There is nothing like the refreshing chill of a perfectly brewed iced coffee on a warm day. However, when you have ever experienced that bad moment, your coffee went watery, you know it is really disappointing. In place of the rich bold flavour, you are left with a diluted, lacklustre drink.
Making iced coffee at home is convenient and cost-effective, but the risk of having more water than coffee in your cup is very real. Fortunately, there are a few simple tricks to ensure your iced coffee is strong and full of flavour all the way to the last drink.
From using coffee ice cubes to choosing the right brewing method, here are six effective ways to prevent watery homemade iced coffees and keep your drink satisfying all day long.
Use Coffee Ice Cubes Instead of Regular Ice
One easy way to avoid wateriness when making iced coffee is to use coffee ice cubes instead of regular ice cubes. Since you are using coffee ice cubes, when these melt, they only add more coffee to your drink and don't dilute the coffee.
Simply brew an extra batch of coffee, cool, and pour it into an ice cube tray. Freeze the cubes overnight, and you will have coffee ice ready for your next drink. This simple step keeps your iced coffee strong and flavourful, especially on a hot day when the ice melts faster.
Brew Your Coffee Stronger Than Usual
Another trick to stop the watering of iced coffee is to make your coffee a little more concentrated than you need for a hot cup. When you pour scalding hot coffee over ice, that ice begins to melt right away and dilutes the flavour.
Balance this out with more coffee grounds when brewing or steep the coffee longer. In French press or cold brew, a stronger base ensures that even as some dilution takes place when the ice melts, the flavour of the coffee remains bold.
Use Cold Brew for a Smoother, Stronger Base
The good news, though, is that for those who love their iced coffee but hate the idea of watering it down, cold brew coffee is something to go for. Regular coffee, of course, does not apply when you steep the ground coffee in cold water for 12 to 24 hours instead, giving you a much smoother and richer flavour.
Since cold brew is already chilled and highly concentrated, it does not require much ice which eliminates the risk of having a watered-down drink. This can easily be diluted with water or milk to your taste without losing the bold coffee flavour.
Brew Your Coffee Before Adding Ice
The biggest mistake of most people when making iced coffee is to pour freshly brewed hot coffee right over the ice. This is because water melts the ice quickly due to its sudden temperature change, making the drink a bit watery.
To avoid this, pour the coffee into the refrigerator until it reaches room temperature or refrigerate it before adding ice. Chilled coffee before adding ice will melt the ice slowly and make your drink colder for a longer time without letting it get watered down too quickly.
Use less ice or bigger ice cubes
The quantity and size of the ice cubes that you put in your iced coffee also determines how fast it gets diluted. Small ice cubes melt fast thus, speeding up the process of dilution. You should make use of larger ice cubes as they dissolve very slowly, hence maintaining your coffee strength.
Second, using less ice overall may also prevent the drink from becoming too watery too quickly. Start with just enough ice to cool the coffee without overloading the glass. If needed, you can add more ice later.
Use Concentrated Coffee Flavour Enhancers
The richness can be sustained by flavour enhancers, either syrups or concentrates having the flavour of coffee. Such concentrated flavourings are meant to provide a boost that does not overpower the original flavour of the coffee while compensating for any slight dilution that occurs as the ice melts.
Flavours, such as vanilla, caramel or hazelnut syrup, add a flavour and can help balance out any loss in strength. More potent than brewed coffee is coffee concentrate. This can be added in small amounts to allow the coffee to re-reinforce both its strength and flavour.