Iced coffee, it’s easy to make right? Not so fast, there are some tricks to know…
Ahhhh, summer – the warm sun, water fun and vacation. What better time to sit down and enjoy a delicious cup of freshly brewed coffee. What? Who thinks coffee on days like this? If you love coffee, but something hot just won’t fit the bill, try making some iced coffee. It’s a great way to start the day or relax on a hot afternoon.
Making iced coffee is easy, right? Not so fast… There are some tricks of the trade and we are offering you some full proof tips to make the perfect cup of iced joe.
Tip #1: Start with making stronger coffee: As a general rule, you want to make your iced coffee brew double the strength of your normal coffee. We recommend using the same quantity coffee you normally use and reducing the amount of water in half. Ice will significantly dilute the final cup, so you need to start with strong coffee in the first place to allow the flavor to stay strong and fresh. This is where My Café® comes to the rescue! My Café’s technology and the pod format allows you to have a more authentic coffee or tea experience- enjoy the aroma before the brew and extract more flavor than other single-serve systems. You can easily customize your flavor and make the coffee or tea stronger, perfect for your iced drink of choice. You can select from an incredible variety of coffee or tea pods. Plus, you can adjust brew strength by the amount of water you use- try starting with 4 ounces of water and a 10 gram pod. For stronger coffee or tea use My Café’s pulse brew option! Voila, coffee strength as you like it!
Tip #2: Add sugar while the coffee is hot: Sweeten the coffee while it’s hot, or the sugar won’t dissolve and will end up in a clump at the bottom of the glass. While it’s still hot, stir in your desired sugar amount. When you’re making your different variations of iced coffee, try adding spices such as cardamom or cinnamon to the coffee after it brews. A dash is all that you need! You can also consider adding almond extract, vanilla, chocolate or raspberry syrup after the coffee has brewed for even more flavor. Or, just keep it simple but remember it’s your life, your coffee.
Tip #3: Chill carefully: Most drinking glasses cannot withstand large temperature variations. So pouring hot coffee into a glass and putting it in the refrigerator can actually cause the glass to crack! We suggest using a travel mug, as it’s more durable than glass and coffee cups.
Tip #4: Brew coffee the night before: For frosty morning coffee, make it the night before and chill it overnight.
In the morning, pour your chilled coffee over a lot of ice and wait…letting it sit for a minute to allow the ice to slightly melt. You remember that saying, “all good things come to those who wait”? Now, add a splash of cream if you prefer and stir very well! Remember cream or milk is just fine but if you’re making iced coffee for guests, consider whipping up some heavy cream and adding a little confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon for a special touch. Add a generous dollop to each guest’s glass and they’ll be calling you Julia!
Tip #5: Serve over coffee cubes: Use coffee cubes instead of ice cubes so you don’t dilute the rich coffee flavor. Simply pour left over regular brewed coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze.
Give it a final stir, and enjoy your weekend and your iced coffee!
Starbucks Frappucino – make a cool and refreshing coffee drink at home.
Our version of this recipe is for the Starbucks Frappucino that is sold in the bottle. Buying this drink at the store will set you back about 2 dollars, you can make your own at home. This isn’t hard to make at all.
1/2 C. Strong Coffee – espresso if you can
2 C. Milk
1/4 – 1/3 C. Sugar
1 1/2 C. Ice
Combine all in a blender and blend well.
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Ingredients 
- 3/4 cup double-strength coffee, cold
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 2 cups ice
- Caramel topping, 3 Tbs
- Whipped Cream
- Hersheys Chocolate Syrup 3 tbs
Directions
- Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker: That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.
- To make drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and serve with a straw.
- CARAMEL Version:
- For this version, add 3 tablespoons of caramel topping to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream and drizzle additional caramel over the whipped cream.
- MOCHA Version:
- For this version, add 3 tablespoons Hershey’s chocolate syrup to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream, if desired.
Coffee Iced
Purists will argue for the addition of chicory, which actually is part of the endive plant, for a traditional New Orleans brew, but your favorite dark roast will do the job just fine. Skeptics will wonder about the cost per pound, and here are a few figures for contemplation: A half pound (8 ounces) of coffee yields between three and four cups of concentrate, which is 12-16 servings. When I make a six-serving pot of hot-brewed coffee with my French press, I use about five ounces of coffee, so according to these calculations, the cold-brewed method uses less coffee. However, I’m a strong coffee girl — no drip stuff for me. Those who use electric machines may find the cold brew too intense. See what works for you.Cold-Brewed Coffee
1/2 pound medium ground coffee — darker roasts or coffee with chicory work best
5 cups cold water
Pour coffee into a deep bowl or pot. Add water, stir to mix and cover. Allow to steep between 8 and 12 hours. Pour mixture through a fine-meshed sieve or coffee filter. Repeat filtering process twice if necessary.
Makes 3 cups coffee concentrate.
To make iced coffee:
Add 1/4 cup coffee concentrate into 12-16 ounce glass. Add 1 cup cold water OR fill the glass with ice cubes. Add 3/4 cup – 1 cup milk of choice and stir.
One batch of concentrate makes 12 servings.
If you’re curious but want someone else to make the stuff for you, consider these ready-made concentrates from French Market, Cool Brew and N.O. Brew. Blue Bottle Coffee, in the San Francisco Bay area, sells cold-brew “kits” which include coffee, chicory and a recipe. Ten percent of the proceeds go the the Edible Schoolyard in New Orleans, a project I got to see in action while there last month.
