There's no pick me up in the world like a nice cup of coffee when you're feeling sluggish. And while it can be greatly enjoyed any old time of the day, in the hot weather months, even faithful coffee lovers can find it hard to linger over a steaming cup.
In these situations, iced coffee is just the thing to perk us up. And with the health benefits of coffee becoming more widely recognized, there's little reason to say no to a nice cold cup.
1. Choose the type of coffee and flavor you want to use for your iced coffee
The types of coffee that can be prepared as an iced coffee drink are numerous as the types of coffee that exist in the world. As with all culinary arts, personal preference rules the day.
However, as most people enjoy robust flavors as opposed to blandness in their food and drink, a few general pointers can be given.
Choose a dark roast coffee and brew it strongly. As a matter of fact, brew it to be much stronger and darker than you would normally be inclined to drink coffee.
This should be done because you will be diluting the coffee in the process of making your iced coffee drink.
European blends such as Spanish, Italian, French, and Continental ones are a great starting point, but be open-minded!
Next, choose a flavor to add to the coffee you chose. This may be as simple as milk and sugar, or if you are a fan of hazelnut,
French vanilla, Irish cream, or any other sort of flavoring in your coffee, make your decision early.
The first thing to go in the cup once you're ready to make your iced coffee drink will be the flavorings of your choice. Of course, a plain coffee flavored iced coffee is fine, but most people seem to prefer a sweeter form of the drink, even if that means simply milk and sugar, so keep that in mind.
2. Don't confuse iced coffee with cold brew coffee
Cold brew coffee is a method to derive the drinkable coffee from the ground bean. It should not be confused with iced coffee, as iced coffee is a drink prepared from already liquid coffee.
This being said, low acidity cold brew coffee can be used to make an iced coffee, and with delicious results.
3. Ice texture is everything
There are so many ways to prepare your own personal favorite iced coffee drink. Every aspect and ingredient are at your disposal to be altered to make the absolute perfect drink for you.
It should then go without saying that one of the key ingredients in an iced coffee drink is, you guessed it, ice! Changing the consistency of the ice can completely change the entire drink, and this must be kept in mind.
Do you prefer a drink with large standard ice tray sized cubed, or a drink with completely shaved, snow cone like ice, or any variation that exists in between?
Try using a food processor to make shaved ice, or use differently shaped ice cube trays. Get creative, and personalize your iced coffee drink to make it truly your own.
4. The fine details of mixing
After you've decided on all the ingredients of your iced coffee drink, you need to know the finer details of making the best cup of it that you can.
There are many methods to brewing the coffee of your choice. Many options will work, but especially espresso machine coffee and French press coffee.
But once your coffee is brewed, you can't just pour it in the cup with ice and flavorings and hope for the best. The results will surely fall short of your expectations.
Here are a good mixing order and process that will return fine results for you.
Ingredients You'll Need
Directions For Making It
- 1First, brew your preferred coffee using your preferred method. Then, let it cool! Be patient. The last thing you want is for your ice to start melting instantly, watering down your tasty drink.
- 2Next, take the flavorings you've chosen, be they creamers of different flavors of milk and sugar, and pour them into the bottom of a cup with a nice tight lid.
- 3If using milk and sugar, it's best to premix the two, reducing separation.
- 4Now, add your ice. Be sure not to add too much ice, leaving too little room for your coffee. You can add more later if necessary.
- 5Finally, add the brewed coffee of your choice to the cup. Place the lid on the cup, and give a few vigorous shakes to mix it all up.
Final thoughts
If you follow all these instructions, you'll be well on your way to making your own delicious iced coffee. Remember that this is a culinary art, so get creative and make your drink your own. Drink up and enjoy.
About the Author: Mike Jones loves coffee and ice cream. For iced coffee, he uses an Italian blend, almond milk, and 1-2 cups of ice cubes. Mike reviews ice machines for Ice Maker Experts.
