COLD FAMILY
Iced Coffee
The most common iced coffee is hot-brewed coffee that has been cooled and poured over ice. It keeps the bright, familiar taste of drip coffee, just chilled, which sets it apart from cold brew's slower, smoother steep.
- Cup size
- 12-16 oz
- Served
- Iced
- Strength
- 3 / 5 (concentration, not caffeine)
- Caffeine
- ~118 mg typical
WHERE IT SITS
- Iced Coffee
- Cold Brew
- Iced Latte
In the cup
What's in an Iced Coffee
The most straightforward way to drink iced coffee is to brew it hot, let it cool, and pour it over ice. Made that way, it is simply chilled drip coffee, and it keeps all the bright, slightly acidic, familiar character of the hot cup it came from. Nothing about the flavor is reinvented; it is the same coffee, served cold and refreshing.
The main thing to watch is the ice. As it melts, it dilutes the coffee, so iced coffee can turn watery if it sits too long, which is why some cafes brew it a little stronger or chill it quickly to keep it lively. Served black it is light and clean; with milk or a splash of syrup it becomes a longer, easygoing warm-weather drink.
Iced coffee is the drink to reach for when you want the everyday taste of brewed coffee without the heat, and without waiting hours for a cold-steeped batch.
- START HEREIced Coffee
- Cold Brew
- Iced Latte
Ordering an Iced Coffee
At the counter
Iced coffee most often arrives as hot-brewed coffee cooled and poured over ice, so it tastes like the drip coffee it came from, just chilled. It is served cold only, black by default, with milk or a splash of syrup if you add them. The one quirk is the ice: it can water the coffee down if it sits too long, which is why some cafes brew it a little stronger to hold the flavor as the ice melts.
- Cup size
- 12-16 oz
- Served
- Iced
Make it at home
Making an Iced Coffee at home
- Brew coffee hot, a little stronger than usual so it holds up as the ice melts.
- Let it cool, then chill it in the fridge; pouring hot coffee straight onto ice waters it down fast.
- Pour the cold coffee over a full glass of ice, and add milk or a splash of syrup if you like.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is an Iced Coffee?
Iced coffee is most commonly hot-brewed coffee that has been cooled and poured over ice. It tastes like the drip coffee it is made from, just chilled, which makes it a quick, familiar way to drink coffee cold. It can dilute as the ice melts.
What's in an Iced Coffee / what's the ratio?
An Iced Coffee is 10 oz brewed coffee, over ice in a 12-16 oz cup - hot-brewed coffee, cooled and poured over ice.
Is an Iced Coffee strong?
On our concentration scale, an Iced Coffee rates 3/5. Strength here means how concentrated the coffee tastes - not how much caffeine is in the cup.
How is an Iced Coffee different from a Cold Brew?
Cold brew is steeped in cold water for many hours, which makes it smooth, strong, and low in bitterness. Iced coffee is most often brewed hot and then chilled, so it stays brighter and more like regular drip coffee, and it is ready in minutes rather than hours.
Is an Iced Coffee hot or iced?
Iced. An Iced Coffee is a cold drink, served over ice.
How much caffeine is in an Iced Coffee?
Around 118 mg is typical for an Iced Coffee, scaled from USDA's measured figure for brewed coffee rather than measured in the cup. It is approximate - the real amount shifts with the beans, the roast, and the grind.