The Secret to Great Iced Coffee
You don’t have to be a barista behind the counter surrounded by stainless-steel equipment and rows of glass syrup bottles to make a great iced coffee. In fact, iced coffee is better when made at home, if you know the right method.
The secret to an iced coffee that has delicious flavor without the bitter taste or over-sweetness is to make it the night before using the cold-brew method. Instead of making the traditional pot of hot coffee and then chilling it, you soak the coffee grounds overnight in cold water. It makes a tremendous difference in flavor: it’s smoother and easier to drink, so you don’t need to add extra sugar to cover up any acidic taste.
Once you make iced coffee at home and realize how easy it is and how much better it tastes, the idea of spending cash at a coffee shop each morning seems disappointing. This iced coffee recipe makes two glasses for less than fifty cents, and that’s with the good coffee.
It’s super-easy to make in the French press, but you could also use a glass jar and sieve.
- The night before, start with 1/4 cup of coarse ground coffee, and add 1 cup of cold filtered water.
- The next morning add 1 more cup of water.
- Strain and pour into a chilled glass over ice (makes two glasses).
I add a generous amount of milk and a spoonful or two of raw sugar. You could even make a simple syrup with a little vanilla. If you like extra milk, then add less water. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays for next time.
Go enjoy your iced coffee while sitting on the porch in the morning before it gets too hot outside. It’s a great way to start your day.
About Rachel Meeks
I love this – thank you! I am an iced coffee fan, but of course, as is the case for me with salads, they are always better when a professional makes them.
But this gives me hope. I am going to try it! Better than spending a ton of money on my little cans of Starbucks Espresso and Cream and pouring over ice every morning.
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I will let you in on the trick to awesome salad so that you can make a great salad at home…
Get a bag of baby greens, that way you don’t have to dice anything. That is key. Saves alot of time.
Keep an assortment of dried fruits and nuts on hand to add to the mix. Again, you don’t have to dice dried fruits.
Fruit is great in salad. I recommend apples just because they are cheaper, green apples especially. You can get fancy and grill up peaches or pears in brown sugar to add to the mix, they are really good but alot more work. Berries on the other hand again, you just take the basket and dumpt them all in.
And then for cheese you can get tubs of cheese already crumbled up. You can get bleu cheese, feta cheese, and even goat cheese that way. Again, so easy.
If you do it right, you won’t need a single utensil to make a great salad. I use a large plastic tupperware bowl that you can seal to mix the salad and dressing with. I just dump everything in, add salad dressing, seal, and shake!
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/recipedetail.asp?sessionid=&login=yes&id=576&page=
is a clone for McDonald’s iced vanilla coffee. I was appalled at the amount of sugar used – I like what my black coffee drinking husband calls sweet coffee but no where near that much sugar. It is a good start place for proportions of coffee to milk/cream.
a 1/4 cup of syrup for a 16oz. coffe is INSANE.
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I realize this is over a year old but…
Starbucks is about the same equivalent for their iced drinks (including the coffee)
I’m a barista there and their iced venti (20 oz cup) drinks are 6 pumps of classic syrup and each pump is about 1 tablespoon each, which equals about 3 oz of simple syrup or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. And the iced cup drinks are only filled to the second green line to make room for the ice, so really you’re only paying for about 12 oz of your venti iced drink which comes with 3 oz of simple syrup plus 5 oz of ice. Which is ridiculous and a total rip-off.
If you’re curious the tall (12 oz) is 3 pumps (3 tablespoons) simple syrup, the grande (16 oz) is 4 pumps (1/4 cup) simple syrup, and the hot venti (20 oz) is 5 pumps (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) syrup.
I’ll have to give this one a try. Thanks.
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I am NOT a fan of McDonald’s. I probably go there once a year. If you are on the go just ask for regular iced coffee and ask them to leave room for milk….then just ask them to fill it to the top with milk. add your own sugar and you are good to go. Cheaper too! Maybe some day these restaurants will get smart and stop selling junk and start selling tasty healthy food. I will pay more for healthy fast food.
I’m not a fan either of McD, but then again I prefer healthy to not. You might try the apple snack next time you have to go there. It’s got some apples, grapes, yogurt, and walnuts. The walnuts are sweetened but overall it’s pretty good for the price and nutrition. Especially if you are stuck having to get McD. I was in DC 2 winters ago now during that really bad snow storms, and everything was shut down. You couldn’t drive anywhere, but luckily we lived in Crystal City and could get to the underground mall. The McD employees were on staff and it was open! I got burgers and fries for hubby and the fruit/walnut snack for me! For myself 1 snack is enough for a meal. If you are hungry I would just get 1, but if you are HUNGRY I would opt for 2. Hope that helps!
Yea – I have a french press and will try this. So no boiling at all? Ever? Now I only have to remember the night before.
