pay the outrageous price to have someone else make it for me.

One might think, as I did, that pouring hot coffee over ice and adding milk and sugar would do the trick. Not exactly. Not even close.

The problem is that the ice seriously dilutes the coffee. This dilemma sent me in search of the secret for why the sample was not at all diluted. That’s when I discovered that Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, is quite an iced coffee aficionado and quite willing to share her secrets.

First, you must make a big batch of very strong cold brew coffee concentrate. This is the secret. You’ll need a large container, ground coffee and water. And time — at least eight hours (exact recipe and instructions below).

Cold-brew coffee is not just coffee served cold. The thing that makes it cold-brew coffee is that the brewing process itself happens without heat. Instead of steeping the grounds in hot water, you steep them in cold water for a lot longer.

And while you can make as little as 1 cup of cold brew concentrate at a time, why would you? I’d rather make 2 gallons at a time because it keeps well for up to six weeks in the refrigerator.

NOW YOU’RE READY

Once you have that beautiful concentrate locked and loaded, it’s time to make one or a number of tall, beautiful, lovely iced coffees! You’ll need ice, coffee concentrate and your choice of milk, cream and/or sugar. Or just drink it black. It will be nonacidic and not the least bit bitter.

And there you have it: Icy-cold, undiluted, perfect iced coffee!

FOR 2 GALLONS COFFEE CONCENTRATE

1 pound ground coffee

8 quarts filtered or bottled cold water (32 cups)

FOR A SINGLE-SERVING ICED COFFEE

8 ounces cold-brew coffee concentrate

2 to 4 ounces milk or cream, or to taste

2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

TO MAKE PROPER COFFEE CONCENTRATE

Dump 1 pound of ground coffee into a very large container. Any brand of ground coffee will do, but you’ll be super happy if you start with something dark, rich and freshly roasted.

Now pour in 8 quarts (2 gallons) of cold water. The water you use is important: If your tap water is highly chlorinated (taste and smell it to discover this; if it tastes good to you, use tap water here), opt for bottled or filtered water.

Stir with a wooden spoon until all of the dry coffee is wet. Cover. Allow to steep at room temperature for at least 8 hours; longer is just fine.

Line a large sieve or colander with several layers of cheesecloth, and pour the steeped coffee grounds through it. You’ll need to prod it a bit to get all of that coffee perfectly sieved, but stick with it. You’ll end up with just shy of 8 quarts of rich, dark coffee concentrate that will be void of bitterness and very low in acidity.

Discard the coffee dregs; tightly cover the concentrate, and place it in the refrigerator.

Not ready to commit to nearly 2 gallons of coffee concentrate? No problem. Scale down the proportions: 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for each cup of cold water

TO MAKE A TALL, COLD, WONDERFUL GLASS OF PERFECT ICED COFFEE

Fill a 12-ounce glass — or a one-quart canning jar — with ice.

Pour very cold coffee concentrate over the ice until the glass or jar is about three-quarters full.

Add your choice of milk or cream.

Add the amount of sugar you need to make it as sweet as you desire. Stir to mix.

Remember, the coffee concentrate will keep well in the refrigerator up to six weeks, provided it is kept tightly covered. Enjoy!

Master iced coffee once and for all.

My go-to coffee shop order is iced coffee. It gives you a morning energy boost, but with the refreshing quench of an iced beverage. It’s truly the best of both worlds. There’s just one problem — it took me a while before I could replicate coffeehouse-quality iced coffee in my own home.

You see iced coffee, unlike cold brew, is brewed hot. It’s then poured over ice, which can often leave you with a watered down, subpar coffee drink. So how do you avoid this? Use these methods to make full-flavored iced coffee at home.

How to Make Iced Coffee 2 Ways

Use one of these two methods to make fabulous iced coffee using what you have on hand.

