How To Make Iced Coffee
Refreshing and easy to make Iced Coffee is so simple to make. Flavor with your favorite creamer or syrup to create your favorite iced coffee or latte drink to cool off on hot summer days.
Iced Coffee
Summer is in full swing and with it came all the swampy humidity. My regular coffee stops have slowed since I’m no longer craving a hot beverage and I started brewing my own coffee at home. Not to drink while it’s hot, but to cool off for a refreshing Iced Coffee while I sit by the pool or on the lacrosse sidelines.
Iced Coffee is incredibly simple to make and you can even keep leftover coffee in the refrigerator to whip up a coffee house inspired drink at home all while saving a few bucks in the process. I mean, really, doesn’t it add up when you’re buying those iced lattes almost every day?
Our Iced Coffee version starts with your favorite brewed coffee and then you make ice cubes with the coffee. We are not fans of watered down coffee drinks so the coffee ice cubes eliminate that from happening.
What is Iced Coffee
Iced Coffee is exactly that….brewed coffee that’s served in a glass with ice. You can flavor anyway you want by using half and half, coffee creamer or flavor syrups. Kind of like a coffee house iced latte in your own kitchen!
What’s the difference between Iced Coffee and Cold Brew Coffee?
Some people use the names interchangeably but Iced Coffee and Cold Brew Coffee are not the same thing at all.
Iced Coffee is simply hot brewed coffee that’s been cooled slightly and served over ice.
Cold Brew Coffee is made by steeping coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water to create a coffee concentrate that you, then, dilute with water or milk. Because you’re not using heat to brew the coffee, you eliminate the bitterness that is common in iced coffee drinks.
If you want to make Cold Brew Coffee, you can check out our tutorial here.
How to Make Iced Coffee
- Brew the coffee. Brew your favorite coffee to yield 8 cups.
- Cool the coffee. Let your brewed coffee cool to room temperature.
- Make the ice cubes. Pour brewed coffee into an ice cube mold and freeze.
- Fill the glass. Add the coffee ice cubes to a glass and top with the brewed coffee.
- Flavor your iced coffee. Stir in half and half, coffee creamer or your favorite simple syrup.
- Serve!
How to Cool Hot Coffee More Quickly
If you want to skip the step of allowing your coffee to cool to room temperature you can make it with regular ice (made of water) and brewing your coffee extra strong. This will help keep the flavor of your coffee from getting too watered down.
After your coffee had cooled a bit from the ice, you can now serve it over ice in a glass with your favorite flavorings and syrups.
What to Serve with It
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Get the Recipe: Iced Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups Brewed Coffee, cooled to room temperature
- 1/4 cup half and half, optional
- 2 tablespoons simple syrup
Equipment
- 1 coffee maker
- 1 ice cube tray optional
Instructions
- Fill a silicone ice cube tray placed on a baking sheet with room temperature brewed coffee.
- Freeze the coffee until firm.
- Release the ice cubes from the tray and fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
- Pour the cooled coffee over the ice cubes.
- Add the half and half to the glass and then top with simple syrup.
- Stir to combine and serve immediately.
- Store the remaining coffee in a pitcher in the refrigerator and freeze the remaining ice cubes for refreshing iced coffee anytime.