Iced coffee traditionally refers to any coffee brewed with hot water at high temperature, then cooled with ice cubes or chilled, served as a cold beverage. This includes iced Americano, iced latte, and more. The common method is to cool hot coffee or espresso, then pour it over ice in a glass—preserving the coffee's flavor while adding a refreshing chill.

On a hot summer day, is there anything better than sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying an iced coffee? But what exactly is iced coffee?

#What is Iced Coffee?

Iced coffee traditionally refers to any coffee brewed with hot water at high temperature, then cooled with ice cubes or chilled, served as a cold beverage. This includes iced Americano, iced latte, and more. The common method is to cool hot coffee or espresso, then pour it over ice in a glass—preserving the coffee's flavor while adding a refreshing chill.

#How to Make a Cup of Iced Coffee?

Making a cup of iced coffee isn't difficult, but for the best taste you need quality base beans or a good blend, plus attention to the brewing steps, water temperature, and ratios. Below are 5 steps to make iced coffee—give it a try and enjoy the wonderful flavor!

1. Choose coffee grounds: Select high-quality coffee beans, ground slightly coarser than fine white sugar. Beans bought at Starbucks can be ground to order, about 25 g.
2. Prepare equipment and adjust water temperature: Place about 120 g of ice in the server, set a filter paper in the dripper, and prepare hot brewing water (set 2 °C lower than normal pour-over, typically around 90–92 °C). Finally, add the ground coffee to the filter.
3. Two-stage pour: First stage—bloom with about 40 g of water, just covering the grounds, wait 40–45 seconds. Second stage—at 40 seconds pour 120 g of water, evenly wetting the grounds for slow permeation. Finally, two more pours of about 40 g each, evenly saturating the grounds; wait 20 seconds then remove the dripper.
4. Adjust strength: To taste, you can grind coarser, reduce the dose, or dilute with more ice; for a richer cup, grind finer or increase the dose.

#What Are the Common Types of Iced Coffee?

Coffee varieties are diverse, and each DIY method has its own character. Below are the common types of iced coffee:

• Cold Brew Coffee: Fine-ground coffee steeped in cold water, then filtered after an extended period—usually overnight—to produce a rich, refreshing brew.
• Iced Pour-Over Coffee: Compared to regular hot pour-over, the water-to-coffee ratio is adjusted and ice is placed in the server before dripping. This retains the coffee's basic flavor while presenting a fresh, inviting profile.
• Ice Brew Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee): Coffee grounds or filter bags are placed directly in cold water and refrigerated for at least six hours. The container must be covered or sealed, otherwise it will absorb fridge odors!
• Ice Drip Coffee: Ice water (below 5 °C) is held in an upper chamber and allowed to melt naturally, dripping through a specially designed valve onto the coffee grounds at room temperature. The slow drip extraction takes roughly 2–8 hours, followed by 12–48 hours of cold fermentation.
• Iced Latte: A beverage combining espresso and milk. The main difference from iced cappuccino is a higher milk ratio and less foam.
• Iced Cappuccino: Blends coffee, milk, and milk foam, delivering rich coffee flavor together with creamy aroma and foam texture.