How to make iced coffee: Ways to make a cup that isn’t watered down

When it comes to making iced coffee at home, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Sure, you can brew hot coffee with your drip maker and pour it over ice. In the literal sense of the word, hot coffee over ice is, in fact, iced coffee. But surely, a cup of not-hot, not-cold coffee with melted ice will not produce the iced coffee you had in mind. Instead of a cold and icy coffee drink, you might be left with a watered-down, bitter-tasting cup.

Through years of experimenting with how to make iced coffee, I’ve found there are far better solutions. If you know the correct method, it’s more than possible to make an iced coffee at home similar to the one you’d order at a coffee shop. Here’s what you need to know about how to make iced coffee at home (that’s actually worth drinking and isn’t watered down).

How to make iced coffee

The simplest way to make iced coffee involves some advanced planning, which means you’ll need to start the process at least an hour before you want to drink your iced coffee. While not the quickest method, this method of making iced coffee requires no additional tools or fancy techniques.

What I like about this method, however, is that you can brew your coffee as you would normally. Whether you have a single-serving Keurig coffee maker, a traditional drip maker, or even a French Press coffee maker — this method works well.

Ingredients

• Water
• Coffee
• Ice

Method

1. Brew your coffee however you usually would.
2. Store brewed coffee in the fridge for accelerated cooling, or leave it to cool to room temperature.
3. Pour the cooled coffee over ice. Prepare your iced coffee as you wish (sugar, cream, etc.) and enjoy.

This method of making iced coffee is a solid go-to, but it’s not one you’d want to use if you’re in a rush. If your coffee is not thoroughly cooled and is still somewhat warm, pouring it over ice could lead to a bitter taste from the rapid cooling process. Your coffee needs to be fully cooled for the best results with this method.

Accelerating the process

If you make iced coffee at home often, I recommend investing in a HyperChiller to speed up the cooling process.  You leave this innovative device in the freezer and take it out when you need to cool a cup of coffee quickly. In under a minute, the HyperChiller works its magic to cool your coffee before you pour it over ice. For those who like a super strong cup of iced coffee, using iced coffee cubes instead of ice cubes made of water will keep your drink strong even as it melts.

Making iced coffee a faster way

Many coffee maker brands have recently created coffee makers designed explicitly for brewing iced coffee, such as the single-serve Keurig K-Brew & Chill Coffee Maker or the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker Single Serve Machine. These are great options for making iced coffee at home, but they do require (yet another) coffee maker to clutter up your countertop. Of course, there’s always the route of buying refrigerated, pre-made iced coffee, too, which offers added convenience.

However, I have recently discovered a new method of how to make iced coffee at home that doesn’t require any additional products or machines.

Rob McGee, barista and coffee enthusiast, demonstrates a unique method of making iced coffee that uses a regular drip coffee maker. As McGee says, “The best part of this recipe is that it’s really quick, it’s really easy, and it doesn’t leave you with coffee that is all watered down.”

This crafty method uses about half of the water you’d use when brewing hot coffee and uses half a carafe full of ice. The hot coffee will cool instantly when it comes in contact with the ice. Since only half of the water was used, the iced coffee method produces a coffee concentrate that will leave your final cup not watered down. According to McGee, this process is known as “flash chilling.” Flash chilling, or rapidly turning hot coffee to cold, is thought to help retain the coffee’s flavor and acidity.

Ingredients

• 14 heaping tablespoons of medium-ground coffee (or about 100 grams)
• Paper coffee filter
• Water (amount based on the size of your coffee carafe, usually about 6 cups)
• 4 cups of ice

Method

1. Start by measuring out 14 tablespoons of coffee or weighing 100 grams.
2. Wet your coffee filter, if desired.
3. Add coffee to the filter and give it a bit of a shake to ensure it is level.
4. Add the basket to the coffee maker.
5. Add water to the coffee maker, filling it halfway to what you normally use to brew your hot coffee.
6. Pour water into the coffee maker.
7. Fill your coffee carafe with ice.
8. Hit the “brew” button to brew your coffee.
9. Stir your coffee, pour, and enjoy.