Things You\’ll Need
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Ground coffee
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Tablespoon
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Heat-resistant glass
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Ice
Making iced coffee at home is not only considerably cheaper than buying it from coffeehouse chains, but also allows you to experiment with strength and flavor. The key is to create a brew that is much stronger and more robust than regular coffee.
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Cold Brew
Step 1
Mix medium to fine coffee grounds with filtered or bottled water in a French press. One part coffee grounds to 4 parts water — certainly nothing less — will give the required strength, but some connoisseurs use even more coffee. Cold brewing results in a lighter, less acidic iced coffee, but sacrifices some of the more distinctive aromas.
Step 2
Stir the cold brew thoroughly to mix the grounds, but leave the plunger raised. Place the entire French press in the refrigerator and leave overnight.
Step 3
Remove the press from the refrigerator, press down the plunger and pour the steeped coffee into a glass filled with ice cubes.
Step 4
Add milk and sugar according to taste, and stir.
Japanese Brew
Step 1
Place a filter paper inside a matching plastic filter cup, such as those used for making single-cup brews, and add roughly 5 tablespoons of ground coffee, about double the amount you would use to make standard hot coffee.
Step 2
Place the filter cup above a heat-resistant glass filled with ice cubes.
Step 3
Bring a pan of filtered or bottled water to near-boiling point, removing it from the heat before the boil starts to roll, and pour over the coffee grounds slowly. The volume of water should equal the volume of ice. Using hot water releases all the oils and aromas from the coffee, but produces a more bitter brew.
Step 4
Allow the coffee to percolate onto the ice. Once it has finished, add milk and sugar to taste and stir. Leave the liquid to cool while the ice melts, and then serve.
Tip
Top off an iced coffee with a dollop of whipped cream dusted with cinnamon powder for a more indulgent version, or add ginger and nutmeg to the brew for a spicier alternative.
Warning
Use only heat-resistant glass for the Japanese brew, since adding near-boiling liquid to a near-freezing container would otherwise risk cracking.
