Summer’s here so you know what that means – that’s right, it’s prime iced coffee season.
In our opinion, iced coffee is a top-tier drink at any time of year, but it makes for a particular perfect little treat on a hot day.
But while making yourself a hot coffee at home is pretty common, fewer people seem to dabble with making their own versions of the cold stuff.
That’s why we chatted to Chloe Sizer, a barista and manager with six years in the industry under her belt.
Chloe’s put together a couple of tasty recipes that you can try at home, as well as a little shopping list to help give your morning coffee a boost.
How to make your own iced coffee
Ingredients:
- 25g medium ground coffee
- 150g ice
- 125g hot water from the kettle
- An aeropress
Method:
- Fill your cup with the ice, wet the aeropress and screw on the cap
- Place the aeropress on top of the cup and add the coffee
- Add the hot water quickly so make sure the coffee is soaked
- Let it sit for a minute, then stir the mixture before grabbing the plunger
- Plunge slowly for roughly 30 seconds until all the water has passed through
- Stir in milk/sweetener to taste, if you’re into that – Chloe recommends 1:1 simple syrup or warmed honey/maple syrup
How to make cold brew concentrate coffee
This is a concentrate that is designed to be diluted with ice when served.
- 1:1 weight ratio of coffee to water
- Medium-coarse ground coffee
- Cold filtered water
- Filter bag (cloth or paper) to hold coffee grounds
- Mason jar or large container scale sieve (if not using a filter)
Chloe’s top iced coffee making tips
‘For cold brew concentrate, make sure all grounds are wet and covered when soaking.
‘Use filtered water for both recipes – there are undesired compounds in tap water that don’t extract tasty flavours from the coffee.’
- Fill a container with the desired amount of cold water and weigh with the scale
- Weigh out equal parts coffee and put the grounds into a filter
- If you do not have a filter, you can add the grounds into the water, but you will have to strain once completed
- Soak the coffee in the water for 12-20 hours – the optimum amount of time is 15 hours. Store the mixture in the fridge.
- Strain and enjoy over ice. Again, stir in milk/a syrupy sweetener to taste.
What to buy to boost your coffee game
Aeropress
Chloe says: ‘It’s so handy and easy to make iced coffee.’
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Pouring Kettle
Chloe says: ‘You can set your desired temperature of the water, and it will hold the temp. The flow rate is also steady and slow.’
Buy for £149 from The Coffee Shop
A Feldgrind hand grinder
Chloe says: ‘This one’s the cheapest and best grinder – consistent and portable’.