HOW TO MAKE ICED COFFEE
Brewed hot, straight onto ice. Sharper and fruitier than cold brew, and ready before you’ve even decided whether you actually have time for this.
Making iced coffee takes exactly as long as a regular V60. The only difference is that the ice is already in the carafe.
THE NUMBERS, FOR ONE CUP
THE NUMBERS, FOR ONE CUP
TIME
2 min
COFFEE
20 grams
WATER
200ml
RATIO
1:10
GRIND
Fine, like fine sand
TEMP
94°C
TIME
2 min
COFFEE
20 grams
WATER
200ml
RATIO
1:10
GRIND
Fine, like fine sand
TEMP
94°C
NO SCALE? NO PROBLEM.
20 GRAM
Is about the size of a small egg, or two heaped tablespoons.
200 ML
First, fill a glass three-quarters full with ice.
Near-boiling water runs through the coffee directly onto the ice, so the melting ice dilutes it for you.
THE STEPS
01
FILL A GLASS OR CARAFE THREE-QUARTERS FULL WITH ICE
Do this before you start brewing, not afterwards.
02
GRIND YOUR COFFEE FRESH, SLIGHTLY FINER THAN FOR A REGULAR V60
The ice cools the water quickly, so a finer grind helps compensate.
03
BREW IT LIKE A V60, BUT POUR DIRECTLY OVER THE ICE
Same bloom, same spiral pour, with the spout kept low over the coffee so the water doesn’t splash into it.
04
WATCH THE ICE DO THE WORK
It should be mostly melted by the time you’re done pouring.
05
SERVE IMMEDIATELY, OVER FRESH ICE IF THE FIRST BATCH HAS COMPLETELY MELTED
Don’t let it sit and continue to dilute.
TRANSLATED FROM BARISTA TALK
"Rapid thermal shock preserves volatile aromatics"
Pouring hot coffee directly over ice locks in the brighter, more delicate flavours that a slow cold brew loses.
"Compensate grind size for accelerated cooling"
Grind slightly finer than usual, because the ice cools the water faster than it would extract at full heat.
HOW THE FIVE COFFEES TASTE WITH THE V60
COFFEE
STANDARD, OVER ICE
LESS ICE, MORE DILUTED
MORE ICE, LESS DILUTED
MICROLOT
Vibrant, dark chocolate, and holds up well when cold
Thinner, loses some of its depth
Very concentrated, almost too intense
COFFEE: MICROLOT
STANDARD, OVER ICE
Vibrant, dark chocolate, and holds up well when cold
LESS ICE, MORE DILUTED
Thinner, loses some of its depth
MORE ICE, LESS DILUTED
Very concentrated, almost too intense
SINGLE
Vibrant, probably at its best
Loses its edge
Bright and juicy, excellent
COFFEE: SINGLE
STANDARD, OVER ICE
Vibrant, probably at its best
LESS ICE, MORE DILUTED
Loses its edge
MORE ICE, LESS DILUTED
Bright and juicy, excellent
COFFEE: DOUBLE
DOUBLE
Sweet and refreshing, the easy summer choice
Good, but softer
Bright and nicely balanced
STANDARD, OVER ICE
Sweet and refreshing, the easy summer choice
LESS ICE, MORE DILUTED
Good, but softer
MORE ICE, LESS DILUTED
Bright and nicely balanced
TRIPLE
Chocolatey, works well with milk over ice
Watery
Rich, great with oat milk
COFFEE: TRIPLE
STANDARD, OVER ICE
Chocolatey, works well with milk over ice
LESS ICE, MORE DILUTED
Watery
MORE ICE, LESS DILUTED
Rich, great with oat milk
DARK
Bold, holds up well over ice
Can taste weak
Strong, best with milk
COFFEE: DARK
STANDARD, OVER ICE
Bold, holds up well over ice
LESS ICE, MORE DILUTED
Can taste weak
MORE ICE, LESS DILUTED
Strong, best with milk
ICED COFFEE IS WHERE SINGLE REALLY GETS TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF ITSELF.
The shock of hot meeting cold locks in the brightness that a longer, warmer method tends to flatten out. If you try just one other brewing method with Single besides the V60, make it this one.
ICED COFFEE IS WHERE SINGLE REALLY GETS TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF ITSELF.
The shock of hot meeting cold locks in the brightness that a longer, warmer method tends to flatten out. If you try just one other brewing method with Single besides the V60, make it this one.
TASTES WEIRD?
WEAK OR WATERY
Use less ice, or grind slightly finer.
COMPLETELY DILUTED AFTER TEN MINUTES
The ice kept melting. Serve it over fresh ice instead of letting it sit.
FLAT, WITH THE FRUITINESS GONE
Brew it fresh instead of letting hot coffee cool down. That shock of hot coffee hitting ice really makes a difference.
WEAK OR WATERY
Use less ice, or grind slightly finer.
COMPLETELY DILUTED AFTER TEN MINUTES
The ice kept melting. Serve it over fresh ice instead of letting it sit.
FLAT, WITH THE FRUITINESS GONE
Brew it fresh instead of letting hot coffee cool down. That shock of hot coffee hitting ice really makes a difference.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Fill a glass three-quarters full with ice, brew 20 grams of coffee with 200 ml of hot water like a V60, and pour it directly over the ice. Ready in about 2 minutes.
Iced coffee is brewed hot and poured directly over ice, ready in about 2 minutes. Cold brew steeps cold for around 13 hours and is served as a diluted concentrate. Iced coffee tastes brighter and fruitier, while cold brew is smoother and less acidic.
Choose a sweeter roast instead of adding sugar. Double and Single naturally have enough fruitiness and sweetness to work well without sugar. With a darker roast, you lose some of that sweetness and are more likely to reach for sugar.
Whole milk or oat milk hold up best over ice. Barista-style oat milk doesn’t split and stays creamy. Skimmed milk gets lost too quickly as the drink dilutes.
Yes, use exactly the same recipe. Decaf extracts slightly faster, so shorten the brew time by ten to fifteen seconds if it turns out bitter.
20 grams of coffee with 200 ml of hot water, poured directly over ice — a starting ratio of about 1:10 before the ice melts.
You can, but it will taste less bright. The flavour effect comes from brewing hot directly over ice, not from coffee that cools down slowly.