How To Make Iced Coffee At Home: The Complete Beginner Guide

As soon as the sun breaks through the winter clouds, walking into a coffee shop there’s only one thing on the menu that should be ordered… iced coffee!

Whether you want to start off your day with a skip in your step or self-medicate after a rough morning, coffee is always a good idea - and enjoying it in iced form brings a new level of refreshment to this world-class drink. When it comes to hot days, iced coffee isn’t a want, it’s a must-have.

The only problem? When you’re drinking more iced coffee than water, this tasty habit can get expensive…

Homemade iced coffee to the rescue!

Learn how to make iced coffee at home and enjoy your all-time favourite drink whenever you want. Discover just how convenient and delicious homemade iced coffee is today - here’s your one-stop beginner guide!

Is iced coffee Just Coffee With Ice? 

It sounds too simple, right? Can this delicious beverage really just be coffee with ice? Well - pretty much! Iced coffee is a chilled form of coffee that is served over ice. It typically also contains milk and a little added sweetener (like maple syrup for example), but that’s about it! Yes - it really is as simple as that!

What Sort Of Coffee Should I Use In My Homemade Iced Coffee? 

Pretty much any type of coffee can be used to make iced coffee. From coffee granules to ground coffee, from filter coffee to coffee from your french press, when it comes to homemade iced coffee, as long as a full cup of liquid can be added to it (ie, we’re not looking for an espresso), pretty much anything goes. 

When you are choosing your coffee, feel free to run with your own preference and stick to the coffee you love making and drinking. 

Our top tip: if you want a sweet and creamy iced coffee like you can often buy in coffee shops, go for a medium roast coffee (like this Fazenda Elorado Brazilian Coffee or this Equilibrio Blend Nicaraguan Coffee). These both have sweet nutty chocolatey notes that will go perfectly in an iced coffee. 

Can You Add Sugar To Homemade Iced Coffee?

More often than not, iced coffee contains a little sweetener to add to its flavour. This may be in the form of sweet syrup (like maple syrup or vanilla syrup) or simply some added sugar. 

If you decide to add sugar granules to your homemade iced coffee - be warned! Make sure that you dissolve these granules into your hot coffee (before it has been chilled). If not, the coffee will be too cold for the sugar to dissolve, and you will be lumped with a grainy drink!

Is Homemade Iced Coffee Good For You?

The great thing about learning how to make ice coffee at home is how you can control exactly what goes into it. Often, iced coffees bought from coffee shops or supermarkets can be packed with lots of sugars and additives. Homemade iced coffee keeps it simple. You can control exactly how much sugar goes in and avoid sugars entirely if you want to make a healthier version! 

Also Read - Cold Brew Vs Iced Coffee?

Can I Make Iced Coffee At Home? 

Whipping up some homemade iced coffee sounds very simple - and it is. In fact, it couldn’t be easier to learn how to make iced coffee at home. But, this doesn’t mean you should just jump ahead and start pouring hot coffee over some iced cubes. 

Hold your horses! Learning how to make great homemade iced coffee involves some key simple steps. Read our homemade iced coffee recipe below to find out more. 

How To Make Iced Coffee At Home…

Prep time: 5 minutes (plus cooling time for your coffee)

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coffee (this can be granules or ground coffee, depending on your preference)
• 1 cup of boiling water
• ¼ cup milk (this can be dairy milk or plant-based, depending on your preference). 
• Ice cubes
• Maple or vanilla syrup (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the coffee and boiling water by brewing it as you normally would (whether you want to use coffee granules, a french press, a coffee machine, any method is fine). Allow to cool to room temperature. 
2. Fill a glass with ice and pour over the chilled coffee. Add the milk and a swig of maple or vanilla syrup (if using). 
3. Stir and serve! 

What Else Can I Add To My Homemade Iced Coffee? 

This homemade iced coffee recipe is a real all-rounder and is guaranteed to hit the spot for your everyday iced coffee needs. Want to really push the boat out? Why not try adding some single cream or whipped cream to your homemade iced coffee instead of the milk? This will give an added level of luxury to this crowd-pleasing drink. 

As well as this, if you want to play with the texture of your ice coffee, we recommend blitzing your coffee in the blender with the ice for a minute or so before serving. This will give it an amazing foamy texture and break up the ice into smaller, crunchier pieces!

The Moral Of The Story?

Iced coffee is a delicious summer drink that nobody should miss out on, whether you're enjoying it at a coffee store, through wholesale coffee purchases, or as part of a coffee subscription. And now you have discovered how to make iced coffee at home and how easy it is, there’s absolutely no reason to miss out!

We recommend making this recipe your summer staple for slow mornings and warm afternoons. Refreshing, chilled, and coffee-packed: this tasty drink ticks all the right boxes. Pair it with one of Portfolio’s wide variety of flavor-packed single-origin coffees from your favorite coffee store, wholesale coffee supplier, or coffee subscription, and you will be onto a winner.

So, what are you waiting for? Whack out the ice trays and get the coffee brewing! It’s time for a homemade iced coffee!