1. How to Make Iced Coffee Using Room Temperature Coffee

This is probably the easiest way to make iced coffee, assuming you have the time. All you need to do is brew coffee as you normally would, allow it to cool, and pour it over ice. Let’s break it down here:

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• A tall glass or travel tumbler ($12, Amazon)
• A long spoon
• Ice
• 1 8-ounce cup of coffee (brewed however you would normally)

Instructions:

1. Brew an 8-ounce cup of coffee using whatever brewing method you prefer.
2. Allow the coffee to sit out until it reaches room temperature; you can even place it in the fridge once it’s cooled down slightly.
3. Fill a tall glass or a travel tumbler to the rim with ice.
4. Pour the room temperature or chilled coffee into the glass. Leave room for cream and sugar if you take it that way.
5. Add any additional ingredients you like in your coffee (simple syrup is a great way to sweeten up iced coffee), and stir. That’s it! And of course you can’t drink iced coffee without a cute reusable straw ($10, Amazon).

2. How to Make Iced Coffee Using Coffee Ice Cubes

If you really want to make sure your coffee will not be watered down, there’s only one solution: coffee ice cubes! This method takes forethought, but once you have coffee ice cubes on hand you don’t have to wait for the coffee to come to room temperature before you pour it over ice.

Who doesn’t love coffee? Tell me something more fulfilling than having a cup of caffeinated iced beverage? And it tastes even better if it is served to you instead of you brewing it yourself.

However, for something as simple as iced coffee, there has been a lot of discussion on making the best version of it. Some believe preparing Iced coffee is as simple as brewing some coffee and adding ice to it, while for others, it is a never-ending path to perfection.

This community of individuals who believe in doing everything perfectly also agrees to the fact that there is a perfect way to brew your Iced Coffee. As a lover of caffeinated drinks and iced coffee, in particular, I too believe in that ideal recipe to brew iced coffee. I somehow do not find the coffee that I buy or even the ones I make up to the mark. It is at best mediocre and somehow exposes the wrong flavours. It is a fact that cold coffee makes the flavours more prominent than hot coffee.

Over the years, there have been many advocates of perfect iced coffee recipes. While some gave high marks to the process of brewing cold coffee where coarsely grounded coffee is left to steep in room temperature water for many hours before being stained, others had to say that cold water was never a suitable medium for extracting the desired coffee flavours. Instead, it was pointed out that the Japanese method was better because here, highly concentrated coffee was poured directly into the ice, chilling it immediately while diluting the coffee to the right amount.

The best way to brew your iced coffee – The espresso way

You can get a bland taste if you brew your iced coffee with cold water. The problem exists with hot water as well. If you pour hot coffee over ice, it melts the ice and adds too much water to your coffee and makes the mix very dilute. There are chances that the flavour of your drink would get lost. In the Japanese way, since the concentrated coffee is poured on the ice, the water content is appropriate, and also the flavours are retained, making it a more dynamic drink.

The espresso way of preparing iced coffee is, however, the deviation. If you own an espresso machine at home, then the preparation becomes more effortless. The concentrated coffee shots drip directly into your cup containing the ice with few ounces of water to make it the perfect American style iced coffee. This process is simple, but if you need more perfection and have a craving for Italian style of coffee making then an extra effort is required.

Get a cocktail shaker for this process. Pour your coffee shots into the shaker full of ice, seal the shaker, and shake it strenuously till such time your shaker container is cold to touch from the outside. A few seconds is required for the completion of the process. After this, strain the shaken coffee into a glass full of ice. What you would get is a drink that is frothy, full of flavours, and very cold. This is the basic process of preparing an iced coffee. Light roast coffee is best for this recipe, you can check out the best brands over here.

You can customize your iced coffee if you want to have it in some other way. You could also add the syrup before shaking your coffee for that extra sweetness. If you are one of those individuals who prefer iced coffee with milk, consider adding sweetened condensed milk for the flavour of your choice. Garnishing your iced coffee with orange peels or mint sprigs can also be considered for adding that “extra something” to your beverage.

The best iced coffee for you depends on your preference for coffee brewing. For someone who prefers espresso like me, I would always go for the espresso way of brewing iced coffee and then customize it as per my preference. Meanwhile, if you like the pour-over style of coffee making, then the Japanese style of iced coffee preparation is the best suited. However, you can substitute 40 percent of the water to be used in an iced coffee with ice. This would help in having the exact water content in your drink and the chilling effect of iced coffee. Do give it a thought.

