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Iced Coffee

Harper

By Harper

Published Dec 3, 2025

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Iced Coffee

Skip the Coffee Shop

Cold brew coffee is incredibly easy to make at home and tastes so much better than pouring hot coffee over ice (which dilutes it). This method produces smooth, never-bitter coffee that's perfect for iced coffee drinks.

Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee

True cold brew is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for 12-24 hours. This slow extraction method creates a smooth, less acidic coffee concentrate. Regular iced coffee is just hot-brewed coffee that's been cooled down - tasty, but not the same rich flavor.

Iced Coffee

Iced Coffee

Smooth and refreshing cold brew coffee

5 min
Prep Time
0 min
Cook Time
4
Servings
50
Calories

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 In a large jar or pitcher, combine coarsely ground coffee and cold water. Stir to ensure all grounds are wet.
  2. 2 Cover and let steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. The longer it steeps, the stronger it gets.
  3. 3 After steeping, strain the coffee through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean container. This removes all grounds.
  4. 4 The result is cold brew concentrate. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  5. 5 To serve: Fill a glass with ice cubes.
  6. 6 Pour cold brew concentrate over ice, filling glass about halfway.
  7. 7 Add equal parts water or milk to dilute to taste (cold brew concentrate is strong!).
  8. 8 Add sweetener if desired - simple syrup works best as it dissolves easily in cold liquid.
  9. 9 Add a splash of vanilla extract for extra flavor if you like.
  10. 10 Stir well and enjoy!

Chef's Note

The key to good cold brew is using coarsely ground coffee - fine grinds make it bitter and cloudy. Store the concentrate in the fridge and dilute individual servings as needed. Try different ratios of concentrate to milk until you find your perfect balance. For a creamy treat, blend cold brew with ice, milk, and a frozen banana.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: American

Course: drink

Nutrition (per serving): 8g protein · 28g total carbs