Nav: Home > Coffee >

Is Adding Ice First Better Than Adding Ice After for Iced Pour-Over Coffee?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Typically, most people use the "add ice first, then brew" method for making iced pour-over coffee. A small number of people opt for the "brew first, then add ice" or "brew first, then pour over ice" approach. FrontStreet Coffee belongs to the former category. Generally, the difference between these two methods might just be operational

Typically, most people make iced pour-over coffee using a "add ice first, then brew" process. A small number of people use methods like "brew first, then add ice" or "brew first, then strain through ice" to make iced pour-over coffee. FrontStreet Coffee belongs to the former category.

Generally, the difference between these two approaches might just be in the operational process. However, until yesterday, FrontStreet Coffee recalled the Paragon ice spheres used in an article some time ago. Their main function is to rapidly cool the coffee liquid, locking in volatile substances to prevent them from evaporating, thereby allowing people to experience more coffee flavors.

Although the actual effect didn't live up to the merchant's description, it made us wonder: could iced pour-over with ice added first have a similar effect? So, we restarted our experiment! "Is there a difference between adding ice first versus adding ice after brewing in iced pour-over coffee?"

Operational Differences

Putting taste aside for now, both methods use the same proportion of hot water replaced with ice. Let's briefly describe their operational differences: one involves adding ice to the server before brewing, directly cooling the coffee liquid as it drips through; the other adds ice after brewing is complete, cooling the already extracted coffee liquid.

Experimental Comparison

For this experiment, we used a washed Geisha from Colombia's Dividing Line Estate. It has a very distinct honeysuckle aroma, which allows us to better perceive flavor differences in comparisons like this iced brewing method!

Brewing Parameters

Coffee dosage: 15g
Ratio of coffee to water to ice: 1:10:6, meaning 15g coffee, 150ml hot water, 90g ice
Grind setting: 9.5 on Ek43, with 65% passing through a #20 sieve
Water temperature: 92°C
Brewing method: Three-stage pour-over

The three-stage method for iced pour-over is consistent with hot pour-over in the first stage, using twice the coffee amount (30ml) for a 30-second bloom. Then in the second stage, use a fine water stream in large circles to pour 70ml of hot water. After the drip finishes, pour the remaining 50ml of hot water in small circles, and wait for the drip to complete.

To compensate for time differences during tasting, the ice-first pour-over was brewed 20 seconds earlier than the ice-after pour-over. During subsequent tasting, we started with the ice-first sample to correct for the staggered tasting times.

Both brewing times were exactly one minute and thirty seconds. Regardless of whether ice was added first or last, both needed to be shaken after brewing (coffee and ice together) to allow the ice to rapidly cool the coffee and ensure better integration!

After shaking evenly, at their respective 2-minute mark, the ice-first pour-over had a temperature of 7°C, while the ice-after pour-over had a temperature of 13°C.

(The pour-over with the black thermometer is ice-after, while the one with the white thermometer is ice-first)

In terms of aroma, the ice-after pour-over had a slightly more intense honeysuckle fragrance than the ice-first version. In terms of drinking experience, both cups of Dividing Line Geisha offered rich honeysuckle floral notes, citrus acidity, and a honey-like mouthfeel! There weren't very significant differences between the two, though if pressed, the ice-after version was somewhat rounder. Then, FrontStreet Coffee let them sit for five minutes and re-tasted them, with the result that both offered almost identical experiences.

Conclusion

Therefore, we can conclude that there isn't much difference between adding ice first versus adding ice after brewing in iced pour-over coffee. The reason we perceived slight differences at the beginning is mostly because the ice in the ice-after version melts more slowly. When we tasted it at two minutes, it hadn't diluted to the same concentration as the ice-first version. Hence, both aroma and concentration were slightly more pronounced than the ice-first version. After five minutes, their concentrations were nearly identical, so there was no difference in taste.

- END -

FrontStreet Coffee

No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province