Iced coffee is a refreshing and delicious drink that’s perfect for warm weather.
Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of coffee
- Ice cubes
- Milk or cream (optional)
- Sweetener of your choice (optional)
Instructions:
- Start by brewing a cup of coffee using your preferred method. You can use any kind of coffee you like, but it’s best to use a strong, dark roast to ensure that the coffee flavor comes through when it’s iced.
- Once the coffee is brewed, let it cool to room temperature. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the coffee in the refrigerator or pouring it over ice.
- Fill a glass with ice cubes. Feel free to use as much or as little ice as you like, depending on how strong you want your iced coffee to be.
- Pour the cooled coffee over the ice.
- Add milk or cream to taste. This step is optional, but adding a bit of milk or cream can help mellow out the bitterness of the coffee and give it a creamier texture.
- If you like your coffee sweet, add a sweetener of your choice. You can use sugar, honey, agave, or any other sweetener you like. Be sure to stir well to ensure that the sweetener dissolves completely.
- Enjoy your iced coffee!
You can garnish it with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or any other toppings you like.
Why You Should Go For Cold Brew
Traditionally, we make hot coffee from the comfort of our homes and have our iced coffee at Starbucks or another coffee place.
Between the different brewing methods for making iced coffee at home, cold brew turns out to be the best one.
No matter of the quality of your beans, pouring hot coffee over ice cubes would only spoil its flavor.
Secondly, when making your iced coffee cup using hot brew, it’ll produce more oils.
This will result in a more bitter or acidic flavor (which tastes nothing like a real iced coffee).
All of this means that you want your coffee brewed with cold water instead to prevent the dissolvement of the oils and acids within.
Cold water brew retains the sweet coffee compounds and produces a mellow taste with a smooth texture that’s hard to beat.
Get Started with This Easy Cold Brew Iced Coffee Recipe
How to make iced coffee is not a big deal when you know how to utilize the cold brew method.
Here is the list of things you will need:
- Mason jar
- Filtered water
- Medium coarse ground coffee
- Coffee filter (if you don’t have one, a cheesecloth will do as well)
- Glass
- Milk
- Ice cubes
Now, follow these steps to get a mouth-watering glass of iced coffee:
- Take a mason jar and add some ground coffee to it
- Pour in 4 glasses of filtered water
- Stir for a minute or two
- Leave the mix in your fridge overnight
- Strain the grounds through a cheesecloth or a coffee filter into another mason jar or a glass
- Pour milk at your liking over the coffee
- Lay a couple of ice cubes in there
Optionally: If you find your coffee too concentrated, add some more filtered water to dilute it.
You can add some sugar if you have a sweet tooth, as well as some maple syrup.
How To Make Iced Coffee When in a Hurry
Even though cold brew is our top choice, we realize that you might not have those spare 12 hours when craving iced coffee right here, right now!
So, in this case, we will use hot coffee, as this your best bet for making some java in swift fashion.
Note: Brewing your coffee in hot water for an extended period of time will only make it bitter.
When applying the hot water technique, go for a short and quick brew.
Also, we highly advise you to cool down your coffee as much as possible before pouring it over ice.
For starters, you will need brewed, hot coffee and a heat-proof container.
Here’s how to do it:
- Brew some coffee
- Pour a lot of ice into your heat-proof container and pour the coffee on top
- If you don’t have another container, transfer the coffee and ice into a glass, then return it to the first container
- Repeat the process a couple of times, and voila – your hot coffee would have cooled down in just a few minutes
- Pour it in a glass, add a straw and relish your drink
Tips On Making Iced Coffee Out Of Hot Coffee
- Use a glass designed to handle shock
When pouring your coffee over ice cubes, something rather unpleasant might happen – the glass can break.
In order to prevent a mess in your kitchen, get yourself a shock-resistant mug.
- Go for medium to dark roast coffee
Nothing beats a rich flavor of an iced coffee made of medium to dark roast (Arabica, for example).
- Use sugar water or liquid sugar sweetener
When making your iced coffee cup out of hot coffee, it would be best to add some sugary water or a liquid sweetener to it, rather than adding plain sugar.
That’s because sugar doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquids, while sugary water would add the note of goodness you crave for.
How To Make Iced Coffee With A Blender
If you are hoping to achieve a similar teste to the legendary Starbucks iced coffee of iced coffee (if not even better) in a couple of minutes, do this:
- Brew your coffee
- Pour it into a blender
- Add some milk
- Add crushed ice cubes
- Add maple syrup, vanilla – whatever flavorings you like
- Wait for about 10 seconds to let it blend
- Serve in a glass
Thank us later!
FAQ
1. Can you use any type of coffee for iced coffee?
Yes, you can use any type of coffee for iced coffee, but it’s recommended to use medium or dark roast coffee as they have a more robust flavor that holds up well against the ice and any additional flavors you may add.
2. How long does it take to brew coffee for iced coffee?
The time it takes to brew coffee for iced coffee is the same as brewing coffee for hot coffee.
It usually takes around 4 to 6 minutes for the coffee to brew, depending on the method you are using.
3. How do you sweeten iced coffee without using sugar?
You can sweeten iced coffee without using sugar by adding natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or stevia.
You can also try adding flavors like vanilla extract or cinnamon, which can give your coffee a natural sweetness.
4. Can you make iced coffee without brewing hot coffee first?
Yes, you can make iced coffee without brewing hot coffee first.
One way to do this is to use cold brew coffee, which is prepared by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for an extended period, usually overnight.
Another way is to use instant coffee, dissolve it in cold water, and add ice to make it cold.
5. Is iced coffee good for you
Yes due to the fact that iced coffee contains fewer acids than hot coffee, making it easier to digest.
Thus, if drinking hot coffee upsets your stomach and is the issue isn’t caffeine-related, then your belly will totally love iced coffee.
So yeah, iced coffee adds another layer of health benefits associated with drinking java.
If you are a passionate coffee fan and can’t go without two or more cups a day, maybe you should make the second (or third) cup of java a cold one!
Iced coffee also doesn’t have as much caffeine, which lowers blood pressure and doesn’t disrupt your sleep.
Besides, the fact that it contains less caffeine means that iced coffee is richer in phenolic compounds and magnesium.
All of them are good for your blood pressure.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make iced coffee like a pro, the next cup you make will match and even exceed the standard quality of the iced coffee from a coffee shop.
So tell us, are you patient enough to wait for your iced coffee cup overnight?
How do you like it best?
Are you on the cold brew team’s side?
We would LOVE to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the section below.
Simon is a coffee enthusiast who has spent years exploring the world of coffee. He has a deep passion for the art of brewing and enjoys experimenting with different brewing methods to create the perfect cup of coffee. His love for coffee has led him to become an expert in the field, and he is known for his meticulous attention to detail when it comes to selecting and brewing the perfect cup. Simon is also an avid traveler who loves incorporating new flavors and techniques into his brewing.
