How to Make Stirred Iced Pour-Over Coffee? What Water Temperature, Ratio, and Grind Size for Japanese Iced Coffee?

The Return of Cold Coffee Drinks

As the climate warms and spring approaches, cold beverages are gradually returning to FrontStreet Coffee's menu. Customers seeking cool refreshment typically order iced drip, cold brew, iced Americano, and iced pour-over with bean selection.

Regarding iced pour-over methods, FrontStreet Coffee has shared quite extensively, attempting numerous comparative experiments on various details. These include differences between adding ice before versus after brewing, ratio issues, ice-barrier cooling, and stainless steel ice cubes. While these articles might not be considered "foolproof tutorials," they sufficiently address the daily concerns of beginners.

However, some customers have provided feedback that after trying FrontStreet Coffee's methods at home multiple times, they still can't achieve ideal results—their coffee is either "watery" or lacks flavor complexity. They've asked if there's a more direct and user-friendly method to produce iced coffee that's both richly aromatic and refreshing.

Drawing from years of experience, FrontStreet Coffee today is sharing two iced brewing methods from their collection to provide inspiration for your summer specialty drinks.

The Stirring Method

This iced brewing method comes from Kyoto's specialty coffee brand KURASU COFFEE. The equipment required isn't complex—just our usual brewing setup plus a small spoon for stirring. This method is suitable for small batches of coffee, with parameters similar to the iced pour-over methods FrontStreet Coffee has previously introduced. Since stirring is incorporated to increase extraction efficiency, the pouring technique requirements aren't too demanding, making it very beginner-friendly for direct imitation.

Regarding filter cones, if you prefer rich and bright fruit acidity, a conical filter like the V60 is recommended. If you enjoy a rounded and balanced coffee profile, prioritize flat-bottomed cake filters to enhance immersion extraction effects. Additionally, choose larger ice cubes when possible, as they won't melt as quickly in hot coffee.

As the saying goes, choosing the right coffee beans means you're already halfway to success. For iced pour-over, FrontStreet Coffee prefers light to medium roast beans with fruity acidity. Origins from Ethiopia, Panama, Colombia, and Costa Rica are prioritized. These coffees are typically processed using natural, honey, or anaerobic fermentation methods, which often exhibit excellent aroma and refreshing characteristics when prepared as iced coffee.

For today's demonstration, FrontStreet Coffee has selected the recently popular Alo Hattesa. This bean originates from Bensa town in Ethiopia and undergoes natural processing. When brewed hot, it often presents elegant magnolia floral notes, juiciness, and candy-like aftertaste with distinct flavor layers, making it equally suitable for iced brewing.

Coffee Beans: Alo Hatessa
Dose: 16g
Water Amount: 150g
Ice Amount: 70g (three large ice cubes)
Water Temperature: 91°C
Filter: V60 #01
Grind Size: EK43s setting 9.5 / C40 setting 24

Pouring Technique: Three-stage pouring with stirring

Step 1: First, pour 40g of water in a small circular motion over the coffee grounds, then stir with a prepared small spoon. Maintain forward and backward stirring motion, repeating three times. The goal is to help the coffee grounds quickly absorb water and release soluble substances.

Wait until the coffee liquid in the filter cone is nearly dry—approximately 40-45 seconds—then pour the second stage of 60g with a larger circular motion. No stirring is required here.

For the final stage, pour the remaining 50g of hot water in small circular motions with the same flow rate. Stir once along the edges of the filter cone with the small spoon in large circular motions, then continue waiting for the coffee liquid to drip through. The complete extraction time was 2 minutes and 1 second.

After thoroughly shaking the coffee liquid with ice, it's ready to taste. Through comparison, FrontStreet Coffee found that this Alo iced coffee has a remarkably rounded black tea character, with bright acidic notes of passion fruit, citrus, and orange at the entrance, accompanied by some caramel aftertaste. The mouthfeel is clear yet rich.

The Ice-Shaking Method

The second method comes from Amis, a renowned barista from Taiwan. Unlike his signature stirring technique, this iced brewing method incorporates shaking after extraction. The purpose is to ensure thorough contact between ice and coffee liquid during the shaking process, thereby stimulating richer aromas and complexity.

Considering that the goal is to obtain a sufficiently concentrated hot coffee extract, with only water flow as the influencing factor, Amis uses a larger dose, finer grind, and higher water temperature for extraction. To achieve high concentration with low extraction, he also extended the bloom time and pushed the powder-to-water ratio directly to 1:8.

Coffee Beans: Alo Hatessa
Dose: 20g
Water Amount: 160g (1:8 ratio)
Ice Amount: 120g (4 large ice cubes)
Water Temperature: 95°C
Filter: Origami
Grind Size: EK43s setting 8.5 / C40 setting 20

Pouring Technique: Two-stage pouring with ice shaking

Step 1: First, perform an extended bloom with 30g of hot water on the coffee grounds. FrontStreet Coffee prefers to pour in a small circular motion, controlling the time to about 1 minute.

After one minute, begin pouring the second stage of 130g of hot water. No circular motion is needed, but maintain the water stream at the exact center point of the liquid surface. To allow sufficient time for flavor compounds in the coffee grounds to release, maintain a small water flow throughout the pouring, slowing the flow rate to let the liquid surface rise gradually until complete. The dripping should finish at approximately 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

Final Step: Add 120g of ice to a shaker, then pour in all the freshly extracted coffee liquid. Cover with the lid and begin shaking by hand.

When you can feel through the shaker that the coffee liquid has become cold, it indicates the cooling effect has been achieved. Find an attractive glass, use a strainer with holes to hold back the ice, and then pour out the coffee liquid for tasting.

This Alo brewed coffee presents elegant floral notes at the entrance, along with the sweet and sour characteristics of mature tropical fruits. With less interference from ice, flavors like guava, dried mango, preserved fruit, and blueberry become more apparent. It's icy, refreshing, and sweet, with the only drawback being its "extravagant" nature.

Compared to the previous method, FrontStreet Coffee's recreation of this hand-shaking brewing method uses relatively more extreme parameters and ratios, requiring higher control over flow rate from the brewer. Additionally, the beans themselves must withstand such "extraction pressure"; otherwise, they might easily develop undesirable flavors under the scouring of fine grinds and high water temperature.

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