Isnβt it so refreshing to sip an iced coffee or an iced latte on a sizzling hot summer day?
Sometimes I even enjoy an iced coffee on a cold day! Thereβs something about the mouthfeel and the thick texture of iced coffee that hot coffee just canβt do.
Itβs beautifully satisfying.
Traditionally, making iced coffee at home takes a while because you have to wait for coffee to cool down.
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Youβd have to brew coffee in your automatic coffee maker, which of course comes out hot.
Or any other method of brewing the coffee hot.
So you would have to pour it in a container and put it in the fridge for maybe hours.
Then the next day you could stick some ice cubes in and enjoy your cold brew. Itβs not really a bad way to make iced coffee, it just takes a while.
But thankfully for us, the times have changed.
We donβt have to let our coffee sit for hours, and we donβt even have to brew it hot.
Iβm going to tell you a method for how to make iced coffee from home and itβs insanely easy, wonderfully quick and just downright delicious!
Making iced coffee takes only 5 minutes with this method Iβm about to show you!
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Itβs called AeroPress. Maybe youβve heard of itβ¦
Itβs one of the most versatile, if not the single most versatile, coffee makers or brewing methods around.
And it just makes great tasting coffee!
You can almost just as easily make cold brew coffee with an AeroPress as you can make hot coffee with it.
Iβve written more about AeroPress and its many features in other articles.
And just in case you didnβt know, thereβs a difference between iced coffee and cold brew, but thankfully with AeroPress you can quite easily make both of them.
But for now letβs look at how to make yourself an awesome iced coffee right from the comfort of your own homeβ¦ in mere minutes!
All About That Aeropress
Yes Iβve already said it, but the fact of the matter is that AeroPress is the only coffee maker that I am aware of that can make iced coffee so fastΒ (with quality coffee).
You can literally make iced coffee in 5 minutes, maybe less.
This is because it brews coffee with an instant pressurized system, similar to the way espresso is brewed.
A French press is also a press method for making coffee, and it makes wonderful coffee.
But you cannot make iced coffee instantly with a French press like you can with AeroPress.
And one absolutely delightful thing about doing iced coffee with AeroPress is that, of course, youβre not using instant coffee!
Iβm not here to bag on instant coffee or the blogs that have been written about making iced coffee with instant coffee, but for me making coffee with good quality beans always beats the pants off of instant coffee.
Before AeroPress came on the coffee scene, there was no other way to make iced coffee or cold brew instantly other than with instant coffee.
It may take a minute or two longer (if that) to use an AeroPress than to make it with instant coffee, but in my opinion it makes a world of difference in taste.
How You Do It
AeroPress isnβt an automatic coffee maker.
You might not do it perfectly the first time you try it, but the first time I used an AeroPress it came out fine.
Itβs really not hard to use.
When you use an AeroPress, be sure that the filter is secured on the bottom of the coffee maker tightly enough.
Donβt use all your strength to tighten it, but once the bottom piece stops screwing on comfortably and you feel like youβd have to really force it to keep going, that will be tight enough.
Itβs also built so that you canβt keep tightening it much after itβs snug.
Because room temperature water doesnβt brew coffee as quickly as hot water, you will want to stir the grinds and let them sit in the room temperature water for one minute, as opposed to 10 seconds with hot water.
This is written on the instructions of the AeroPress.
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Another tip/thing to remember, especially if you pour the cold brew into a glass like in these pictures: the coffee will start to drip down through the filter while you stir it, before you press it. This is normal.
Itβs a good idea to fill the water to the number 3 so that thereβs plenty to press after the minute of stirring.
To Top It All Off
You can have iced coffee just with ice cubes and black.
But iced coffee is so tasty with milk and a flavored syrup! I usually prefer to have hot coffee blackβ¦ but thereβs something about iced coffee that just seems to call for at least milk, if not syrup as well.
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I prefer to use whole milk or even half & half. But of course you should use whatever milk you prefer.
The classic recipe for iced coffee is pretty simple. You just brew the iced coffee then add ice, milk to taste, and syrup to taste (or just sugar).
General guidelines would be 1 cup iced coffee, 2 β 3 tablespoons of milk/cream, 2 tablespoons of syrup. You can modify this according to your own preference. My two favorites when it comes to flavors are hazelnut and vanilla.
If you make iced coffee like this, I think it tastes just as good as a Starbucks hazelnut or vanilla latte, or probably a latte from your favorite coffee shop.
Just as a side note, all the pictures from this post were taken by me, just to show you a few snapshots of the process from start to finish!
From the first to last photo it took 11 minutes.
And it only took that long because I was stopping and taking pictures along the way!
Youβre Practically A Barista Now
Congratulations! Itβs so much easier than you think to make really good tasting coffee at home.