Because iced coffee is life.

Gorgeous coffee “concentrate” to keep in your fridge means iced coffee whenever you’d like!

ground coffee (good, rich roast)

Half-and-half (healthy splash per serving)

Sweetened condensed milk (2-3 tablespoons per serving)

Note: Can use skim milk, 2% milk, whole milk, sugar, artificial sweeteners, syrups. adapt to your liking!

1. In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature twelve hours or overnight.
2. Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.
3. Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.
4. To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

Iced coffee is my life. When I wake up, often around the time party animals on the west coast are just heading home, I start each day not with a cup of freshly brewed hot java, but with a tall, blessed glass of creamy iced coffee in a glass. I’ve been an iced coffee freakazoid for years and years. To say I couldn’t live without it is an understatement. It gives me the tools I need to cope.

Iced coffee is a complicated thing, and there are many different approaches. One would think that one could merely pour brewed coffee into a glass full of ice and call it a day…but I find that method extremely flawed. First, no matter how packed with ice the glass is, once the hot coffee hits, some of the ice is bound to melt. This has two disastrous results:

1. The overall strength of the coffee flavor is diluted.
2. The iced coffee isn’t as cold as it could (or should) be. The finished glass of iced coffee should be frigid, not sorta cold with half-melted ice cubes floating around.

Given the previous set of facts, one would assume that the logical solution would be to brew hot coffee, then transfer the brew to the fridge, allow it to cool, and use it to make iced coffee from there. It’s an okay solution, one I subscribed to for quite awhile…until I picked up an issue of Imbibe Magazine three summers ago. It contained a huge spread on the subject of iced coffee, and suggested the following cold-brew method for creating a sort of iced coffee concentrate. I tried it immediately, have made it this way ever since, and can tell you that there is no better (or simpler) method for having the most delicious iced coffee at your fingertips.

There are reasons this method results in a smoother, richer, more delicious concentrate than simply brewing strong coffee and refrigerating it. I would take the time to explain them to you if I knew what they were. But since I don’t, I’m just going to show you instead.

(Note: I’ve totally adapted/tweaked coffee/water amounts to suit my own tastes. Experiment to find your own perfect ratio.)

I start with a big ol’ container. I love these food storage containers, by the way. I got these at restaurant supply, but Sam’s Club had them last time I was there.

You can use a big bowl, a large pitcher…even a really clean bucket will work if you’re going for a huge quantity. (Or you can halve the original quantity and use a pitcher.)

Rip open a pound of ground coffee. Any kind will do; the stronger and richer the better.

Learn how to make the BEST Iced Coffee at home … this easy recipe is the perfect way to start your day!

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I have a confession to make: I wasn’t always a coffee drinker. After drinking a little tooo much in college, I gave it up. Sure, I treated myself to a latte here and there, but that was about it.

That all changed when I moved to New York. My first job was pure misery. From devious co-workers to vague job expectations to screaming bosses, I started dreading my days there about a month after I started.

Throw in a sweltering commute during a steamy NYC summer, and the only thing that got me through most mornings was my new obsession, Iced Coffee.

Although I left that job, but my love for cold coffee continued. These days, I treat myself to a cup every morning (no matter the weather) … sometimes I’m already thinking about it as I drift off to sleep the night before!

Since I love my daily treat so much, I’ve learned how to make the best Iced Coffee at home. And you know what? It couldn’t be easier … keep reading for all the details!

Ingredients

Homemade Iced Coffee requires no special ingredients, which means you can make a cup whenever a craving strikes! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Coffee
• Sugar
• Milk

To make a coffee-shop quality cup, you’ll need good coffee. I don’t like anything bitter, so I prefer to use a medium roast. Feel free to use your favorite coffee though (almost anything works).

If you are feeling especially ambitious (and want to make the tastiest cup), start with whole beans and grind it yourself. I have one of these budget-friendly mini coffee grinders, and it’s super easy and quick to use.

Sugar and milk are optional, but I never skip them. I use regular old granulated sugar, although plain or flavored sugar syrup is another option.

