Do you ever wish you could have your favorite coffee drinks in the comfort of your own home? What if you knew how to make them so you didn’t have to head out to the coffee shop or pay the sometimes-steep prices in order to enjoy your favorite coffee?
Just think of all the money you could save from making your drinks at home! I know this because I started to make iced coffee home for my evening cravings.
Once you learn how to make iced coffee at home, it’s hard to order it out. You can enjoy great iced coffee in the comfort of your own home whenever you want, to your liking, regardless of whether or not your favorite coffee shop is open. And who’s ever had to deal with them being out of stock of your favorite flavors? No worries of that when you make it yourself at home!
Why Iced Coffee?
If you’re like many people, you probably had iced coffee for the first time from a coffee shop. When we think of traditional coffee, most of us only think of hot coffee. Cold coffee is not usually the ideal. However, iced coffee challenges those old norms and offers you a new way to experience coffee.
But we’re not talking about dropping some ice in that warm temperature coffee you brewed fresh this morning and then calling it a day. The iced coffee you have when you order out from the coffee shop is not the same.
This coffee shop iced coffee is brewed up specifically to be iced coffee. Can you think of anything better on a hot summer day? Now, let’s take a look at the two main types of iced coffee before we look at how you can prepare it at home.
Also, do you know the differences between cappuccino versus latte? Or maybe you want to learn what are coffee pods ? We’ve got the daily scoop for you, even if you want something as unique as a nutty flavoured coffee!
Cold-Brew vs. Iced Coffee
The first thing you need to know about iced coffee is the difference between cold brew and regular iced coffee. Most iced coffee you buy from coffee shops today is “cold-brewed”. This means it is brewed slowly in cold water in a fridge overnight, rather than brewed hot and quick the traditional way.
This makes the coffee smoother and less acidic, and of course, it makes it very cold.
Regular iced coffee is hot brewed the regular way in a French press or coffee maker and then poured over ice to make it cold. There are a couple of downsides to this. For one, when hot coffee cools, it can get more bitter. If you don’t like the bitter flavor, you can try to cool it off faster. Another downside is that the melting ice can make it taste watered down. One way to avoid this is to make some coffee ice cubes and use those instead of regular ice.
Tips for Making Iced Coffee at Home
When making your own iced coffee at home, there are some tips you can learn to make the most of it. Using the best quality ingredients, for example, will help you get that barista-quality drink at home every time. If you’re looking to make regular iced coffee at home, here are some things for you to know.
Here are some tips for making iced coffee drinks at home:
- Try different brands of coffee – Your regular coffee flavor may not taste quite the same when it’s turned into iced coffee. You can try some different flavors and blends to get that perfect flavor. Avoid highly acidic coffees if you’re going to make iced coffee and don’t like the bitter taste.
- Use filtered water – Using filtered water to brew your iced coffee can make a big difference in the flavor of the final product.
- Use great beans – Always use fresh, quality coffee beans for the best iced coffee flavor possible. Good coffee beans always make a difference but it’s even more important with iced coffee.
Let’s take a look at some tips for making cold brew at home.
Tips for Making Cold Brew Iced Coffee at Home
When you want the fastest way to make iced coffee at home, it’s not going to be cold brew. Although it takes some time invested, it’s worth it if you prefer the flavor of cold brew. An easy way to make cold brew at home is to invest in a cold brew machine for your home. It will pay for itself after a few weeks or less of coffee.
Another way to make it is with the French press method. You just grind the coffee, add in the cold water, and let your French press sit overnight. It will be ready to go the next day. Cold brew may be a good idea for you if you have a sensitive stomach that is reactive to coffee.
If you’re planning to make your own cold brew at home, here are some things to help you make it great.
Here are some tips:
- Filter your cold brew
- Use a good grind
- Tweak your water to coffee ratio to find the perfect flavor
- Freeze and make coffee ice cubes
The best cold brew is allowed to sit and brew for 12 to 24 hours before you drink it. This is how you get them most benefit and mellow flavor. Now that you know more about making iced coffee drinks at home, you can begin making your own whenever you want.
Adding Flavors to Heighten Your Iced Coffee Flavor
Once you know how to make your iced coffee, the next step is to decide if you want syrups, creamers, or other flavorings to help enhance your coffee. You can do classic vanilla or hazelnut, and even almond, coconut, or chocolate flavors.
You can also make other iced coffee drinks like iced lattes, and you can add different syrups and flavors to those as well. Part of the fun of making your own iced coffee at home is that you can experiment with different flavor combinations.
Try more creamer or less creamer, try a flavored creamer or add a syrup, just to name a few ideas. The beauty of it is that you can really make it your own.
Do you have any tips you would add for making iced coffee at home?
