Can You Make Iced Coffee With A Keurig? The Ultimate Guide!

That question, can you make iced coffee with a Keurig was asked to us by a member of your free and cool coffee community.

This article is in response to the questions asked and gives a detailed answer. Here is the quick answer for those of you that are in a rush – yes you can make iced coffee with a Keurig coffee maker!

Keep reading for the more detailed answer and step-by-step instruction on how to make a great iced coffee with your Keurig!

Can You Make Iced Coffee With A Keurig?

In a word, yes, you can make iced coffee with a Keurig coffee machine. Most models, but not all Keurig pod coffee machines, have an iced button as a matter of convenience. If your Keurig coffee maker does not have one, don’t worry as you can still adapt and make a great cup of iced coffee.

Select a coffee pod of your choice, preferable a dark roast, and insert it to your single serve coffee maker. Fill your tumbler with ice, select the beverage size that you want and then press the Iced button.

In less than a minute your iced coffee will be ready.

If your machine doesn’t have an iced button, you can select the smallest cup size and press brew. If your coffee machine has a strong button, use this in conjunction with the smallest brew size.

Read: Best way to make iced coffee with Keurig

How To Make Iced Coffee With Pods

Let’s get to the more specific details of making iced coffee with your Keurig style coffee makers.

Keurig Iced Coffee Instructions Step By Step

Let’s get to the details and what you will need to make the best possible iced coffee at home with your single serve coffee maker.

What You Will Need

• 1 Dark roasted K cup coffee pod, French roast and Italian roast work best.
• 4 Oz (120 ml) of cold milk.
• Ice cubes, preferably large.

Step 1: Brew Time

Brew your dark roasted K-cup coffee pod using the 4-ounce (120 ml) size. If your Keurig does not have a 4 Oz (120 ml) option, use the next largest size, which is usually 6 Oz (180 ml).

Step 2: Prepare Your Ice

Put some ice cubes, preferably large, in a tall glass and slowly pour your freshly brewed coffee over the ice cubes. It is important to pour slowly.

Step 3: Milk It

Add an equal amount of cold milk, 120 ml (4 Oz), and sweeten with your choice of sweetener.

Serve and enjoy.

Getting Exotic With Your Iced Coffee

You can start to make Starbucks style coffee beverages with little to no effort. Simply add a tablespoon or two of vanilla syrup and enjoy an iced vanilla latte. You can add caramel sauce and enjoy a tasty iced caramel macchiato.

Your choice of milk doesn’t have to be dairy milk as you can switch your dairy milk with almond milk, oat milk, soy milk and coconut milk.

You can also use condensed milk and replicate Vietnamese coffee or Spanish Cafe Bombon. All you need to do is add a couple of tablespoons of condensed milk and stir well.

If you like to sweeten your coffee, you can use honey, stevia, agave honey, coconut sugar, brown sugar or any sweetener of your choice. The sweetener that you use can alter the flavor of your drink dramatically.

Read: Keurig iced coffee recipe

Tips For A Better Iced Coffee

Here are some tips for making your iced coffee even better, and more enjoyable.

Make A Batch Of Coffee Cubes

Coffee cubes are exactly what you think they are: coffee ice cubes. There is a little trick to making perfect and tastier coffee ice cubes.

Brew your coffee the same way using the same K cup pod as you would for making your iced coffee. Pour your freshly brewed coffee into your ice cube tray and put it in a ziplock bag before you freeze it.

The reason behind the use of a ziplock bag is because coffee is incredibly good at absorbing scents and flavors of nearby food items, and you will end up with better tasting iced coffee cubes that melt into your coffee.

When they are ready, remove them from the ice tray and store in a ziplock bag.

Double Up On Your K Cups

If your brew is too small or not strong enough, you can use two K Cups and less milk, giving you a much stronger tasting coffee.

Making your coffee stronger is often achieved by using the smaller drink sizes and pressing the iced button or the strong button. The only problem here is, if you are like me and enjoy a larger cup of coffee then the 4 Oz (120 ml) or 6 Oz (180 ml) options.

Using two pods will yield 8 Oz (240 ml) or 12 Oz (360 ml) of coffee plus any milk that you add, getting you a good 16 Oz (480 ml) or 24 Oz (720 ml) assuming the addition of an equal amount of milk.

Make A Vietnamese Iced Coffee

This I touched on earlier. A Vietnamese iced coffee is similar to a larger version of Spanish café bombon. To be clear, you can’t make an exact Vietnamese iced coffee with a Keurig as you are not using the Vietnamese Phin drip coffee maker which makes extra strong brewed coffee.