And any kind of milk works … I like almond or coconut milk. If you’re using regular milk, I’d recommend 2%, whole milk, or even half and half. Skim milk can make the finished drink seem a little watery.

How to Make Iced Coffee (without Watering It Down)

Are you ready to learn how I make the perfect fresh-brewed cup of cold coffee? It’s easy!

Here’s my trick for the perfect iced coffee … the first thing I do every morning is brew a regular cup of coffee. Then, before I jump in the shower, I stick my mug of coffee in the freezer.

While I’m showering, putting on makeup, and doing my hair, my coffee is cooling to the ideal temp. I use a cute mason jar mug, but any kind works. By the time I’m ready, my coffee is the perfect chilled temperature, and I can add sugar, milk, and ice without watering it down.

You could also add the sugar to the hot coffee before chilling it, if you don’t want any crystals in your coffee. I actually like the crunch of a few crystals. Using simple syrup instead of granulated sugar is another option.

Tip: want to save time in the morning? Brew your cup of coffee the night before, then pop it in the refrigerator so it’s ready to drink when you wake up. You could also do this with a full pot of coffee, of course.

Chilling a mug of coffee in the freezer.

Can you put hot coffee on ice?

Technically, you can simply pour hot coffee over ice. But I wouldn’t recommend it!

The ice will water down your coffee, and it won’t get as cool either … and perfect Iced Coffee needs to be quite cold.

If you’d prefer to make your drink with hot coffee, then I’d recommend using coffee ice cubes instead of regular ones … that way your coffee won’t be diluted and watery tasting. To make coffee ice cubes, simply fill an ice cube tray with leftover coffee, then freeze overnight.

In the morning, stir a few coffee ice cubes into your freshly-brewed coffee. The cubes will cool off your coffee without watering down the flavor like regular ice would. Once your coffee has cooled, stir in sugar and milk to taste, then top off with regular ice or more coffee ice cubes.

Ninja Coffee Bar Method

This post has been updated a few times, and after I first wrote it a few years ago, I got a Ninja Coffee Bar. And it’s pretty much my favorite thing ever!

This system has a special function that lets you brew a single cup of coffee directly over ice … without watering it down. It works perfectly every time, takes minutes to make, and I absolutely love it.

I’ve also used my Ninja to make specialty espresso-style drinks like affogato and lattes. The best thing about it though, is that you can make everything from full pots of coffee to single cups … all without wasteful pods!

Stirring sugar, milk, and ice into the cold coffee.

Cold Coffee Variations

I usually drink my coffee with milk and sugar only, but there are so many fun ways to flavor it! Here are some ideas:

• Add coffee syrup. For a coffee shop-inspired treat, stir a little flavored coffee syrup into your drink. You can even make your own syrups … this Cinnamon Brown Sugar Coffee Syrup is a favorite of mine!
• Stir in a drop of extract. A touch of pure vanilla or almond extract turns plain coffee into something special.
• Make it extra sweet. Replace the sugar with sweetened condensed milk for a Vietnamese-style treat.
• Flavor the coffee with spices. Before you brew your coffee, sprinkle a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and/ or ginger over the grounds.
• Make an iced latte. Turn your drink into an iced latte by adding frothed milk instead of plain milk. Shake cold milk in a mason jar to froth it or use a handheld milk frother, like I do.
• Add a slice of citrus. A thin slice of lemon, lime, or orange can add an intriguing twist to your fave morning drink.
• Infuse it with herbs. Throw a few leaves of mint into the hot coffee before chilling it for a refreshing herbal flavor.
• Kick things up a notch. For a boozy treat, try adding a shot of rum, whiskey, brandy, Sambuca, or Frangelico. Cheers!

Related Recipes

If you enjoyed this easy recipe, try one of my other Iced Coffee recipes next!

Looking for a hot coffee treat? Then, treat yourself to a Salted Caramel Affogato or Irish Coffee, too.

A Dirty Chai Latte (which can be served hot or cold) is another delicious coffee drink to try!

