American
Iced Coffee
Coffee steeps in hot water off the boil, then strains and pours over ice with milk and sugar. Brewing it strong makes up for the ice melting into the glass.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 13 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- A stronger brew stands up to the ice, which always melts and dilutes the cup.
- The grounds steep off the heat so the coffee does not boil and turn bitter.
- Sugar dissolves in the hot coffee, not in the cold glass.
- A pinch of salt and a little vanilla round the edges without turning it into a dessert drink.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Take it off the heat.
- 2
Stir in the ground coffee. Steep 4 minutes. Do not put it back on the burner.
- 3
Strain through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter or a clean towel. Do not press the grounds hard.
- 4
Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt while the coffee is still hot, until the sugar dissolves.
- 5
Cool 10 minutes so the glasses do not crack.
- 6
Fill four glasses with the ice. Pour the coffee over the ice.
- 7
Add the milk and stir.
- 8
Drink it cold. This makes 4 glasses.
Pro tips
- A medium grind works. A powder-fine espresso grind will clog the filter and turn the cup muddy.
- If you want it less sweet, start with half the sugar and taste after the ice and milk go in.
- Leftover concentrate, before the ice, keeps better than a watered-down glass.
Easy substitutions
- whole milk
- oat milk
- granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the strained coffee, before adding ice, up to 2 days. Add fresh ice and milk when you pour a glass.
Reheating
Do not reheat. Serve over ice. If you want it warm, drink the strained coffee before it is poured over ice.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 82
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
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An air fryer with a real basket
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A half-sheet pan
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A sharp chef’s knife
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A large cutting board
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Dry cups and a liquid cup
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An instant-read thermometer
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