Coffee

Iced coffee has become an increasingly popular beverage choice in recent years. The transformation of a hot cup of coffee into a sweet iced drink makes for a refreshing afternoon treat on those hot summer days. The problem is, iced coffee drinks in most coffee shops are expensive and the cost can add up quick. Luckily, you can learn how to make homemade iced coffee like a pro without having to step into a coffee shop.

There are a few approaches on how to make homemade iced coffee, but frankly, most of them are not very good. The standard approach of brewing a pot of coffee, pouring it over ice, and adding a little milk and sugar, results in a lukewarm, watered-down coffee with no strength. Here is the best way to make homemade iced coffee like a pro.

Start off Strong

The first thing to do is brew up a large pot of coffee just as you normally would. The only difference is that you want to make the coffee stronger than normal. Since it will be watered down, we need to compensate and start stronger initially to maintain the coffee’s strength and flavor. If you typically use one tablespoon per cup, you will want to use about one and a half tablespoons per cup for your iced coffee.

Sweeten the Pot

Most people will add sugar or sweetener after the coffee has cooled. This is a big no-no as sugar does not dissolve in water. So instead, while the coffee still hot, stir in your desired amount of sugar. You will want to add a little more sugar than you normally would to a hot cup of coffee. There are a few other options to sweeten your iced coffee that work just as well as sugar. You can use sweetened condensed milk in place of sugar which works very well. Another option is to use flavored syrups which come in a variety of flavors perfect for iced coffee like mocha, vanilla, and irish cream.

Ice Comes Later

If you really want to learn how to make homemade iced coffee, be sure to avoid the biggest mistake people make when making homemade iced coffee. This mistake is to pour the hot coffee directly over ice. This will water the coffee down too much, and leave you with a weak and flavorless iced coffee. What you want to do is put the hot batch of coffee into the refrigerator and let it cool overnight. Do not add the hot pot of coffee directly into the fridge, as it could crack. First, add it to a pitcher or carafe. This requires some patience, so make sure to plan ahead.

Once your batch of iced coffee has cooled over night, it is ready to be served. Pour the cooled coffee over a lot of ice and add a little milk or cream. Stir the mixture very well and enjoy your refreshing homemade iced coffee!

Jeff Plante is a coffee lover who runs a website with more helpful tips on making Iced Coffee. Check out http://www.CoffeeBargains.net for more great coffee information, and to find great deals and bargains on all types of coffee products.

Coffee Bean Roaster

Author: Jeff Plante
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Is iced coffee different from regular hot coffee? Many people think iced coffee is merely a hot cup of joe poured over ice. This, however, is a popular misconception. Iced coffee is different on many levels, beginning first with the brewing process.

Iced coffees are brewed cold. After the coffee beans have been ground, the grinds are soaked in ice cold water. After several hours, the mixture of cold water and coffee grinds is filtered leaving a concentration of cold coffee grinds. Depending on your personal preference, this concentrate is then diluted with either milk or water.

Iced coffee, also known as “Toddy Coffee”, was created by Todd Simpson, hence “Toddy Coffee”. In 1964, he patented a coffee machine exclusively for making cold coffee. However, a lot has happened in 30 years and now you can use other types of coffee machines for brewing and making iced coffees rather than using a Toddy brewing machine.

Iced coffee has become a popular drink millions of people around the world enjoy. It is refreshing, smooth, cold and very satisfying. Their are a variety of ways of preparing your iced coffee. Many people prefer a simple glass of iced coffee with crushed or cubed ice, cream and sugar. Others like their iced coffee topped with one or two scoops of coffee flavored ice cream. Some even like their drinks blended with the ice cream topped with whipped cream making their iced coffee smoother and creamier.

For the most part, iced coffee drinks are most popular during the summer time. This cool and refreshing drink relieves the summer time heat and is sure to satisfy the taste buds.

One advantage to making iced coffee is that you can make it at home, rather than spend your hard earned money on a simple drink. The key ingredients to making a iced coffee drink at home are crushed or cubed ice, cream, sugar, coffee mix, milk and cold water. Other ingredients can be added to make a gourmet iced coffee drink. These ingredients include: caramel or chocolate sauce; vanillla, cinnamon or even cardamom powder; ice cream and whipped cream. One disadvantage to making iced coffee is that when crushed or cubed ice is added to the coffee much of the coffee taste, flavor and caffeine are diluted, which is why many coffee experts suggest using dark roast coffee beans. Using a dark roast helps maintain the strength and robust flavor of the coffee.

With the crazy number of health concerns today, why not drink iced coffee instead of those high calorie and high sugar colas and soft drinks. So, instead of grabbing that ice cold soft drink, grab yourself an easy to make iced coffee. Or, better yet, make yourself an iced coffee with honey, iced Jamaican coffee, iced Amaretto coffee, or even an ice coffee soda! All these recipes are easy to find and even easier to make. But, if you love your colas and soft drink but love your coffee at the same time, go for a Coffee Coke Float mixing together ice cream, coffee and cola!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Coffee [http://coffee-guides.com]

Author: Michael Russell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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