You won’t believe how easy it is to make your own iced coffee! Skip the drive-thru this morning and take 5 minutes to whip up this sweet energy boost. Step-by-step photos included!

Iced coffee. That’s what’s up around here.

Because it’s been near-and-over 100° degrees with full-on humidity the past few days. Yeah, if you need me I’ll have my head in a bucket fulla’ iced coffee.

All I can do right now is thank the Lord that before NOW this hasn’t been a crazy-hot summer, since I currently have a summer job as a lifeguard at our local pool. Now, don’t let the job title deceive you: Even though I’m AROUND the water pretty much every day, it’s very rare that I actually get the opportunity to get IN the water.

Therefore, working on hot days = I die.

And that’s where I thank my lucky stars that we’ve only had a FEW days above 90 degrees this summer. For the most part, the weather and temps have actually been pretty nice.

Before now, that is….bleh, I jinx everything.

But that still hasn’t stopped me from drinking iced coffee 24/7.

And when I say that I’ve been drinking iced coffee pretty much every day, that doesn’t mean that I’m running over to the nearest coffee shop.

I’m pretty sure you know what I’m about to say next: Make. It. Homemade.

That should seriously just be my motto…

Seriously guys, this iced coffee is SO easy to make yourself, costs WAY less than the drive-thru, and tastes like it came from a gourmet coffee shop.

Iced coffee is so easy to make it practically doesn’t even need a recipe. BUT since I know you guys like your visuals (I know I do) I’ve got step-by-step photos ready for ‘ya to ensure that you’ll end up with the perfect glass of iced coffee.

Wanna know my secret to rich, and actually coffee-flavored iced coffee? It’s all in the ice.

Coffee cubes, NOT regular iced cubes is key in preventing your iced coffee from becoming watered down and weak. Who the heck likes weak coffee?! Kinda defeats the purpose of drinking it. 😉

Into the glass go your coffee cubes. Just a few will do…

Over the ice goes your STRONG-brewed coffee…

Splash on that cream…lots of it… (or half-and-half)

Sweeten according to your taste…

P.S. I’m in LURVE with this awesome stuff that I sweeten my iced coffee with. Salted caramel, you guys. DO IT.

Add a fancy straw and sip away, moi peeps.

That took what, 5 minutes? Likely even less time you would have spent waiting for your coffee in the McDonald’s drive-thru.

But I warn you: Homemade iced coffee is gonna turn you somewhat of a coffee-snob, and you probably won’t really like any other iced coffee anymore.

Phew! That was a lot of talking. I’m ready for some coffee now. 🙂

Whether you prefer hot coffee that’s gone cold, or just cold coffee, here’s how to get the perfect cup

By Coral Lee

June 20, 2020 1:29PM (UTC)

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This story first appeared on Food52, an online community that gives you everything you need for a happier kitchen and home – that means tested recipes, a shop full of beautiful products, a cooking hotline, and everything in between!

When the morning air starts to get warm and a bit sticky, windows cracked open never to shut, and sills fill with fuzzy fruits of varying ripenesses — these are the signs iced coffee season has begun.

For my partner Trevor and I though, iced coffee season is also in the dead of winter. And spring. And fall — and all the mid-seasons between.

Specifically cold brew. A few years ago, we invested in a cold brew drip tower. Every few nights we set up a batch to drip overnight: Cold water filters down through our medium-fine ground Ethiopia Kossa Geshe beans which drips coffee through a squiggly glass apparatus at the rate of one drip per second into a serving carafe. Without the addition of heat, we’ve found that our morning cup tastes smoother, fruitier (like blueberries!), and less acidic. Also, a shorter cup goes a longer way — the slowed extraction makes for an extra-caffeinated cup (begging to be topped with extra-creamy oat milk).

That being said, there are supposedly others that prefer their iced coffee to have started off hot. As Moka Origins co-founder Jeff Abella explained it to me, “when you brew at room temperature — for enough time to, essentially, replace the extractive powers of heat — the water only extracts the richer flavors and caffeine, leaving behind the acidity. Brewing with 200°F water, on the other hand, pulls more flavors out of coffee — including acidity and bitterness.”

