When summertime rolls around, the need to have a variety of cool beverages at your disposal becomes crucial. Limited options are no fun. And you shouldn’t have to run to a cafe or a restaurant every time you are hit with an urge to drink something cold and delicious.

Making the best cold coffee at home is a great way to add variety to your options, not to mention that it’s cost effective. You can easily use the ingredients that are generally available in your kitchen to make a simple cold coffee, or you may whip up something extravagant on a whim.

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Cold-brewed coffee is a good option for making cold coffee at home and is also less acidic than hot-brewed coffee. Cold-brewed coffee is the one-stop solution for many coffee hassles. You’ll find that giving it the right start is all it takes, and you’ll be forever rid of boiling and cooling your coffee. You may even end up switching to cold-brewed coffee for life.

Those who lack the patience required to pull off the cold brew may switch to instant coffee, which provides ease of use and helps you indulge your whims.

Here are two methods that you can use to easily make the best cold coffee.

Method 1: Using Cold-Brewed Coffee

Things you’ll need:

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Cold brewed coffee things need

  • Ground coffee – ½ cup
  • Water – 1½ cups

Step 1. Combine coffee and water in a glass jar

Combine coffee and water in a glass jar

Select a glass jar for brewing the coffee. A mason jar works well. Add ½ cup of ground coffee to the jar. Pour in 1½ cups of room temperature water as well.

Step 2. Let the coffee brew

Let the coffee brew

Screw the lid on the Mason jar and let the coffee steep for at least 12 hours or overnight. A longer steeping time will give you stronger coffee. You may even steep the coffee for up to 24 hours.

Step 3. Strain the brewed coffee

Strain the brewed coffee

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Arrange a strainer over a bowl and cover the strainer with cheesecloth. Pour the coffee over the cheese cloth. Squeeze the coffee grounds in the cloth to extract all the liquid. Discard the used coffee grounds and get ready to use your cold-brew coffee in an assortment of preparations.

A. Iced Black Coffee

Things you’ll need:

Iced black coffee things need

  • Brewed coffee, chilled
  • Water, chilled
  • Ice cubes

Step 1. Combine brewed coffee and water in a glass

Combine brewed coffee and water in a glass

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Combine 1 part brewed coffee with 2 parts water in a glass. The coffee and the water should be chilled and cool.

Step 2. Add ice cubes to the glass and serve

Add ice cubes to the glass

Add 2 or 3 ice cubes to the glass. You may also use crushed ice

Sweeten if desired, and serve immediately.

Iced black coffee final

B. Iced Milk Coffee

Things you’ll need:

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Iced milk coffee things need

  • Brewed coffee, chilled – 1 cup
  • Condensed milk – 2 to 3 tablespoons
  • Ice cubes

Step 1. Pour the brewed coffee into a tall glass

Pour the brewed coffee into a tall glass

Pour 1 cup of chilled brewed coffee into a tall glass.

Step 2. Add ice cubes

Add ice cubes

Add 2 or 3 ice cubes to the glass.

Step 3. Add condensed milk and serve

Add condensed milk

Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of condensed milk into the coffee for a rich taste. Condensed milk will sweeten the beverage as well.

Serve the chilled coffee. Add a whimsical and fun touch by serving it with an umbrella straw.

Iced milk coffee final

C. Using an Electric Blender

Things you’ll need:

Using electric blender cold brewed things need

  • Brewed coffee – 1 cup
  • Milk – 2 cups
  • Cream – 3 tablespoons
  • Sugar – 3 tablespoons
  • Ice cubes

Step 1. Pour brewed coffee into a blender

Pour brewed coffee into ablender

Pour 1 cup of brewed coffee into the jar of an electric blender.

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Step 2. Add the dairy ingredients

Add the dairy ingredients

Pour 2 cups of milk into the jar, followed by 3 tablespoons of fresh cream.

Step 3. Add sugar and crushed ice

Add sugar and crushed ice

Next, add 3 tablespoons of sugar and some crushed ice to the jar.

Step 4. Blend until frothy and serve

Blend until frothy

Put the lid on the jar and blend the contents on high for 20 to 30 seconds, until it becomes light and frothy.

Step 5. Pour the coffee and serve

Serve in a tall glass with a straw

Pour the creamy coffee into a tall glass. Serve chilled with a straw. You may also glaze the glass with some chocolate syrup before pouring in the coffee.

Cold brewed in blender final

D. Using Frozen Coffee

Things you’ll need:

Frozen coffee things need

  • Brewed coffee
  • Ice cube tray

Step 1. Fill up the ice cube tray with brewed coffee

Fill up-the ice cube tray with brewed coffee

Pour the brewed coffee into an ice cube tray.

