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How to Make Iced Coffee – 6 Easy Ways to Make Ice Cold Brew at Home

Last Updated on October 4, 2022 by Lauren Beck

Everyone loves an iced coffee on a hot day. It’s the perfect antidote to sweating and feeling gross after spending all day outside. But what if you want that chilly, caffeinated beverage all year round? Making iced coffee at home is much cheaper than buying it from a cafe and doesn’t take much more time or effort. 

Six ways to make iced coffee at home

Here are some ways to make an ice-cold brew at home from Glasshouse Mountains Coffee. If you want to make iced coffee, first you need to make some hot coffee. There are a few different ways to do this, but we’ll go over the most common methods below: 

  • Brewing hot coffee – If you’re making more than one cup, the easiest way to make a large batch of iced coffee is to brew a large pot of hot coffee, pour it over ice, and drink it throughout the day. 
  • Brewing cold coffee – If you’re making iced coffee with a single cup or a small amount of coffee, you’ll need to cool down your coffee before adding ice. 
  • Cold brew – Cold brewing coffee is a great way to make a concentrated coffee concentrate. It takes a while, but the final product is full-bodied and much less acidic than regular hot coffee.
  • Steep in the fridge – If you don’t have time to let your coffee steep or brew, you can just pour it into a container and refrigerate it for a few hours. The cold temperatures will draw out the coffee’s flavor and caffeine, and you can pour it over ice.
  • Freeze and blend – If you want to make a coffee slushy, you can pour your coffee into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then, you can pop the frozen coffee cubes out and blend them in a blender. 

Cold-brew in the fridge

If you don’t have time for a cold brew or already have hot coffee on hand, you can just let your coffee sit in the fridge for a few hours. The cold temperatures will draw out the coffee’s flavor and caffeine, and you can pour it over ice. The only downside to this method is that your coffee will get watered down if you let it sit for too long. 

Instant cold brew

woman pouring cold brewed coffee

This method is best if you want cold brew but don’t have any time. Just mix your coffee grounds with water and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The coffee will be ready to drink the following day and can be poured over ice. Instant cold brew is not as potent as regular cold brew, so make sure to add extra coffee to your iced coffee. 

Make your ice cubes.

If you want to add an extra twist to your iced coffee, try pouring it over ice cubes made from other beverages. You can use almost any liquid, from simple water and milk to more flavorful alternatives like tea or lemonade. 

This is a great way to add extra flavor to your iced coffee without adding extra sugar or calories. Ice cubes are also a great way to add extra caffeine to your iced coffee if you prefer a more potent brew. Just freeze any coffee you have left over and use it as ice cubes.

Brew over ice

If you want a more robust flavor in your iced coffee, try brewing your coffee over ice. This is a great way to make coffee if you have a large coffee maker that doesn’t have a built-in iced coffee setting. Just pour your coffee over ice when it’s done brewing to make a cold brew. This method is best for coarsely ground coffee.

Shake-and-go cold brew

If you want to make a super easy and quick cold brew, you can use a bag of ready-to-use coffee. Coffee bags are a great option if you don’t have the time or the equipment to make coffee. Coffee bags are usually a few ounces of coffee grounds packed in a recyclable bag. 

They don’t come with as many options as coffee beans and ground coffee, but they’re great for making a quick cold brew and iced coffee. Just throw the coffee bag in a pitcher of water and let it sit in the fridge overnight. You can add milk or sugar to your iced coffee, just like regular iced coffee.

Conclusion

Making iced coffee at home is easier than you might think. You can use any kind of coffee and any method of brewing. You can make it in a French press, pour-over, or even make cold brew with a bag of pre-packaged coffee. How you make your iced coffee is up to you.

Lauren Beck

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