Last updated on July 28th, 2024 at 14:00
Learning how to make an iced Americano at home will save you a lot of money and time as it will save you from heading out to your nearest coffee shop or Starbucks.
In this article I’ll detail the drink, what it is and how to make it both with an espresso machine and without a machine.
Keep reading for the details.
What Is An Iced Americano?
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An iced Americano is one of the better cold coffee drinks that you can enjoy on a hot day. It’s easy and super simple to make it is a made with shots of espresso, cold water and ice cubes.
The traditional ratio of espresso to cold water is 1:1; often this ratio is ignored with most coffee shops serving the espresso shots with ice and a small jug of cold water with the drinker left to add the amount that suits his or her own personal taste.
Read: Iced Americano recipe
Iced Americano Starbucks
An iced Americano at Starbucks is brewed using their signature Pike Place coffee, which makes the tasty espresso base and the cold water is poured into the espresso base and ice cubes added to make a great cup of coffee.
Iced Americano at Starbucks is available in three drink sizes:
- Tall 12 Oz (360 ml).
- Grande 16 Oz (480 ml).
- Venti 24 Oz (720 ml).
The different drink sizes have a different amount of caffeine due to the different amount of espresso shots and curiously have different strengths of flavor due to using different ratios of espresso to water.
Here are all the details that you need about an Iced Americano at Starbucks:
| Drink Size. | Number Of Espresso Shots | Espresso To Water Ratio | Caffeine Content | Calories | Sugar |
| 2 | 1:5 | 150 mg. | 10 | 0 grams |
| 3 | 1:4.33 | 225 mg. | 15 | 0 grams |
| 4 | 1:5 | 300 mg. | 15 | 0 grams |
How To Make An Iced Americano
Making an iced Americano is easy. The best results are achieved by using a home espresso machine to replicate the drink exactly. With an espresso machine you will get the rich and bold flavors into your iced Americano.
If you have not yet invested in a home espresso machine they are worth considering, especially if you find yourself spending a lot of time and money on Starbucks style coffee. The US$400 to US$600 that one will cost will end up paying for itself many times over in the money saved, and you will get much better quality coffee at home.
Of course, you can use a moka pot to make your iced Americano without a machine; I’ll get to that in a later section. Just be aware that there is a big difference in the strong coffee base made with a moka pot and an authentic espresso.
The method is simple.
Pull a double or triple shot of espresso and then pour an equal amount of cold water onto your espresso shots to replicate a traditional caffรฉ Americano or add 5x as much cold water as there is espresso to emulate a Starbucks iced Americano.
Add ice and enjoy. It really is that easy to make.
Read: What is an iced Americano
Making The Perfect Shot Of Espresso
The better your espresso base is, the better your coffee will be. This stands true for any espresso based coffee drink that you are making.
The chef’s principle of using the best ingredients and best equipment extends to coffee.
If you want to emulate a Starbucks iced Americano, use their Pike Place coffee beans. I suggest using not just any espresso roast coffee but premium quality specialty grade coffee of a medium-dark or dark roast.
Tanzania peaberry, Hawaiian Kona coffee and Sumatra Mandheling Coffee are great choices.
Weigh your coffee beans with a digital coffee scale. Weigh 20 grams per shot of espresso that you want to make. Grind to a very fine powder like grind size using a conical ceramic burr grinder.
Tamp your coffee grounds using an even pressure of approximately 30 kg. Pull your shots. Your brew time should be 25 seconds with a variance of plus or minus 5 seconds.
If your espresso is brewed too quickly, less than 20 seconds brew time, your shots will likely be sour or slightly sour. Adjust your coffee grind size and make it slightly smaller to encourage greater contact between the grinds and your hot water.
If your espresso takes too long to brew, your shot is probably too bitter or slightly too bitter. Alter your grind size to make it slightly larger to encourage your hot water to flow with a little more ease past your grinds and reducing the contact time.
When you have that perfect espresso shot, add cold water at the ratios that you desire. I suggest that you add the ice first and then slowly add a little cold water while sip testing until you get the perfect taste. Stir well after adding water to distribute the cold water evenly.
Iced Americano With Milk
Even though it is not at all that common, you can add milk to your iced Americano. Adding milk to it makes it an Iced Americano misto. The addition of milk reduces the acidity and bitter notes.
Iced Americano Without Machine
Making an iced Americano without a machine is every bit as easy as making it with an espresso machine.
By far the best apparatus to use is a moka pot. Moka pots are often called stovetop espresso makers. Don’t let the name fool you! A moka pot at best can only make strong espresso like coffee. It makes a strong thin espresso without the espresso crema.
To get the best out of your moka pot alter your coffee to water ratio when brewing from 1:10 to 1:8 for a slightly stronger and denser coffee.
Due to a weaker coffee being brewed you will need to use more coffee and water it with less cold water.
Use the Latte Love Brew TAFO rule – Test And Find Out. Add a little water, then sip test it for flavor. If it is too strong, add a little more sip test again and continue until you get the perfect taste.
Add ice and enjoy your drink.
Using An Aeropress
An AeroPress is the newest coffee brewing technique. Despite being labeled as a manual espresso maker, like a moka pot mentioned above, it is far from creating or replicating a perfect espresso.
I don’t mean to dismiss an AeroPress or moka pot out of hand; I own both, and they do make great coffee and have their function of brewing coffee, specially when you are travelling or at the campsite. I just want to make it clear that they are not really espresso makers and only make espresso like coffee.
An AeroPress functions by steeping coffee grounds in hot water and using a plunger to force the brewed coffee through a filter.
To make a strong coffee I suggest that you alter the coffee to water ratio from 1:16 to 1:12. Use a metal mesh filter instead of a paper filter for deeper and better flavor.
Like a moka pot, you will need to use more coffee and less water when watering down your iced Americano.
Follow the same rule of TAFO and test and find out. Pour your coffee and add cold water, stirring well each time and testing often until you get that perfect flavor. Then add ice and enjoy your coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Make An Iced Americano
What Do You Need For Iced Americano?
An iced Americano coffee is a cafรฉ Americano served with ice. What you need is a shot of espresso coffee and equal amount of cold water and ice.
Is Iced Americano Just Black Coffee?
No, an iced Americano is not just a black coffee. It is an espresso shot that has been diluted with an equal amount of water. A black coffee is brewed coffee, drip coffee with and no espresso used to make it.
How Does Starbucks Make Iced Americano?
Starbucks makes their iced Americano with one to four espresso shots depending on the size of the drink served. An equal amount of cold water is added and the ice cubes. It is one of their most popular coffee drinks during the hot summer months.
What Is The Ratio For Iced Americano?
The ratio of an iced Americano is a 1:1 ratio of espresso and cold water. The same ratio is used for a hot, regular Americano coffee recipe with hot water being used instead of cold water.
Do You Add Milk To Iced Americano?
You can add milk to an iced Americano, but it is something that is very rare, but it is done to take the edge of the acidity and bitter notes of this coffee drink. You can use regular dairy milk or non-dairy milk alternative like almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or soy milk. I have seen people adding a splash of milk. Use your favorite milk if you want to.
Is Iced Americano Sweet Or Bitter?
A traditional iced Americano is crisp with low bitter notes. It’s not sweet, nor bitter, but is balanced due to the addition of cold water taking the edge off of the bitterness of an espresso.
Final Thoughts – How To Make An Iced Americano
Learning how to make an iced Americano at home adds another tasty and amazing coffee to your coffee making skills. This one will go down well during those hot summer days. It’s great, refreshing and gives you a good caffeine kick.
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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