But first, a word about beans.

Dialing in a perfectly flavored cup begins even before brewing — in the careful consideration of roast degree. “A light-roasted coffee will taste fruity, tea-like even, as its sugars don’t get inordinately caramelized during roast,” Abella says. “I like medium-roasted coffee for my cold brew, because its sugars have been taken justfar enough to yield chocolatey, caramelly notes — not burnt — in the cup.” Because a hot brew teases out coffee’s acidity, Abella’s noticed that same medium-roast coffeewill sport lemony notes when brewed hot, then chilled.

As for dark roast? “I’ve been burned by too many cups of bitter, watery cups of iced dark roast coffee from cafés,” Abella laughs. Dark roasted beans are, as you might imagine, aggressively toasted — which might comes across as cozy in a hot cup, but just tastes bitter, acrid on ice. “Any of the nuanced flavors that once existed in the coffee are muddied,” Abella says. “That’s why cold brew is my preferred method for cold coffee, made from light- to medium-roasts.”

Whether you prefer hot coffee that’s gone cold, or just cold coffee, know that dilution via ice is the universal enemy. Here are guides to both methods, with tips for preventing a watery cup.

How to make iced coffee

1. Grind.

Grind your beans for your preferred brewing method (powder-fine for espresso, medium-fine for pourover, medium for drip, coarse for French press).

2. Fill your brewing carafe with ice.

Remember, ice is iced coffee’s necessary evil; work with, not against, its dilutive powers. For pourover and drip, fill your brewing carafe halfway with ice; the brewed coffee will be chilled immediately upon drip (“flash-chilling”). To prep an iced Americano or French press, simply fill your serving glasses with ice.

3. Halve the water.

To account for the dilution via ice, reduce your brewing water by half. Doubly concentrated hot coffee plus ice equals correctly concentrated cold coffee. Remember: You can always add more ice cubes, but you can’t reintroduce strength.

4. Brew on ice.

Brew the coffee using your chosen method — right over the ice with pourover and drip, or as usual with espresso and French press. Swirl to combine the ice and serve as-is, or with a splash of milk.

How to make cold brew

1. Coarse-grind your beans.

Given the extended brew time, a coarse grind is fine enough to allow extraction, but not so fine that the cold brew emerges unpleasantly bitter. For cold brew, Abella estimates 1 cup grounds to 7 cups room temperature water. Feel free to play with these ratios, though — and for even finer tweaks, with the grind-size — in finding your ideal strength and flavor.

2. Combine & let sit.

Combine the ground coffee and water in a large sealable jar or French press and stir well. Let sit for anywhere between 12-24 hours before fine-straining or plunging. (Any longer, and you risk an overextracted, bitter brew; any shorter, and it will be weak and flavorless.) Drink straight, on ice, or with a splash of milk.

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• Author: Sophie Khan

• Updated: September 21, 2020

How to Make Great Mocha Iced Coffee

The first iced coffee I had in my life was a mocha iced coffee. I had never tried a regular mocha before either, so the combination of decadent chocolate and intense coffee was forever engraved in my mind. It is still the first thing that comes to my mind on warm, sunny evenings.

Mocha Iced Coffee is a crowd-pleaser and tempts even those who don’t appreciate coffee much. The icy drink is more closely related to some sort of liquid dessert than to a cup of Joe. For me, the chocolate-coffee combo reminds me of drinkable tiramisu!

It comes as no surprise that I order mocha iced coffee often, which in my head makes me kind of an iced-mocha-connoisseur (not really,) but I DO can tell between a lousy and a nice one.

Chocolate syrup has its uses, but for me, it has no place in an iced mocha, it’s too sweet and overpowering, and is usually out of balance with the espresso.

The perfect mocha iced coffee is out there. Trust me, I’ve tried it, and it’s in pure harmony; both the chocolate and the coffee shine and push each other to greatness.

At the heart of an iced mocha are milk, chocolate, and coffee, but with so many options for each, what to use?

For the milk, I prefer half & half, it’s creamier than whole milk and doesn’t dilute as easy when in contact with ice.

