So just earlier today I was telling my coffee maker that it’s almost time for us to enjoy some iced coffee. What… you don’t talk to your coffee maker? I’m self-isolating and I talk, okay?
And a wonderful iced coffee seems like just the thing to enjoy in this situation. It’s delicious and ridiculously easy to make. When we think of ridiculously easy coffee, the Keurig comes to mind. So let’s see how to make iced coffee with Keurig.
The special coffee maker function allows some finetuning. However, even if your coffee maker doesn’t have that function, you’ll do just fine.
A Note To Making Iced Coffee With Your Keurig
As I just said, ‘tis the season to enjoy iced coffee. And your Keurig can do it pretty easily. After all, convenience is the hallmark of this coffee maker. Some coffee makers, like the Keurig K-Elite, have an iced coffee preset. It’s a nice and useful touch, but not a necessity.
In the same vein, while your Keurig will happily make iced coffee, it isn’t the best choice. Most coffee makers that brew hot are unlikely to fit the bill. The best choice here is using a cold brew concentrate. However, our choice of Keurig will work fine. It’s remarkably inexpensive compared to having to buy an iced coffee from a coffee shop.
It’s time to brew your own iced coffee folks. You’ll save a ton, and it’s super easy. Let’s get down to business.
Keurig Iced Coffee Recipe — The Path Of Badass Coffee
Let’s get to collecting the ingredients. There is some detail attached with ingredients like the K cup and ice. Check them out to ensure you’ve got the right pick. Here are the ingredients you’ll need.
- 1-2 K Cups (strong coffee desirable)
- Milk (optional, or your choice of dairy alternative)
- Sugar (optional)
- Ice (or coffee ice cubes)
- Any Keurig coffee maker
Now that we’ve got the ingredients, let’s get the nitty-gritty out of the way.
Step 1: Choose A Strong And Flavorful K Cup
Choose from the strongest K cups to get your choice of flavorful and strong coffee. There’s always a chance of iced coffee getting watered down, so picking a strong cup is useful. Bear in mind, we’re not just looking for high-caffeine here, it’s a bold and strong flavor we want. On that note, choosing an espresso K cup should work just as good too.
Better yet, learn how to use a reusable K cup. That way, you can brew your own choice of coffee and even go bolder with your choice of grind and brew.
Step 2: Pour Ice Into A Cup
Pour ice into a cup. Make sure the cup is big enough to hold the ice as well as the coffee about to drip into it. You don’t need to be told, but here’s a check anyway. If you’re using a glass cup, stop. The combination of cold ice and hot coffee are very likely to break the cup.
Step 3: Select Brew Settings And Let It Pour
Time to let your Keurig work its magic. Any Keurig machine will work, I’m brewing mine with Keurig 2.0. If it has an “over ice” or “iced coffee” preset, pick that. Otherwise, it’s best to go with the 4 oz or 6 oz setting. Going higher is your personal preference, though the brew is likely to get watery at this point.
If you want a stronger brew and are using two K cups, brew another shot at 4 oz. Let the coffee pour directly over the ice. There’s no need to wait for it to cool before you put ice and coffee together.
It’s good if you have at least 5-6 ice cubes in the cup. That way, the poured coffee will get cooled, without turning the drink watery. Your Keurig iced coffee is ready.
There is room for some variations and fine-tuning here. So let’s see how we can make our K cup iced coffee better.
Fine-Tuning Your Iced Coffee
Many of us would prefer to get some fun and flavor into the iced coffee we just brewed. So here are some ideas to consider.
Refrigerate The Freshly Brewed Iced Coffee
As you pour hot coffee over the ice, some of the ice is going to melt. It isn’t much of a problem, but many people enjoy their iced coffee at a lower temperature.
An easy way to get around this problem is to put the freshly brewed iced coffee in the refrigerator. Let it stay for about 30 minutes and you’ll have a cold iced coffee without the troubles of being watered down.
Use Coffee Ice Cubes For A Stronger Coffee
Watered down iced coffee isn’t something any of us want. Thankfully, there’s a way where melting ice doesn’t water down the coffee or rob it of its flavor. The trick is to use coffee ice cubes.
The process is simple enough. Brew a cup of strong coffee and pour it into the ice tray. About 12 oz of a dark roast coffee should do just fine. Put the tray into the freezer and prepare to harvest the ice cubes in a few hours.
Add Sugar And Milk
Adding sugar and/or milk to iced coffee can give it a nice flavor and texture. If you’re going to use milk, make sure it is chilled. You can simply pour it over the cup of iced coffee.
Things change a bit if you want to add sugar. It’s no fun trying to dissolve the sugar while clanking around ice cubes. Instead, it’s better to change the recipe a bit. Let the Keurig pour hot coffee into an empty cup (or a cup with sugar). Dissolve the sugar, and then pour your coffee over the ice.
Try to maintain a slow and steady speed as you pour coffee over the ice. There’s a chance of spilling coffee and making a mess, so be extra careful!
Add Some Additives To Spice Things Up
There’s always room to tinker around with the recipe and bring in some additives to spice up the taste. With a Keurig, there’s always room to brew some flavored coffee, but you can add a few more things to coffee. Maybe give it a touch of frappe goodness to liven up the brew. Here are some things to consider.
Iced Coffee Latte
Add some milk to your iced coffee, and then top it with some cold frothed milk. It’s a win in texture and flavor and makes the iced coffee more fun!
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Get some Vietnamese style iced coffee with this simple addition. Why bother with milk or sugar when you can add a couple of spoonfuls of sweetened condensed milk. You could add some Half and Half for an extra touch of texture and flavor.
Iced Mocha Coffee
Get some chocolate syrup into your iced coffee and enjoy the iced mocha. It’s a super simple low-effort recipe, but it’s delicious and fun.
Enjoying Your Iced Coffee Experience
Brewing an iced coffee is super simple and convenient with a Keurig machine. There’s also the advantage of having countless flavors and options in K cups to spruce up your iced coffee experience. I have included several suggestions and tips to fine-tune the iced coffee experience.
Here’s the thing, the key to making iced coffee with Keurig, or to any other recipe, is a willingness to experiment. Don’t stop yourself at the suggestions here. Experiment and enjoy countless variations. It might take a few tries, but you’ll likely get an amazing iced coffee.