How To Make The Best Ice Coffee by Ray Forrest

Iced coffee in the morning or as a late afternoon refresher has become a daily ritual for many of us and is one we enjoy dearly. On those occasions where you might not want to spend the extra money or would just like to have a batch of the icy brew around the house, it would be nice to know how to make iced coffee.

If you're like most of us you're used to taking the leftovers from the morning pot, pouring it over ice and leaving it in the fridge. Unfortunately this method leaves you with bitter, weak tasting coffee that is less than desirable. If you really want to make a great iced coffee, there are a couple of things you'll need to know in advance. Let us take you behind the coffee shop counter so you can hear straight talk from a true Barista about how to make the best ice coffee.

It Starts With The Beans

When it comes to making great ice coffee some beans are better than others. For the best results use a darker roast coffee with a heavier body and sweeter taste. This will help counter the effects of the ice and creamers and still deliver a strong coffee flavor.

It's All In The Brewing

Next comes the brewing. Use one and a half times the volume of coffee you would normally use when making iced coffee. So, if you typically use one tablespoon per cup, use one and a half when making ice coffee. And brew it hot. The hotter the better as this will produce a stronger coffee flavor to offset the watering down effect from the ice.

Patience

Now you've brewed a wonderfully strong and sweet batch of your favorite coffee and you're ready to pour it over ice and drink. Right? Wrong, this is where most people make fatal mistakes and where you need to apply a little patience. Take the freshly brewed coffee and place it into a pitcher or carafe. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator to cool for 3-4 hours or overnight (if you can wait that long). This is the ideal process for bringing out the natural flavors of the coffee without having it go bitter. Your iced coffee is now ready to be served. Pour the chilled coffee over ice and serve to taste. Myself, I like to add a little light cream or milk with simple syrup (mixture of sugar + water) for sweetener and then it's ready to drink.