For the coffee, I love a one-ounce shot of dark roast Arabica-Robusta blend, think something like Java.

For the chocolate, I go for unsweetened cocoa powder, and I add all the additional sweetener I want later, like you do with proper coffee.

Blended or on the rocks?

Today we’re all used to coffee smoothies, as the one and only way of enjoying a cold brew. It wasn’t always this way, though. Before the big chains took over, when you could just have a cup of coffee from your neighborhood coffee shop, you could enjoy an iced coffee poured over ice cubes, really!

What’s the difference? You might ask. Coffee “on the rocks” is much more intense, as it dilutes slower compared to a drink blended with ice.

That’s why today we’re making a proper mocha iced coffee, unsweetened, unblended, and seriously tasty.

The iced coffee season is upon us. And the good news is you too can perform barista-like miracles and learn how to make iced coffee at home . Well, you might believe this to be a silly lesson to be discussed at length here, but just wait a minute. What if we told you that you can make your iced coffee even more delicious and refreshing if you completely ditch cold brew? Piqued your interest? Then keep on reading.

No Cold Brew for Iced Coffee? What?

While there’s nothing wrong with cold brew per se, it’s only natural that avid coffee lovers would want to try out different (and equally easy!) coffee-making techniques at home if they can deliver an even better taste. To lay all the cards on the table, the fact of the matter is that cold water just doesn’t fully dissolve coffee’s aroma and flavor. In that respect, you’re really missing out on the excitement that your treasured cup of coffee can bring. Just because you’re making iced coffee doesn’t mean you have to conform to the lack of taste and power.

But, what else is there to do? You can’t possibly make iced coffee with hot water, right? Not only does this defeat the purpose of iced coffee but even if you were to try making it with added ice cubes, the ice would end up melting and watering down your coffee before you could even take a sip. Well, that’s only if you add a bunch of ice into the coffee that’s already been poured.

Hot Brew Can Make Some Chilled Goodness, Too

Something called a Japanese method can help you master the hot water brewing in combination with ice. Essentially, you have to put the ice in first and then add a smaller amount of water, taking into account the water that would fill your cup once the ice melts. In that sense, your iced coffee won’t turn weak and watered down, and most importantly, it won’t lack the taste, flavors, and aromas released in the hot brew. Yet, it will still be refreshingly cool and powerful.

If you already own an espresso machine, you can simplify the whole process as the espresso shots are typically stronger. This will make it easier for you to get a bit free-handed with your pouring and ice distribution. But if you’re up for a thorough, no-steps-skipped iced coffee recipe, prepare your cocktail shaker!

Let’s Get to Work!

So, how to make iced coffee that’s perfectly flavorful and chilled? Make your shot as you usually would – with hot water and adjusted to your taste. Fill your cocktail shaker with some ice and pour the shot you previously made into it. Now shake! Shake with the vigor deserving of a perfect coffee! It should take you about 15-20 seconds before you can feel that the shaker is cold to the touch. Once the shaking is completed, fill the glass/cup you favor the most with fresh ice and strain the magical liquid from the shaker into it. Congratulations, you’ve just successfully made high-quality, flavorful, and rich iced coffee that doesn’t lack the chill or a speck of its wonderful aroma.

In the mood for something even more exciting? Feel free to add a touch of syrup or milk to the shaker before shaking if you prefer it like so. And don’t you worry if you don’t have an espresso machine. Even a simple stovetop pot-type brewer can do the job just fine!

Want to get your barista groove on and provide yourself and/or your customers with the finest beverage in the area? Then don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Texas Specialty Beverage . We provide speedy delivery of blended iced coffee and all kinds of beverages, condiments, tools, and supplies that a bar, café, restaurant, or a passionate individual would need for successful operation.

You’ve come to the right place. I’m going to show you How to Make Iced Coffee. Watch the video showing you How to Make Iced Coffee, then scroll to the bottom of this post so you can print out the recipe and make it at home. You might also be interested in a more authentic way of making Iced Coffee: How to Make Cold Brew Coffee. Be sure to check out that post because that recipe makes really great iced coffee too!