Simply put two tablespoons of condensed milk to the bottom of a tall glass and brew your dark roast coffee into it using the smallest brew size and press the iced button. When your coffee is ready, stir well and then pour slowly over ice and viola you have a Vietnamese Cà Phê Sữa Đá.

Read: Keurig iced coffee

Do All Keurig Machine Make Iced Coffee?

Yes, all Keurig machines can make iced coffee regardless of whether they have an iced coffee button or not. Most modern Keurig coffee makers have this facility, but there are still some models that don’t have this facility.

In the event that your machine does not have an iced coffee button, simply brew a coffee using the smallest drink size available.

If this is not making your brew strong enough for an iced coffee, you can use a reusable coffee pod and add slightly more coffee than what a regular K cup has. You may need to use a slightly smaller grind size to achieve this, depending on how strong you like your coffee.

Do I Need Special K Cups For Iced Coffee?

No, there is no obligation for you to use a special K cup for an iced coffee. You can use any brand and quality of coffee that you so wish. With the use of reusable coffee pods you can use single origin and any high-end specialty coffee that you want to.

It is certainly worth knowing that dark roast coffee works best with iced coffee as it compensates for melting ice. If you are medium roasting, it is certainly to your advantage to use coffee ice cubes.

Keurig has a line of brew over ice K cups, which are currently only available in three flavors, which are:

• Hazelnut cream.
• Vanilla Caramel.
• Classic Black.

The Keurig Iced Coffee Button Difference

The difference and effect that the Keurig iced button has is that it causes the coffee maker to produce a cup of coffee with a stronger coffee to water ratio. The elevated grounds to water ratio means your coffee is stronger, bolder and can withstand the melting ice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Can You Make Iced Coffee With A Keurig

Can Kcups Be Used For Iced Coffee?

Yes, you can make iced coffee using Kcups. Although you can use any K cup, it works best if you use a good quality dark roast, with a French roast and Italian roast being better choices for a great cup of coffee.

Can I Put Ice Water In My Keurig?

It will make no difference at all if you put ice water in your Keurig as it will not make your resulting coffee drink any colder.

Adding regular cold water, or better still filtered cold water to your water reservoir is all that is needed. Don’t add hot water hoping to get hotter coffee, you won’t.

The internal thermostat is temperature-controlled and will still brew to the same temperature. You might end up tripping the internal thermos witch though and end up needing a serviceman to open your coffee machine.

Which Keurig Pods Are Best For Iced Coffee?

The best type of Keurig Pods for iced coffee are dark roast, especially a French roast or an Italian roast.

Which K-cup Machine Is Best For Iced Coffee?

In my opinion, after having looked at various Keurig coffee machines, it is my opinion that the Keurig K-Elite produces the best iced coffee. It’s stylish, easy to use, very affordable and has the convenience of an iced coffee button for making the stronger and bolder coffee that you need for making an iced coffee every single time.

What Makes Iced Coffee Thicker?

To make your coffee thicker, be it a hot coffee, cold brew coffee or an iced coffee you can use Xanthan gum. It’s a food additive that is used as an emulsifying agent.

If you have enjoyed a nice thick frappé at your local coffee shop, it is highly probable that they have used Xanthan gum. If it is good enough for Starbuck, it’s good enough for you to use.

You only need a few drops.

How Do You Make Iced Coffee So Ice Doesn’t Melt?

The best way of making your iced coffee, so the ice doesn’t melt is to first brew a good strong hot coffee with a stronger coffee to water ratio. Use this coffee to make coffee ice cubes.

Then brew an equally strong coffee and pour the contents into a cocktail shaker or a mason jar with ice. Shake well for about a minute. This shaking will instantly cool your coffee. Pour your coffee into a tall glass and add your coffee ice cubes.

The fact that your coffee is ice-cold as it is means your coffee cubes won’t melt so easily and when they do, they won’t water down your cup of coffee!

Why Do You Put Cold Water In A Keurig?

Your Keurig is designed to heat your water for you to a predetermined temperature. Adding hot water may trip the internal thermal switch which you will then need to reset by taking your coffee maker apart.

Adding hot or cold water to the water reservoir has no effect (as long as the thermal switch doesn’t trip) on the temperature of your final cup of coffee produced.

Can You Use Normal Coffee Pods For Iced Coffee?

Yes, you can use any regular coffee pod that you wish to make an iced coffee. The best one is a French roast or an Italian roast due to the bold intense taste, being able to hold up to melting ice and not tasting too watery when you are drinking it.

Final Thoughts – Can You Make Iced Coffee With A Keurig?

You have that answer to the question, can you make iced coffee with a Keurig and some great tips for making a very tasty cup of iced coffee. If you have never tried a Vietnamese iced coffee, I encourage you to try it.

While living 3 years in Vietnam, I absolutely fell in love with their version of iced coffee.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location