Iced Coffee, what do you use and how do you make it?

[cannonfodder]

With the Titan Grinder Project eating up coffee like there was no tomorrow, Larry from Rocket Coffee sent out a 5lb bag of Classic Espresso. After the grinders moved on I had a couple of pounds left over.

With the extreme heat so early in the year, my desire for a hot double after riding home from work on a motorcycle, in 92F heat on a 160f highway is just not there. In those instances I go for an iced coffee. I must say that the Classic has been making some wonderful iced drinks. Most blends get a little bitter or harsh when they cool, this one does not.

I have been pulling a 16 gram dose for almost 2oz into a glass and then letting it cool for a half hour. Then I add a little liquid sugar, an ounce of chocolate syrup, 12 or so ounces of cold 2% milk and a hand full of ice cubes. Give it all a stir and enjoy. Very good stuff.

If anyone is wondering why I let the shot sit and cool first, it is to avoid shocking the drink. If you take a hot liquid (such as coffee or tea) straight from the brewer and drop in cold milk or ice, the rapid temperature change will push the dissolved solids out of solution. That gives you (or at least me) a harsh, bitter cup. If you frequently make iced tea and find that you nice clear tea gets cloudy, that is why. Let it cool to at least room temperature before you dump in the cold goods, or try tempering it to shorten the wait.

[Cathi]

Great suggestion! I have been on an "iced" kick since we had a few days of really warm weather here about a month back. Right now the idea of any kind of hot drink has lost its appeal.

If you're going to let the shot cool down do you still suggest pre-warming the demitasse cup (anything larger wont fit under my cremina well)?

Cheers!

[cannonfodder]

I do not use a demi at all. The shot is bound for a regular drinking glass so I just pull the shot in it. The Elektra A3 has a spacious group to drip tray opening, but the cup is still too large to fit under in its upright position. So I just hold the cup under the spout and let the shot run down the side of the glass.

[Ozark_61]

I hear you - after mowing the grass @ 95'f - last thing I want is hot coffee! If it's too early for a beer - then iced coffee is the next best! I take one of my illy freddo glasses, fill it with ice. Pour in a little simple syrup or even a little caramel syrup. I pull a shot into a non-heated espresso cup, which helps to cool it off, dump it in the glass and fill with whole milk. Good stuff Maynard! It is interesting that some of my normal favorite beans are terrible as iced coffee... and others are great - ymmv.

Geoff

[julioale]

Thanks for the recipe, Any suggestion for the chocolate syrup?

Have a nice day

Ale

[RapidCoffee]

Thanks for the recipe, Any suggetion for the chocolate syrup?

Many good recipes use gourmet cocoa powder. For a cheap fix, Nestle's chocolate syrup ain't bad. But avoid chocolate flavored syrups (such as Hershey's) like the plague.

Pretty hot here today in the Black Hills:

105F in the shade - great iced coffee weather!

[cannonfodder]

Hot day! It is not that bad in Ohio but still pretty warm (around 90) and the humidity is high. I spent a good part of the day staining my deck (takes 4 gallons of stain, big deck) and smoking brisket. Had another iced coffee to help cool off. When it gets to bad, I have 20,000 gallons of water in the back yard, which is what the deck goes around, to cool off in.

[djmarc1200]

For iced coffee, I'll use whatever 'left over' or 'non-espresso ready' beans which I may have sitting around. Today I made 32oz of coffee in a press pot (1/2 SO India from Metropolis; 1/2 Redline from Metropolis). After the steep time I poured the coffee into another container and allowed it to cool to roughly room temp. Then it went in the fridge to get nice and cold. I served 4 8oz servings in large 16oz glasses with 1/2 tsp sugar, just a little milk and as much ice as the glasses would hold. Very tasty - I think the key is cold coffee to start and ALOT of ice. I have made it this way with all types of different beans/blends and it always tastes pretty good...especially when it's 90+ as it was in Chicago today!

[Ozark_61]

That's right - when I was figuring a way long ago of how to make Vietnamese iced coffee, (pre coffee obsessed days) - I found out that if you skimp on the ice, it just all melts and you get a watery drink. Growing up on the cheap we always ordered soft drinks with light ice, and after you were half done, it was a nasty watery mess. I'm more sofistikated nowadays...

Stuff that glass full of ice, and you don't have to bother letting a shot's worth of iced coffee melting it too much. Mix your chocolate into the hot shot to make it dissolve better too.

One other treat - espresso float! I first had this at an old long gone coffee shop in the U district when I was at University of Washington. Chocolate syrup, full glass of vanilla ice cream, shot of espresso, a little more chocolate syrup, and a dollop of whip cream (or skip if you're avoiding both nails in the coffin... )

Geoff

[Zendel]

1. Fill desired glass with ice then 3/4 full with milk
2. Pull shot in regular manner.
3. Stean milk (1/4 of the volume of the serving cup).
4. Pour shot into milk then top off the serving glass with steamed milk or vice versa.

[Spresso_Bean]

I usually fill a tall glass with ice, pull the shots and set them aside. I steam enough milk for the drink, then pour about 1/4 of the milk into the glass of ice. I swirl it around and then add the shots as I pour the remainder of the milk. It mixes up pretty well that way. I guess ice cubes could be made from espresso or an Americano to minimize the watered down effect. A lot of times I finish it before the ice has a chance to really melt anyway.

[Niko]

The Elektra A3 has a spacious group to drip tray opening, but the cup is still too large to fit under in its upright position.

Dave, I was under the impression that you can park a small compact car under the A3. What is the actual clearance with the double spout attached?

