The Perfect Iced Coffee

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Iced Coffee. Directions should be: Make coffee, pour over ice. Well, after eight years of working in a large, coffee chain (you know the one, they wear green aprons and have a mythical creature in their logo) I can tell you, it isn’t that simple. There are rules to getting a smooth, rich, perfect glass of iced coffee.

I’m going to share my favorite Iced Coffee method with you. It’s called the “cold-brew method.” (and no, the green apron place doesn’t use it!) It creates a delicious iced coffee concentrate. There is no better (or simpler) way to have perfect iced coffee at your fingertips! I often stir this up before dinner, so in the morning, it’s ready to go!

First, finely grind a good quality dark-roast coffee. (This is where I go back to my green apron ways and use my favorite dark roast coffee – Caffe Verona!) Some people may tell you to grind your coffee coarsely for iced coffee, but don’t listen to them. You want the water to soak into as much of the coffee as possible. A finer grind will produce a stronger flavor, but that’s what you want. This results in a smoother, richer, more delicious concentrate with less acid (good for my sensitive tummy) and the taste is much less bitter.

Add the ground coffee to your container and add cold water. I used a cup of ground coffee (about ¼ lb) to half a gallon of water. Stir to make sure all the grinds are completely wet. Cover it and let it sit on your counter overnight. You want it to sit for at least 12 hours.

Now, don’t laugh at my old Tupperware containers! They are the perfect size for iced coffee. In the summer I use them almost every week to make iced coffee.

The next morning, you’re going to strain your coffee, through a fine mesh sieve, with a coffee filter in it. Why, you ask? Well, you don’t want the grinds to get into your iced coffee concentrate. This does take a bit of time, but just let it drip away. I promise, that afternoon when you’re ready for that perfect glass of iced coffee, this will all be worth it!

After the coffee has been poured through the sieve, dump the grinds into the trash can, or compost pile. Don’t pour the grinds down your garbage disposal, that’s a sure-fire way to earn yourself a visit from the plumber! They will clog up your drain very quickly.

Now, you can put this in the fridge to chill until you are ready for it! Remember this is CONCENTRATED coffee, so you’ll want to add ice cubes. My ice-cubes are made with leftover regular strength coffee from my morning coffee. Yep, I get my buzz on in the afternoons with this coffee!! Coffee cubes and coffee concentrate! WHEEEEE!

Personally, I love iced coffee with half-and-half and raw sugar. I love the way the raw sugar comes through the straw and gives you a little bit of crunch when you sip! It’s my guilty pleasure on a hot afternoon!

So now that you know how to make the perfect glass of iced coffee, would you like to join me on the patio for some cookies and lazy summer conversations? See you outside!