I’m not much of a coffee drinker. No sirree. No caffeine needed. My body is hard-wired to have an abundance of natural energy from the moment I wake up. I guess I’m lucky that way. I do love the flavor of coffee though… coffee candies and coffee ice cream and even those foo foo frozen coffee drinks that contain your total allotted calorie consumption in just a dozen sips.

That’s why on one rather sweltering afternoon recently, I grabbed my husband’s mug o’ coffee that had been sitting untouched on the counter all day long, and I made myself a rather delicious version of Iced Coffee.

How do You Make Iced Coffee?

You’ll need a tall glass and a spoon long enough to reach the bottom of that glass.

Fill that glass full to the rim with ice. If you really want to get serious about your iced coffee, you can make ice cubes out of coffee too. Then you won’t get that “watered-down” effect. And if you’re into that flavored sort of coffee then go for it.

Pour room temperature (or chilled) coffee into the glass.

Fill it almost to the top.

Pour in the white stuff. Here’s where you get to make a big decision. Do you want to go all out and make this a decadent treat? If so, then add cream or half & half. If you want to go a little lighter, use whole milk or fat-free half & half. And lighter still, use nonfat milk.

Take a moment to watch the swirls sink to the bottom and mix in with the coffee. It’s a magical moment. рџ™‚

Add a couple spoonfuls of sugar (if you like sweet)… or whatever sort of sweetener you usually add to your coffee. In the recipe notes below, I share how to make sugary simple syrup in case you prefer to use that instead of granulated white sugar.

Anticipate drinking your creation.

Add a purple straw. If you’re a straw person, that is. And drink up!

Things you can buy to help you make the perfect iced coffee:

• MY FAVORITE GLASS MUGS: I absolutely love these glass mugs and I use them for both coffee and tea. They’re microwavable and large.
• TALL GLASSES: I use these for iced tea and iced coffee and any drink where I want to add ice in a tall glass.
• TALL PLASTIC GLASSES: I also have this set of plastic, non-breakable glasses since we have a pool area and use them outside often in warmer weather. They are dishwasher safe.
• TALL SPOONS: These are a must if you use the tall glasses!
• SILICONE ICE CUBE TRAYS: Even if you have an ice maker built-in to your refrigerator, you would totally love these ice cube trays. I love the shape of the cube molds (they look pretty in a glass), and they come out super easy with bendable silicone. You may also choose to make ice cubes out of coffee, so these are perfect for that.
• COFFEE STIRRER STICKS: We have a little coffee station in our kitchen, and since I don’t always like to get our spoons dirty… these wooden stirrer sticks come in handy.
• GLASS MEASURING CUP: You might already have one of these in your kitchen, but it’s definitely a must-have (I’m pretty sure I have 3 or 4).
• RE-USABLE STRAWS: I use these for everything I drink these days. This set comes with a straw cleaner, which is a nice thing to have!
• MY FAVORITE NO-CALORIE SWEETENER: I just started using this sweetener for tea and coffee, and I’m obsessed with it. No aftertaste!

Here’s the cool part (at least I think this is kind of cool…). You’ve seen these flavored coffee creamers, right? You can always use this stuff in your iced coffee. It’ll cover both your cream and your sweetener. And if you get this particular brand… then you’ll be getting a coffee creamer with a photograph that yours-truly took! Yep, those cupcakes that you see right there– those are my White Wedding Cake Cupcakes that I posted on the site a couple of years ago.

I made those cupcakes with the pearls on top for a teacher’s wedding from my son’s school. This company liked my photo and wanted to use it for the label on their new product, so they bought it from me! Isn’t that fun?!

Enjoy your iced coffee, however you decide to make it рџ™‚ This is the super easy way to make iced coffee. Check out my other post: How to Make Cold Brew Coffee, for a more authentic way of making iced coffee.

If you need a few delicious treats to have with your coffee, you might consider baking some Brown Sugar Cinnamon Biscotti or Lemon Tea Cake. Mini Crumb Cake Bites would also be a nice goodie to munch on while sipping your iced coffee. Butter Swirl Shortbread Cookies make good dunkers too.