Summer Drinks > Iced Coffee

frothy iced coffee

iced coffee

To me, this is the perfect summer drink. Here’s how to make it:

1. Put on some coffee – I use one of the stove-top espresso makers, quick and easy to use (see below for details…)
2. When the coffee is done, pour it into a glass jug or mug to help it cool down – if you want sugar in the finished drink, add it now whilst the coffee is hot
3. Whilst the coffee is cooling you can make the crushed ice – just crush about 4-5 cubes per cup of coffee – I use a manual ice crusher as its only a small amount
4. Add the crushed ice to some cold milk, add milk to taste, equal milk to coffee is a good starting ratio, you can always add extra milk at the end if required. Use a container with a sealing lid if you have one, or if you want it extra frothy, put the milk and crushed ice into a liquidiser, then blend together with the coffee for 30 seconds or so. If you do this step in advance, keep the milk and ice in the fridge or freezer until you’re coffee is ready and slightly cooled.
5. When the coffee is slightly cooled, add it to the iced milk put the lid on the container and vigorously shake. If you don’t have a liquidiser or sealed container, then you can just stir everything together. Taste and add extra milk as required.
6. Serve immediately (or put the jug in the fridge and shake up again before serving

Jug of Iced Coffee

Coffee

A very easy way to make small quantities (2-3 cups) of coffee is in one of the Italian stove-top espresso makers like this one:

Coffee Pot

Add a scoop (roughly 1 tbsp) of coffee per cup, more if you like strong espresso, and fill the bottom up with water up to the line (or underneath the valve)

Put it on a medium heat and after a while steam will pour out of the spout and then stop – that’s it – it’s ready!

You can either drink the espresso, or, add hot milk for a cafe au lait, add hot or cold chocolate milk for a mocha, or add hot water and cold milk for a good strong white coffee

…also good for baking cakes, desserts and even chocolate making. Definitely a worthwhile purchase if you don’t have one.

 

And what about buying coffee?

Well, I have to say I buy a mixture of good Fairtrade coffee and fantastically flavoured strong (but pure evil no doubt) Lavazza Gold – mainly coz there isn’t a great supply of Fairtrade espresso ground coffee around here, but also it is good :)

We’re still not grinding our own beans – that could be a step worth taking though…