Step 2. Pop the ice cube tray in the freezer

Pop the ice cube tray in the freezer

Pop the ice cube tray in the freezer and let the coffee freeze. This is also a great way to store your cold brew coffee. Making drinks with frozen coffee cubes is easier as well.

I. Black Iced Coffee

Things you’ll need:

Black iced coffee things need

  • Frozen coffee cubes – 4
  • Brewed coffee, chilled – 1 cup

Step 1. Pour brewed coffee on frozen coffee cubes and serve

Combine brewed coffee and frozen coffee-cubes in a glass

Put 4 cubes of frozen coffee in a glass. Pour in the chilled brewed coffee. This will yield pure undiluted coffee for the hardcore coffee lovers out there.

Before serving, you may sweeten the coffee if desired. You’ll find that the cold-brewed coffee has a much lower acidity than hot-brewed coffee that has been chilled.

Black iced coffee final

II. Iced Coffee with Milk

Things you’ll need:

Iced coffee with milk things need

  • Frozen coffee cubes – 6
  • Milk – 1 cup
  • Condensed milk – 1 tablespoon

Step 1. Put the frozen coffee cubes in a glass

Put the frozen coffee cubes in a glass

Put 6 cubes of frozen coffee in a glass.

Step 2. Add the dairy ingredients and serve

Add the dairy ingredients

Pour in 1 cup of milk, followed by 1 tablespoon of condensed milk. Milk tempers the potency of the coffee, while condensed milk sweetens the drink and adds a rich flavor.

Enjoy your iced coffee with milk by yourself or serve it to your guests.

Iced coffee with milk final

Method 2: Using Instant Coffee

A. Using an Electric Blender

Things you’ll need:

Instant coffee using blender things need

  • Warm water – ½ cup
  • Instant coffee – 1 tablespoon
  • Sugar – 2 tablespoons
  • Milk – 2 cups
  • Cream – 2 tablespoons
  • Crushed ice

Step 1. Combine warm water, instant coffee and sugar in a bowl

Combine warm water, instant coffee and sugar in abowl

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of warm water with1 tablespoon of instant coffee and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Dissolve the coffee and sugar completely in the water.

Step 2. Blend coffee mixture and milk together

Blend coffee mixtureand milk together

Pour the coffee mixture into the jar of an electric blender. Add 2 cups of milk. Blend on high for a few seconds.

Step 3. Add cream and crushed ice and blend on high

Add cream and crushed ice

Next, add in 2 tablespoons of cream and the crushed ice. Cover the lid and blend the contents of the jar on high for about 30 seconds.

Step 4. Serve in a tall glass

Serve in a tall glass

Before pouring the coffee, you may opt to glaze the glass with some chocolate syrup. This will enhance the taste as well as the presentation of your drink. If you wish to make an extra effort, you may sprinkle a little chocolate powder on the top for a final touch.

Instant coffee using blender-final

B. Using a Shaker

Things you’ll need:

Instant coffee using shaker things need

  • Warm water – ¼ cup
  • Instant coffee – 2 teaspoons
  • Sugar – 1 tablespoon
  • Milk – 1½ cups
  • Ice cubes

Step 1. Combine warm water, instant coffee and sugar in a glass bowl

Combine warm water, instant coffee and sugar in a glass bowl

Measure ¼ cup of warm water into a glass bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of instant coffee and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Dissolve the coffee and sugar completely in the water. You may use ground sugar for ease in dissolving.

Step 2. Pour the coffee mixture into a shaker

Pour the coffee mixtureinto a shaker

Pour the coffee mixture into a shaker. Making coffee in a shaker is an efficient way to make your coffee to go.

Step 3. Add milk and ice cubes

Add milk and ice cubes

Pour 1½ cups of milk into the shaker. Add 2 or 3 ice cubes as well.

Step 4. Shake the contents and enjoy your coffee

Shake the contents

Close the shaker and get your coffee shaking. If you’re making it for kids, hand them their shakers and let them do the shaking. They’ll end up having fun while doing it.

Keep the heat wave at bay with this chilled coffee.

Instant coffee using shaker final

Additional Tips

  • The cold-brewed coffee can easily keep for about 2 weeks when stored in the refrigerator. When frozen, the coffee can easily be stored for at least a month. Always keep some stored in your fridge and use whenever desired.
  • You may need to adjust the number of the frozen coffee cubes according to their size.
  • You can also serve the cold coffee garnished with chocolate sauce, whipped cream or ice-cream.
  • Cold-brewed coffee can also be used to make a steaming cuppa.
  • You can use the discarded coffee grounds to increase the acidity of the soil in your garden.
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