How to Make Delicious Iced Americano? Iced Coffee Methods and Varieties

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According to statistics from global market analysis research firm Mintel, US iced coffee sales have increased by 75% over the past 10 years. As industry leaders like Blue Bottle and Stumptown Coffee adopt cold brew methods for making coffee, and with Starbucks' large-scale promotion, cold brew coffee has become an especially attractive coffee category. Among these, cold drip coffee sales increased by 338.9% from 2010-2015.

Although extraction is slower at low temperatures, flavor-wise, high temperatures more easily cause tannic acid in coffee to decompose into pyrogallic acid, creating acidity and bitterness. Low-temperature extracted coffee is comparably smoother and more popular in flavor. Common cold brew coffee, iced Americano, and cold drip coffee, while all cold beverages, have very different production processes and flavors.

Cold Drip Coffee (ICE DRIP)

Cold drip uses an ice-water mixture below 5°C, allowing ice cubes to naturally melt and control the speed at which ice water drips into the coffee grounds through a valve. The ice water slowly dissolves the coffee's flavor as it drips through the coffee grounds, extracting drop by drop, with a complete extraction time of about 2-8 hours. To obtain better flavor, it then requires 12-48 hours of refrigerated fermentation time. Each extraction yields very little (typically 30-60 milliliters), and when not diluted with ice, the concentration is extremely high. If the coffee liquid is too concentrated, ice can be added to dilute it according to personal preference. Due to the slow process, cold drip coffee is relatively expensive, but its taste is exceptional.

American barista champion Laila mentioned in an exclusive interview that compared to cold brew coffee, cold drip coffee has more aroma and a more delicate and subtle taste.

Iced Americano (ICE AMERICANO)

Iced Americano is extracted using high temperatures from an espresso machine, with the final coffee liquid poured over ice and then ice water added according to personal preference. It has similar flavors to regular high-temperature extracted coffee, where ice and ice water only serve cooling and dilution purposes.

Japanese-style Cold Coffee

Japanese-style cold coffee is not cold drip coffee, but some say its taste is even better than cold drip coffee because they believe certain special aromatic molecules need heat to be extracted. The method involves placing a cup with ice under a pour-over coffee filter to directly cool the extracted pour-over coffee liquid. If you want to save time, this is also an option.

The taste of low-temperature extracted coffee varies depending on factors such as coffee roast level, water amount, water temperature, drip speed, and coffee grind coarseness. The perfect ratio requires adjustment through time and experience. Low-temperature extracted coffee has a smooth taste, lower acidity, mellow bitterness, and added complexity after fermentation, but it's also more likely to lose special flavors that are only released at high temperatures. Therefore, the selection of bean varieties and roast levels also requires special consideration.

How to Make Iced Americano?

There are two methods:

The old method is to immediately pour a shot of espresso over ice, then add ice water. This uses the concept of flavor preservation to maintain the coffee's original taste.

The new method reverses this approach: first place the espresso in hot water, then add a large amount of ice to rapidly cool it.

Although it seems like just a difference in when ice is added, the taste is distinctly different.

The subtle impurities in the old method often disappear after sitting for a while, while hot Americano has almost no impurities.

FrontStreet Coffee's Iced Americano Preparation Recommendations:

Place ice and water in a 1:1 ratio in the cup, then add a double shot of espresso.

Important Notice :

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