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No boiling, that’s why for me it’s even easier than regular coffee. And if setting up the coffee is part of my evening routine, then the morning is simpler too.
I was watching the food network one night and there is some sort of a coffee shop that cold drips the coffee they make. I think it was on the best thing I ever ate show, but I’m not 100% certain.
The trick was to slow drip the coffee. You would actually see water drip by drip. I think it took overnight there too for them to make the coffee, but it was apparently the best coffee and best way to make coffee. Most people just aren’t willing to be that patient for the morning cuppa joe.
What a great tip! My husband and I went through a phase of trying to make frappucinos ourselves a few years back – we got pretty good at them!
Jamie
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I was just thinking the other day that you had posted something like this before and so I was going to come look for it. Here it is! We don’t have a coffee maker, so currently I make coffee with a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup, a tea strainer and a pan of hot water. This will make iced coffee pretty easy.
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I make a big pitcher of this and leave it in the fridge. It stays good for a week or so, not that it ever lasts that long. I make it extra stong and then add some sweetened condensed milk, Vietnamese style. It’s also amazing if you pour it into ice pop moulds.
Thanks for the new recipe. My husband loves iced coffee, but we haven’t figured out how to make it as good as specialty shop versions. Excited to try this!
I remember you posted a link to this recipe last year or so (I think it was you) and I’ve been making it ever since. It is sooooo good and so easy. I’d never think of buying an iced coffee again!
Freeze coffee in ice cube trays and use it to keep your coffee from getting watered down as it melts.
Now you’ve given me a hankering for an iced coffee, so I’m signing off.
thanks for re-posting this. It has been iced coffee weather week here!!
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Mmmm. I’ve been making this since you linked to the NYT article and recipe last year. Even less expensive brands of coffee taste good with the cold-brewing method.
My farmer Dad always loves his iced coffee. He would come in from the hay field or wheat harvest and drink cold coffee. I didn’t get it when I was a kid. I do now. I never knew how to make it! I’m trying it tomorrow!! Thanks for sharing.
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I love this!!! I always think that making coffee and pouring it over ice could never work — ice would melt, dilution issues, etc. This is so smart! Will definitely give it a shot…
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Oh my! That looks awesome! I have been wanting a french press. Now, I might have to go get me one!
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Trying tonight! Can’t wait for morning to come:)
Thanks for the great (easy) recipe. No boiling water–w00t!
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I made it this morning – so good! Thanks for the yummy (& easy) recipe!
I make an iced coffee every morning. I make espresso and then have to chill it in an ice bath {I’m so fancy, I pour the espresso in a metal little pitcher and then set that down in a metal bowl full of ice water}. It’s cold in about 2 minutes.
Everyone in the house looks at me like I am a freak. Especially when we have guests. Your way is a thousand times easier and I’ve been looking for a reason to get a french press!
Thanks so much for saving my dignity.
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I’ve got my grounds soaking in water and its a rainy day – not typical iced coffee weather:) I want to learn the ingredients in Tim Horton’s iced coffees; maybe they’re not all bad like those from McDonalds. I do find that iced coffee cubes makes a nice difference and I use evaporated milk and some Torani syrup in my iced-brew too.
Delish! I tried today. I have been making iced coffee every day, but with hot espresso. I made this with regular coffee and it was as good, if not better! Perfect for my new press. Very smooth, indeed. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!! <3
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This great! I’ve been thinking about buying a toddy maker (for cold brewed coffee) but since I already have the french press this option is much cheaper. And I read your post about McD’s…can’t believe what they put in there. Terrible!
YUM! I live in Sicily and have completely fallen in love with cappuccinos. But it gets super hot here during the summer and I didn’t know what I’d do without my cappo! Thanks so much for the recipe! I even blogged about it! YAY!
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Love this idea, Rachel. I tweeted this article because it is so genius. You never cease to amaze me and I am now going to have to replace that French Press that cracked
Thanks so much for sharing this!
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This is fabulous! I’ll be linking.
What brand of coffee do you prefer?
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Our favorite is the Mocha Java from Whole Foods.
Thank you Thank you Thank you! I have been looking for a simple way to make these and this fits the bill. I absolutely love my iced coffee and grudgingly pay Starbucks prices. But sometimes don’t want to make the hike to get one if I’m in my PJs on a Sunday morning!
First time visitor to your blog – thanks to Janis at An Inspired Life. I love what I’ve seen so far and will be checking back regularly.
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Any suggestions for a good DECAF coffee brand to use? With a new baby, am trying to stay away from the caffiene.
I’m not sure about decaf coffee brands. Rather than decaf coffee, I tend to stick with tea. I really can’t handle the caffeine in a regular iced coffee right now, either, so I haven’t been drinking it as often as I did last summer.
thanks so much for sharing this–it was delicious!
