Make better-tasting iced coffee at home with these tips.
As a born-and-raised Florida girl, I grew up drinking iced coffee year-round.
Im a big fan of fancy and pricey iced lattes and cold brew from coffee shops.
However, my wallet is not.
So I tapped Giorgio Milos, Specialty Coffee Association-certified master barista for illycaffe, for the full scoop.
Here are five iced coffee mistakes he says youre probably making at homeplus, what to do instead.
Iced Coffee Mistakes You Could Be MakingPlus What to Do Instead
Youre buying ground coffee.
Milos is a big fan of buying whole-bean coffee.
Youre not storing beans correctly.
This is especially true for pre-ground coffee because theres increased exposure to oxygen.
Your coffee-to-water ratio is off.
Milos says that most people tend to use way more coffee than they really need.
From here you’re free to adjust to your taste.
(Translation: Thats about 1-2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water.
Youre just putting hot coffee in the fridge.
In other words: Your coffee could potentially taste acidic and/or stale.
Milos says he likes to brew his iced coffee using aChemexand pour the brew over ice.
Since its a much stronger brew, it can stand up to the dilution.
You could be using the wrong punch in of water or ice (seriously).
Like most people, you probably havent thought much about the water youre brewing your coffee with.
Milos says that the TDS should be about 150mg/L.
He says anything with TDS under 75 is considered soft and anything over 250 is considered hard.
He adds, Tap is okay if it tastes good and is free of chlorine.
Filtered water is better unless its soft in minerals.
Spring water (bottled water) is best unless its hard in minerals and tastes slightly salted.
Another important H2O fact to note?
Temperature really matters.
He adds, Usually the best temperature is between 195-205F, but different methods require different temperatures.
(it’s possible for you to find more on ideal brewing temps from the SCA, here.)
