Beat the heat with 3 delicious iced coffee recipes
It’s another beautiful, hot summer day, perfect for a refreshing, smooth, and delicious iced coffee. If you’re looking for a tastier and more affordable option than what you’d find at a coffee shop, you’re in the right place. It’s easy to make something that tastes brilliant and will definitely remind you of summer. But be careful; it can be addictive.
WHAT IS AN ICED COFFEE?
Iced coffee is normally brewed coffee served over ice and topped with milk and syrups. You can make it using various methods, like pour-over, French press, Moka pot, or drip machine. Brew your regular coffee with or without a machine, then enjoy it straight over ice, or add milk, syrups, flavors, sparkling water, or tonic water. Now, it’s up to you to be creative; there are heaps of other options you can try. Once you manage to get the right technique to brew the coffee, you can create all of the deliciousness at your fingertips.
The main differences between iced coffee and traditional hot coffee are the flavor profile, bitterness, and strength. Hot coffee extracts all the flavors and oils from the grounds, resulting in a stronger, more bitter flavor. In contrast, iced coffee tends to be more intense, robust, and sometimes sweeter due to the cooling and dilution process.
3 DELICIOUS METHODS TO MAKE ICED COFFEE AT HOME
Today, we’re going to make 3 simple recipes for iced coffee drinks that will help you fight the hot days of the year. Here’s how to make iced coffee at home.
THE CLASSIC ICED COFFEE DRINK
As mentioned earlier, classic iced coffee is made by brewing your coffee, cooling it down, and serving it. It’s not that hard. Brew the coffee using your available kitchen equipment. I highly recommend using a French press or Moka pot. With some effort to perfect the method, you can get the most out of it.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1) A decent coffee maker (Moka pot, French press, pour-over)
2) Ground coffee (20 grams)
3) Water (100 grams)
4) Ice cubes
5) Milk
DIRECTIONS
1) You need 20 grams of medium-roasted coffee. Grind the coffee beans to a fine grind using a home grinder. I recommend using a finer grind to increase the extraction.
2) Fill the funnel with ground coffee and level off the top with your finger.
3) Now, it’s time for the water to go in. Use 100 grams of water in the boiler. This is a pretty strong brew ratio, and you will achieve a coffee with higher intensity and more flavors.
4) Remember to always place a paper filter on the bottom of the moka pot, this will help you increase the extraction and overall flavor profile.
5) Place the moka pot on the stove over low heat and wait till the coffee comes out.
6) Once you see all the bubbles coming out, remove the moka from the stove, and then wait until the flow of the coffee stops.
7) Now, to cool down your coffee quickly, add a few ice cubes to the hot coffee or chill it in the refrigerator for a bit.
8) Once the coffee is chilled, it’s time to serve. Pour the coffee into the glass over ice and enjoy. You can even use sugar, syrup, or milk. You can put more or less; it’s up to you.
COLD BREW STYLE ICED COFFEE
Cold brew is another popular and surprisingly easy method. In short, cold brew involves infusing coffee grounds into cold water from anywhere between 12 to 24 hours. So, this method produces an iced coffee that is more concentrated and versatile enough to mix with milk or other ingredients. Now, if you want to get into the details of how to make cold brew coffee, we’ve got you covered.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1) Ground coffee (20 grams)
2) Water (80 grams)
3) Milk
4) Ice cubes
5) Sugar (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1) For the first step, you need to grind your coffee beans coarsely. I prefer using medium to dark-roasted coffee because it feels more robust in a cold brew.
2) Add 20 grams of coarsely ground coffee and 80 grams of clean, filtered water to a jar. Adjust the strength of your coffee as you prefer. We use a 1:4 ratio because you’ll dilute it with ice or water later.
3) Now, brew this in the fridge for at least 12 to 24 hours, and then whenever you’re ready to enjoy, just strain it in a cup and serve over ice.
4) Now, this is great, but let’s just take it to the next level. Add half a cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla flavor, and a few ice cubes, and you’re good to go.
INSTANT ICED COFFEE
This refreshing, creamy instant iced coffee is my go-to recipe. It’s incredibly easy to make, quick, and super affordable. Enjoy your favorite iced coffee in just five minutes with this simple method. Sip and savor the delicious taste of your homemade iced coffee!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1)Instant Coffee
2)Water
3)Ice cubes
4) Sugar (optional)
5)Milk
DIRECTIONS
1) Add 2 tablespoons of instant coffee and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a glass. Adjust the sweetness according to your preference. Stir well until the ingredients dissolve completely.
2) Add 4 tablespoons of warm water from the kettle and stir until everything dissolves completely.
3) When the mixture froths, add a quarter cup of milk and a few ice cubes. Substitute whole milk with almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk if desired. Stir well, and enjoy your drink.
WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE—IN MY OPINION
People say nobody is perfect, but in my opinion, no coffee is perfect either. The reason is that people have different tastes and preferences, so they enjoy various versions of the same drink. For example, espresso lovers might not enjoy a cold-brew or an iced caramel macchiato. The world of iced coffee is a complete nutshell. Some baristas don’t consider cold-brew an iced coffee because they think iced coffee should be brewed coffee served over ice, while others believe serving coffee over ice creates the perfect iced coffee. It hard to explain. I experimented with different versions of iced coffee until I found the one I liked. I suggest you try various recipes to find the one that suits your taste. That will be your perfect iced coffee recipe.