What is The Best Way to Brew Iced Coffee?

When the weather turns sunny and white puffy clouds fill the skies over green pastures, Vermonters turn to iced coffee. Whether you switch out your hot brew for iced or add a refreshing cup of iced coffee to your afternoon routine, here are a few tips to make the perfect cup.

First, the rules of coffee brewing apply to iced coffee as well. Starting with a great cup of coffee will make a great cup of iced coffee.

Second, pick your method. There are two schools of thought on iced coffee brewing: hot brew or cold brew. We feel that each has it's place and lends great qualities to different types of coffee, so we encourage you to experiment with what is right for you.

To hot brew iced coffee, we recommend brewing your coffee directly over a pitcher of ice. We use 25% more coffee during this process so that it doesn't taste watered down. Brewing directly over ice helps to counteract acidity in the iced coffee.

Once you are done brewing be sure to let the coffee come to room temperature before placing it into the fridge. Placing warm coffee in the fridge can cause a sour taste. The hot brew method works best for South American and African coffees such as our Guatemalan Antigua or our Tanzanian Peaberry.

For the cold brewed method, more time is needed. It is a great way to extract the flavor of the coffee without altering it (because no heat is used). Indonesian coffees can be overwhelming at times as an iced coffee, but this method makes a smooth, rich and drinkable cup. Also, cold brewed iced coffee is significantly lower in acid than hot hot brewed iced coffee. It can be a great choice if you have issues with heartburn. To brew cold brewed coffee, you will need a large container for the coffee to steep in, coffee filters and rubber bands, and a container to pour the coffee off into for storage when it's done.

Combine 8 oz of coarsely ground coffee (we recommend it be ground for an electric percolator) with 48 ounces of lukewarm water. Cover the container and let it sit for a minimum of 12 hours. Then, place 3 coffee filters into the mouth of the container you are going to pour the concentrate into (we love large mason jars), securing them to the rim with rubber bands. Slowly pour the concentrate in. The filters will catch the grinds. Make the perfect glass of iced coffee by using a ratio of 2/3 concentrate to 1/3 cold water. Fancy a mock iced latté? Replace the cold water with iced cold milk! We love this method with our Mocha Java.

Happy brewing!