Pat is an espresso machine enthusiast with a passion for perfecting every shot. With years of hands-on experience testing espresso machines, coffee makers and everything in between, Pat provides detailed, no-nonsense reviews to help coffee lovers find the right fit.
Iced coffee is a longtime, beloved summer treat. What coffee fan doesn’t love a cold cup of freshly brewed coffee to stave off the heat? There’s a lot of ways to make coffee, and today we want to give you some pointers on the right way to get your cold coffee fix. No, that doesn’t include adding ice to your unfinished morning cup!
Brewing Over Ice
When we say “iced coffee” we usually mean coffee brewed over ice. Yes, there’s cold brew, which is absolutely delicious and another way to get your fix too. That said, if you order an iced coffee at your local cafe it’s likely coffee that’s been brewed over ice, or had ice added to it.
Brewing over ice is really quite easy. You can do it with a drip coffee maker or a pour over set. You can even brew espresso over ice! In the case of the first two you’ll want to make some tweaks to your ratio to ensure that your coffee isn’t too watered down. We like to use 135g of ice, 30g of coffee, and 365g of hot water. These measurements are with a pour over set in mind, so you can always double it for a drip brewer to get a larger pot.
Why not just brew the coffee with cold water? Well, the hot water is part of the brewing process. To properly extract your coffee you need that heat, but without reducing your water in you’ll end up with watered down coffee. To mitigate this, simply use less water. It’ll create a stronger brew out of the filter, but when brewed over some measured out ice you’ll get the perfect cup.
Espresso is a little easier to work with. All you have to do here is brew over some ice in a shot glass. Because it’s already so strong it’ll still taste great without adjusting your settings too much. If you want to further dilute, an iced americano is easy to make.
Cold Brew
Another cold coffee option that most people are well aware of is cold brew. Cold brewing coffee mitigates that extraction issue we mentioned by substituting time for heat. There’s a lot of cold brewers out there, but most of them follow the same principles. You add cold water and coffee grounds to a chamber, give it a stir, then let it steep. Come back the next day for a delicious concentrate. Just be prepared to dilute unless you want it extra strong.
Tasty Additives
Cold frothed oat milk, dairy milk, or soy milk all go great with cold coffee. When you add in a bit of syrup you get an incredible creamy treat that’s hard to beat. You also get those beautiful swirls and spirals through your glass.
Why stop there? Try adding a garnish like whipped cream or cinnamon. Soon you’ll leave the big chain coffee shops behind to focus on your at home ice coffee concoctions! Want some tips from John? Check out his video on the topic below!