You’ve made my summer! As much as I adore iced coffee, I never seem to make it well at home. Thanks for the great secret and tips! I plan to go to Costco tomorrow, buy the jumbo bag of Starbucks French Roast beans, get out my coffee grinder and French Press and start a new afternoon ritual.
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I have made this several times and love it. I’m just wondering about making a bigger batch. Do you keep the ratio the same? To make 8 cups of coffee would I use a full cup of grounds? Thanks for posting this!
I would think so. I’ve never made that much at one time, but I would keep the ratios the same.
Hey, just discovered this through stumble, and I’m making it right now. We’ll have to wait ’til tomorrow morning to see how it turns out, though.
Do you chill it in the fridge overnight or just leave it on a counter?
I just leave it on the counter overnight, and then in the morning add more fresh cold water.
I had the same question, the article didn’t make it clear. Thanks for reading my mind!
This is a great alternative to using the Toddy system. Lots of people use dark roasted coffee in a drip-brew since it’s smoother and has less acidity, but if you’re cold brewing, you might want to try a medium or light roast since cold brewing makes a smoother brew anyway.
I just tried this recipe, and it is fabulous. In fact, I’m enjoying a glass right now.
Along with the milk & ice, I also added some sugar-free vanilla syrup to my glass. It’s wonderful. I can’t thank you enough for posting this recipe!
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I thought the French Press was bad for your health, since it is not filtered?
AH! This is the sort of thing I have been looking for. Looking for my next choice of coffee. Thanks! Your site is great by the way. You should add buttons to the bottom of your posts to digg, stumble, etc your content.- Tom
tried the recipe this morning in a home-made carmel frappacino–freaking best coffee drink! thank you so much for sharing the recipe! This will save me several trips to the pricy coffee houses!!
I just made a big batch of this last night for brunch today and it came out perfect! I just tripled the recipe which made around 40 oz of coffee. Depending on how strong you like your coffee add more or less water when diluting the coffee after letting it sit over night. I also went ahead and made a simple syrup for the batch since I like mine sweet and added about 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup of that to the 40 oz of coffee which made it just sweet enough but not too sweet.
Now, I don’t have to go to Starbucks for my iced coffee anymore!- Thanks so much for posting this!!!
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I am so glad I remembered you posted this. Our college age daughter is home for the summer and has developed a taste (ok, love) for iced coffee. It has been driving my husband and I crazy watching her drive 6 miles (our car/gas) each way, every morning to get one. Our investment in a French Press is well worth it. Thank you for the post and helping us to stay simple!
This is the same things we try to educate our clients on. Chemical free coffee. I wrote a blog on Iced Coffee also. http://shariboultbee.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/iced-coffee-the-better-way/
1/4 c. plus a tbsp? That’s… mind boggling… Thanks for telling us, Meghan D.
All of a sudden I’m glad I live out in the sticks, so to speak, and Starbucks is only a very occasional treat.
And here I thought a coffee containing a single 2-Tbsp shot of syrup was bad but not THAT bad… I was wrong in my assumptions of just how much they use! Eeeeep!
Interesting. By the way, I found this trying to find out why McDonald’s iced coffee made me sick as a dog. I’m lactose intolerant, but a regular coffee plus a bit of milk and ice would never bother me. Duh, I should have known they used a mix, like a shake, or something.
Made a pitcher of this today — it’s practically 100 degrees outside so it was much needed! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for this! I have recently developed a love for Iced Coffee but am not excited about spending over two dollars a day buying it. I was reading your blog after googling ‘Baby Closet Organizers’ – good job by the way, and was excited to find this post. You just saved me having to google iced coffee (or rather, put off googling how to make it and spend another two dollars later)
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Tip to keep it from getting watery as the ice melts –
(sorry if this was already mentioned – didn’t have time to read through all the comments!)
my boyfriend makes coffee ice cubes with left-over brewed coffee (or from cold-brew)…
i love iced coffee, but not the watery aftermath…hope someone finds this helpful!
I like to add some vanilla soymilk to my iced coffee to make it super amazing awesome. It’s probably the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
Having my first home cold-brewed iced coffee!!! Yummy!! thank you for sharing a great recipe. I even pulled out my old Bodum, it worked perfectly.
Iced coffee is my DH’s all time favorite but we’ve never tried to make it at home. Thanks for this recipe – this is enough inspiration to give it a go.
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Very clever. I’ve never heard of the “cold brew method”. Will give it a try…
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I’m a HUGE iced coffee fan but I’ve never tried to make it myself – actually, I’ve never even thought about trying it. Will give your recipe a go!
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Tried this and it came out perfectly. Now all I need to get is some whipped cream and caramel topping! =)
Good;)
Just made a glass from the grounds I had sitting overnight and all I have to say is YUM!
Just got my grounds ready for tomorrow.