[Kaffee Bitte]

Along with iced lattes or mochas, I have found an espresso milkshake to do wonders on super hot days. The key to making it just right is prepping the ice cream and milk in the blender just before pulling the shots. Also very important is using a good deal less milk than you would normally use in a milkshake since the espresso will tend to make for soupy shakes with too much. Recommend using a good vanilla ice cream and your favorite espresso.

It isn't just a cooling drink it is one hell of a treat.

[jesawdy]

Along with iced lattes or mochas, I have found an espresso milkshake to do wonders on super hot days. The key to making it just right is prepping the ice cream and milk in the blender just before pulling the shots. Also very important is using a good deal less milk than you would normally use in a milkshake since the espresso will tend to make for soupy shakes with too much. Recommend using a good vanilla ice cream and your favorite espresso.

+1 on the espresso shake. I pull the shot mid shake prep or just prior. The kids usually get a vanilla shake with banana and cinnamon. I'll take what ever is left in the blender, add some more ice cream and a fresh double shot. It's pretty tasty.

I haven't messed with iced coffee in some time but this thread is inpiring me to do so. I am surpirsed at the number of people that still steam their milk even for and iced beverage. I don't think I would have thought to try that.

[cannonfodder]

Dave, I was under the impression that you can park a small compact car under the A3. What is the actual clearance with the double spout attached?

From the drip tray to the bottom of the group is 6 1/4 inches. With a single spout portafilter (without the portafilter factory extension) it is 4 inches from end of spout to top of drip tray. My drinking glasses are 6 ¼ inches tall.

[Dogshot]

Hot day! It is not that bad in Ohio but still pretty warm (around 90) and the humidity is high. I spent a good part of the day staining my deck (takes 4 gallons of stain, big deck) and smoking brisket. Had another iced coffee to help cool off. When it gets to bad, I have 20,000 gallons of water in the back yard, which is what the deck goes around, to cool off in.

Very OT, but what are you using to smoke the brisket? I picked up a Big Green Egg about a month ago and have been really enjoying it. Did a 9lb pulled Boston Butt, cooked for 13hrs that turned out beautifully. The Egg retains heat like a brick oven, so I have also been making pizzas and bagels. Temperature management on the Egg is a pleasure, and cooking on it reminds me of the pleasure of making great espresso.



Mark

[CParrish73]

Have you ever tried cafe suda (Vietnamese iced coffee)?

Before you try and make this, I suggest going to a Vietnamese restaurant and ordering it. This way you can peek in the filter and see about how much coffee to use and you can see about how much milk to use.

What you will need:
1. 2 to 4 tablespoons finely ground dark roast coffee (preferably with chicory)
2. 2 to 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (e.g., Borden Eagle Brand, not evaporated milk!)
3. Boiling water
4. Vietnamese coffee press
5. Ice cubes, I prefer the kind like you get at Sonic. When you are done drinking it you then have coffee coated ice cubes to chew.

How to make it:

Place ground coffee in Vietnamese coffee press and screw lid down on the grounds. Put the sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a coffee cup and set the coffee maker on the rim. Pour boiling water over the screw lid of the press; adjust the tension on the screw lid just till bubbles appear through the water, and the coffee drips slowly out the bottom of the press.

When all water has dripped through, stir the milk and coffee together. You can drink them like this, just warm, as ca phe sua neng, but I prefer it over ice, as ca phe sua da. To serve it that way, pour the milk-coffee mixture over ice, stir, and drink as slowly as you can manage. This is a great cup of coffee on a hot day or after a big bowl of Pho.

A Vietnamese coffee press looks like a stainless steel top hat. There's a "brim" that rests on the coffee cup; in the middle of that is a cylinder with tiny perforations in the bottom. Above that rises a threaded rod, to which you screw the top of the press, which is a disc with similar tiny perforations. Water trickles through these, extracts flavor from the coffee, and then trickles through the bottom perforations. It is excruciatingly slow. Loosening the top disc speeds the process, but also weakens the resulting coffee and adds sediment to the brew.

If you can't find a Vietnamese coffee press, regular-strength espresso is an adequate substitute, particularly if made with French-roast beans or with a dark coffee with chicory. I've seen the commonly available Cafe Du Monde brand coffee cans in Vietnamese restaurants or an Asian market.

Vietnamese coffee should taste more or less like melted Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream.

[lilotaku]

Very OT, but what are you using to smoke the brisket? I picked up a Big Green Egg about a month ago and have been really enjoying it. Did a 9lb pulled Boston Butt, cooked for 13hrs that turned out beautifully. The Egg retains heat like a brick oven, so I have also been making pizzas and bagels. Temperature management on the Egg is a pleasure, and cooking on it reminds me of the pleasure of making great espresso.

Mark

I've been looking at those Big Green Eggs for a few months now and i've always really wanted to get one, but didn't know of anyone who owned one. Just looking at your pic definitely makes me want to get one even more now!

[Cathi]

I've been looking at those Big Green Eggs for a few months now and i've always really wanted to get one, but didn't know of anyone who owned one. Just looking at your pic definitaly makes me want to get one even more now!

Be prepared to pony up - those guys are expensive. My hubby's been eyeing one for quite awhile.

[jasonmolinari]

Cafe sua da is great. I bought a pound bag of roasted ground chicory from Sweet Marias a few years ago, and i add a teaspoon of that to a few teaspoons of my own beans. That way i don't have to buy crappy canned coffee with chicory. Tom says the chicory keeps basically forever. I think mine has lost of of its punch, it is well over 2 years old.

Anyhow, a nice sweet, iced coffee is great in the summer.