How to make iced coffee

All coffee lovers know that there are stretches of the summer where the weather is too sweltering for hot coffee and it's time to turn to iced coffee. Hot coffee from even the best coffee maker that is allowed to slowly cool to room temperatures turns stale, bitter, and sour. The key is to cool the coffee as quickly as possible, ideally while brewing.

Known as Japanese-style iced coffee, this method of flash cooling helps to seal in all of the delicious flavors while avoiding the unpleasant bitter and sour notes that come from allowing the coffee to cool to room temperature over an extended time. Cold brew avoids this altogether by using cold water and a much longer brewing process.

The great thing about iced coffee is that you don't need any new fancy equipment. Whatever brewing method you use at home can be used to make iced coffee. 

How to make cold brew coffee

Cold brew has become the most common style of iced coffee in both cafes and grocery stores. We know how to make cold brew that is sweet and rich straight or diluted with water, milk, or any milk substitute.

It doesn't require any specialized equipment to make — though you can invest in the best cold brew maker if you make it often. Cold brew can be easily produced in large batches, which makes it perfect to serve at your summer barbecues. It can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

How to make iced coffee with a drip coffee maker

Although manually brewing iced coffee gives you the most control and usually the best results, the best coffee makers are capable of making delicious iced coffee too.

How to make pour-over iced coffee

Whether you are using a Chemex, Hario V60, or Kalita Wave, making iced coffee with a pour-over device is simple. Fill your brewing vessel with ice, then use half as much hot water when brewing. As the hot coffee hits the ice, it will melt and dilute the coffee, creating a well-balanced brew.

With manual brewing like this, you can have control over every brewing variable, which means you can customize the coffee to perfectly suit your taste. It's also possible to brew in bigger batches with pour-over devices.

How to make iced coffee with a Keurig

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Even the best Keurig coffee maker doesn't allow for as much customization as some other options, but it can still be used to make iced coffee. Some of the new Keurigs have dedicated iced coffee settings. If you don't have that option, you can use the machine like normal, just put ice into the cup you are brewing into. The Keurig is a single-serve coffee maker, so if you're intending to make iced coffee for a group, the cold brew or pour-over methods will be better for a larger batch.

How to make iced coffee with an Aeropress

The Aeropress is one of the most popular devices for manually brewing coffee on the market today. Like pour-over, it's a manual brewing system. The process is a bit unique, but the basics are essentially the same. These instructions are for making a single serving of iced coffee with the Aeropress using the standard Aeropress brewing method.

Insider's takeaway

You don't have to be an expert barista or have expensive equipment to enjoy great iced coffee. Most coffee lovers already have everything needed to make iced coffee and cold brew in their kitchen right now. With some simple tools and a bit of practice, anyone can master brewing iced coffee.

Dylan Ettinger

Freelance Writer

Dylan is a freelance writer who specializes in cocktails, spirits, and coffee. He is a longtime coffee and hospitality professional who began writing full-time in 2020. Since then he has visited distilleries in Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, and throughout the United States where he has tasted some of the world's best distilled spirits with the people who make them. From bottle reviews and tasting notes to drinking culture and destinations, Dylan covers all things spirits and cocktails. When not writing or enjoying a mai tai, he spends his free time reading obsessively and cooking for himself and his partner.

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