Iced coffee is a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy your morning cup of joe without having to break the bank. It can be made easily at home to ensure the perfect cup every time. In this guide, we will discuss how to make iced coffee at home, what items and ingredients you’ll need, some tips and tricks for a great tasting cup, and variations of the classic recipe. With a few simple steps and your favorite coffee, you can make the perfect iced coffee at home, any time you want.
Iced coffee is a refreshing summer drink made by brewing coffee and then cooling it with ice cubes. It can be served plain or with cream, sugar, and other desired flavorings. To make iced coffee at home, start by brewing a pot of coffee using your favorite blend. Let the coffee cool to room temperature before pouring it into a pitcher with some ice cubes. If you would like a sweeter iced coffee, add sugar and stir until it is dissolved. You can also flavor it by stirring in cream, almond or vanilla extract, or other types of syrups. Once everything is combined, pour the iced coffee into individual glasses and enjoy!
Step-by-Step Guide to Brewing the Perfect Cold-Brew at Home:
1. Start with freshly roasted coffee beans. Choose a coffee bean that you know you’ll enjoy as a cold-brewed coffee. Pick a coffee you like that is medium to dark roast (I am a dark roast guy, but I know many people who enjoy a nice medium to light cold-brew).
2. Use the appropriate ratio of coffee beans or grinds to water. For cold-brewed iced coffee, use three parts water to one part freshly ground coffee.
3. Grind the beans. If you’re using pre-ground coffee, set the grinder to a medium grind size. For optimal flavor, it’s best to grind the beans yourself just a few minutes before you make your iced coffee.
4. Place the ground coffee beans in a container that is both heatproof and has a lid. Ideally, you want the container to be airtight to prevent any flavor and aroma loss.
5. Pour the water in the container and give it a gentle stir to combine the coffee grounds and water.
6. Place the lid on the container and let it sit in room temperature or in the refrigerator for anywhere from 8-24 hours (personally, I usually land in the 16 to 24 hour range). This cold-brewing method will give your iced coffee a smooth, mellow flavor.
7. When the steeping time is complete, strain the coffee concentrate. Pour the concentrate over a fine-mesh strainer to separate the grounds from the liquid.
8. As a final step, transfer the coffee concentrate into a clean jar or bottle for storage. Remember to refrigerate the concentrate immediately. This concentrate can stay fresh for up to two weeks. When ready to serve, dilute the concentrate with water or milk to taste, serve over ice, and enjoy your refreshing cold-brew. Enjoy!
Step-by-Step Guide to Brewing the Perfect Iced Coffee at Home:
Choose Your Coffee: Making iced coffee at home is easy and economical. All you need is a coffeepot, filter, ground coffee, some ice, and your sweetener / milk of choice. Choose your coffee, whether its whole beans from Guatemala or Tim Horton’s Medium roast from the grocery store! However, I recommend a stronger coffee with a bold flavor for iced coffee over cold brew, because with iced coffee, the ice will dilute the coffee somewhat.
Grind Your Coffee Beans: Grinding your own coffee beans is an important step in making iced coffee at home because freshly ground coffee will create the most flavorful cup of iced coffee. Using a burr grinder is the best way to get an even grind for the best flavor. To make iced coffee at home, start by grinding your coffee beans on a medium-coarse grind setting. This will create a texture similar to breadcrumbs. This step is optional, and you can use pre-ground coffee from any store!
Prepare Your Coffee Maker: To prepare a coffee maker to make iced coffee at home, you will need cold water and the coffee you just put through your grinder. Fill the water reservoir with cold water. Use a filter for your grounds, self-ground or pre-ground. Set up the machine with whatever options you have–for example, you may be able to choose the strength of the coffee or the size of the cup it will fill. This is a setting that should be set to your preference (I prefer it to be on the stronger side!). Once the machine is set up, you can turn it on!
Brew Your Coffee: It’s time to brew a cup of coffee with your preferred brewing method. It’s important to use a stronger coffee here, since the ice will dilute the flavor.
Allow the Coffee to Cool: You will need to allow your hot brewed coffee to cool. This can be done by either pouring the brewed coffee into a sealable container and placing it in the refrigerator, or using a coffee to ice method. Pro Tip: To do this, make coffee ice cubes with some ice trays and then put the cubes into the hot coffee so that it will cool faster and prevent severe dilution.
Once the Coffee is cool: Take your glass of choice and fill it with ice, or if you want no dilution, with the coffee ice cubes mentioned in the previous step, and then pour as much coffee as you desire!
Lastly, Add Flavorings (Optional): Flavorings are completely optional when making iced coffee at home. However, if you want to give your drink a more interesting taste, you can add any combination of spices, syrups, sweeteners, and creamers to your cup. Popular mix-in flavors include vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, and cinnamon (I am a sucker for cinnamon sprinkled on top of my iced coffee). These ingredients can be found at most grocery stores, or can be purchased online. Recipes can be found online for creating your own flavored creamer to add to your iced coffee. If you are looking for a healthier alternative, you could add some reduced-fat milk or any alternative milk of choice ( I like coconut because it’s lectin free) to your coffee for some added creaminess and flavor. You can also sweeten your drink with Monk Fruit or Stevia, which offer a more natural alternative to flavor and sweetness. Enjoy!
Conclusion
Making cold brew and iced coffee at home is simple and cost effective. It’s a great way to save money while still enjoying the same quality coffee you’d get from a café. Not only can you control the strength of the coffee, but making it at home also allows you to save time.
Here are some of the most notable benefits of brewing iced coffee at home:
1. Cost Savings: By making your coffee at home, you’ll be able to save money that would otherwise go towards buying coffee out. Making iced coffee at home is especially cost-effective, as you can buy larger amounts of coffee and mix more drinks with your own ingredients.
2. Time Efficiency: It takes mere minutes to make iced coffee at home, while many cafés require you to wait in line to receive your order. This can save you a significant amount of time when making several cups of coffee, as you don’t need to wait in line multiple times.
3. Simplicity: Whether you’re using an espresso machine, French press, or other basic coffee maker, it’s quite simple to make iced coffee in the comfort of your own home.
4. Coffee Desires: You can also get the coffee customized to your liking. So if you like a specific bean, a specific milk and or sweetener, you can have it and costs less than your average coffee at a café’!
