How To Make Iced Coffee At Home

Learn how easy it is to make Iced Coffee at home! Make a batch of coffee concentrate to keep in the fridge and you can have iced coffee any time you want. It’s quick and way cheaper than the coffee shop and every bit as delicious!

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Whether it’s Cold Brew Coffee, Creamy Bailey’s Irish Coffee, an Espresso Martini, a Cold Brew Milkshake, Homemade Frappuccino, or Iced Coffee, there’s no denying my love of coffee!!

Iced Coffee At Home

Coffee and I go way back.  A hot cup of java has greeted me first thing every morning for all of my adult life.  But in the summer, in the heat of the day…..it’s ice ice baby! Salted Caramel Iced Coffee, that is 😉 

I’ll be honest, the first time I ever tried iced coffee, I didn’t like it. It was basically really strong coffee over ice.  Then when coffee shops and Starbucks started popping up everywhere a whole new world opened up!!  First, it was frappuccinos, then I decided to try the iced coffee again, and one sip and I was in love with the tall glass of sweet creamy iced coffee.

Determined to kick my coffee shop habit (or at least cut it back) I started making iced coffee and cold brew coffee at home.  It’s super easy.

How to make Coffee Concentrate

First, you should know that you can just brew a cup of hot coffee, let it cool and pour it over ice. …BUT, that is going to dilute the coffee. It’s the quickest way to make iced coffee at home, but
Alternatively, you could brew hot coffee, allow it to cool then chill in the fridge…. but when you change the brewing process and make a coffee concentrate, where the coffee grounds are steeped in water and chilled overnight— the flavor is strong, but smooth and has a less bitter finish.

To make coffee concentrate, you will want to start the process the night before. I will make a batch of coffee concentrate on Sundays so that I am all ready for the week ahead. Coffee concentrate is stored in the fridge, so it’s already cold. That means the ice won’t melt and the flavor stays rich. 

You will need 1 cup of whole coffee beans, or ground coffee ( grab a darker roast) and 4 cups of water.

Prepare your coffee concentrate by grinding a cup of whole coffee beans in your coffee grinder (or purchase ground coffee). Opt for a coarser ground so they’ll be easier to strain out later. 

Place ground coffee and 4 cups of water in a sealed container, give it a shake to make sure all the grounds make contact with the water and place the container of coffee concentrate in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours- 24 hours is even better). 
 
 After your coffee has brewed overnight, grab another container, like a large pitcher, and place a fine-mesh strainer over the top.  Place a few paper towels, coffee filter or a few layers of cheesecloth in the bottom of your stainer to separate the liquid from the grounds.  Slowly pour the steeped coffee through the strainer.  

Store the coffee in the pitcher or beverage dispenser tightly covered in the fridge.  

How Do You Make Your Own Iced Coffee?

So, what you want to do is make a batch of coffee concentrate to keep in the fridge and you can have iced coffee any time you want, for a fraction of what the coffee shops charge.

What you need for Salted Caramel Iced Coffee:

• a glass (mine is from The Mason Bar Company)
• ice (if I really plan ahead I use coffee ice cubes)
• coffee concentrate (see above) or strong brew coffee, chilled
• sweetened condensed milk
• caramel syrup
• sea salt
• half and half (or milk)
• straw (optional)

I prefer a sweet creamy iced coffee and lately, salted caramel iced coffee is my flavor of choice, and it’s easy since I usually have all of the ingredients on hand.  Sweetened condensed milk is the secret to creamy iced coffee nirvana.

How To Make Iced Coffee:

1. You want to start with a glass filled with ice (or better yet, coffee ice cubes!)
2. Fill the glass 3/4 full with coffee concentrate (or strong brewed coffee, chilled)
3. add a few teaspoons sweetened condensed milk, caramel syrup, and a pinch of sea salt
4. Add enough half and half to top off your glass
5. add a straw, stir and enjoy your homemade iced coffee!

 

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Originally posted Aug 2015. UPDATED January 2021. We spiffed up this post with more info! No changes to the original recipe.