The problem is, the better you make your coffee at home, the more you become spoiled to bad coffee!
The thing about making delicious iced and hot coffee at home is that the more you have it, the more you want to only drink good, quality coffee beverages.
Itβs really not a bad problem to have though, because coffee is more than just an energy drink.
Coffee is a beverage that should be enjoyed, with an art and a science that comes with making it.
The better you are, the more youβll enjoy your own home-brewed coffee!
Give It A Try
As I said before, this isnβt a step by step tutorial about how to use AeroPress.
But, this is to tell you about the best method of making iced coffee at home.
So if you can, give it a try and youβll honestly be amazed at how simple, quick, inexpensive and flat out delicious it is to make iced coffee this way!
I can pretty much guarantee it.
I really hope you enjoyed this post and that you will be able to make some amazing iced coffee whenever you please.
If you have any questions about anything in this post, how to do this, or any comments at all, please feel free to write them below in the comments section and Iβll be so happy to hear from you, and help you in any way I can.
Enjoy that icy goodness π
And lastly, if you donβt have an AeroPress and youβre looking to get oneβ¦
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==> Click here to see the best deal on the amazing AeroPress coffee maker! <==
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*I receive commissions from purchases made through product links in this post. I sincerely appreciate if you use my links if you decide to buy something and help me in this way! And if not, no problem. To learn more click here. Coffee cheers!*
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P.S. IΒ found it very interesting to read about Alan Adler, the man who invented AeroPress, and read more information about it like the material itβs made from, etc. You can find more info about it hereΒ https://aeropress.com/about/
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Comments
Dini
Nice post ! Our family loves cold coffee ! I think this makes a great gift item as well ! Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work !
Danny
Thank you Dini! I love cold coffee too, and I appreciate your feedback!
Laura
Iβve heard of the Aeropress but hadnβt tried it yet. I might need to give it a go, this looks so easy and I do enjoy iced coffee!
Danny
Thank you for your feedback Laura. The Aeropress is so great! I hope you really enjoy it if you give it a go!
Cherise
I love Iced coffee! Even in the winter. I have never heard of an Aeropress. Looks like a great thing to own. Where can i get my hands on this?
Thanks
Danny
I love iced coffee in the winter too! Itβs definitely a great coffee maker to own. You can order it off of Amazon here, and especially for what you get they are very inexpensive!
Rafael
Very detailed article, I like the fact that you included your very own pictures of the process. I am a coffee drinker myself, but I never tried iced coffee, and your article sparked curiosity in me, maybe Iβll try some to see how it tastes.
Danny
Thank you Rafael! I appreciate your comment. Iced coffee is much different from hot coffee in not just the temperature but also the taste and the texture, itβs almost always made with at least milk, and a sweetening syrup. If you try it I hope you enjoy!
Ivan
What an awesome way to make an iced coffee. Iβve never heard of Aeropress but itβs something that I definitely must try in the future since Iβm a coffee lover myself. I appreciate you for taking time to describe the process and share you opinions about it. Looking forward to reading more interesting ideas from you.
Danny
Thank you Ivan, I really appreciate your feedback! If youβre a coffee lover Iβm pretty sure youβd really enjoy this!
Zak
Iβve just been getting into coffee, and have always preferred cold drinks to hot ones. This definitely peaks my interest as it seems like a quick yet effective way to make an iced coffee! Iβd add some icecream to mine, or if I felt like a mocha I imagine I could stir in some chocolate powder!
Danny
Thatβs great Zak! Thank you for the comment. I think ice cream could taste amazing in an iced coffee! Youβve given me some inspiration! And yes chocolate powder is a great addition to iced coffee. I hope you enjoy!
Lisa
This is amazing! Iβve only ever made iced coffee with cold brew, which as you will know, takes even longer than making it from hot β but I prefer the cold brew richness. Iβve also seen the aero press used for hot coffee, but Iβd never thought to combine the two, genius!
One question though β how does the taste compare to cold brew? Could I leave the grounds soaking a bit longer to pick up some more richness in the brew?
Thank you!
Danny
Thank you for your feedback Lisa! Yes, making real cold brew is delicious! The taste is just superb.
That is a great question you ask about! To be honest, Iβm not sure that Aeropress can produce quite the same richness and flavor as real cold brew. But, if you do what you mentioned β leave the grounds soaking for longer than a minute, additionally make the water bordering on warm/hot instead of cold or room temperature β the chances are you could find it pretty comparable to a real cold brew. Iβm almost sure that if you try the Aeropress iced coffee youβll be like βno way did I really just make this in one minute!?β I always sip the coffee right after I press it before I add anything just to taste it, and Iβm amazed at how good and rich it is. If you enjoy true cold brew, you may even find Aeropress to be just as good!
If I can help you with anything else feel free to let me know. Thanks again!