Iced Americano Recipe – How To Make It Like A Pro Barista!

In this iced Americano recipe I suggest that you use the best coffee beans that you can find, or simply use your favorite beans. I get to the details and talk about how to make an iced Americano with an espresso machine and three methods of making it without a machine.

Keep reading and get ready to make a great Iced Americano!

Iced Americano Recipe

Making an iced Americano is easy. It is one of the easiest coffee drinks that you can make at home with your espresso machine. Even though you can emulate this drink using a moka pot and AeroPress, which I’ll talk more about later, an Authentic iced Americano needs to be made with shots of espresso.

Anything else is not an authentic iced Americano.

Read: How to make an iced Americano

Equipment Needed

Very few equipment and ingredients are needed to make this drink.

• A home or professional espresso machine.
• A conical ceramic burr grinder.

Ingredients Needed

As stated, very few ingredients are needed, other than the obvious!

• Specialty grade coffee beans.
• Ice cubes.

The Technique And Method

Start by selecting good-quality specialty grade coffee beans. Dark roasted coffee beans are best. French and Italian roasts work very well for making an Americano, hot or iced. I suggest using:

• Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.
• Stumptown Hairbender Espresso roast coffee.
• Starbucks Pike Place.

If you want to emulate the beverage sold at Starbucks, use their signature Pike Place beans. Let’s get to making the shots of espresso!

Read: Starbucks iced Americano recipe

Making The Perfect Espresso Shot

Start by checking your home espresso machine and ensuring that the water is at the perfect temperature range of 92C – 96C (195F to 205F) and nearer to the 96C (205F). Check the water pressure and ensure it is set to at least 9 bars (130 PSI).

Ensure your machine is clean. Now would be a good time to run a descaling cycle to ensure the internal pipes and tubes are clean and clear of any mineral deposits and any other dirt.

Fill the water reservoir with filtered water or better still mineral water. The better the quality of your water, the better your shots of espresso will be.

Weigh 20 grams of whole coffee beans per espresso shot that you want or need to pull. Grind to a fine powder like grind and tamp with an even pressure of approximately 30 kg.

Pull your shots of espresso into a tall glass or transfer into a tall glass once pulled.

Add ice.

Prepare a small jug of cold water and add a small amount of water to your espresso. Taste test it by taking a sip. If it is not to your liking, add a little more water, take a sip and taste test again. Repeat until you get the perfect taste for you.

When ready, relax and enjoy your coffee.

Iced Americano Recipe Without Machine

Making an Americano without an espresso machine is easy. The two main methods are using an AeroPress and a moka pot. Just be aware that you will get “espresso-like coffee” but not an actual espresso shot with either of these methods.

You can use a French press too.

AeroPress Iced Americano Recipe

An AeroPress iced Americano recipe is very easy to make. An AeroPress is the newest coffee brewing method that uses the full immersion technique of steeping your coffee grounds in 92C to 96C (195F to 205F) hot water.

Use your favorite premium quality specialty coffee beans and weigh 10 grams (1/3rd Oz) of whole beans and then grind to a medium-fine grind size.  Add your ground coffee to your AeroPress and pour 4 ounces of hot water heated to 96C (205F) and stir slowly for 10 to 15 seconds.

Push down on your AeroPress to get your final brewed coffee. I strongly advise using the metal disk filters as you will get a full-bodied flavor with all the coffee oils into your coffee. A paper filter will produce a crisp and clean taste with all the coffee oils removed.

At this point you have your coffee base, which is a much stronger coffee than a regular AeroPress coffee due to using a coffee to water ratio of 1:12 instead of a 1:16 ratio.

It is best to make a more focused coffee because later we can adjust the flavor by adding cold water.

Pour your coffee over ice cubes and then slowly add cold water and stir to give an even distribution of flavor. Sip and taste test until you get the perfect taste.

When you have the perfect taste, serve and enjoy.

Read: What is an iced Americano?

Moka Pot Iced Americano Recipe

Making Iced Americano coffee with a moka pot is easy. Simply brew a good strong coffee using great coffee beans for the best results. Specialty coffee of a dark roast, French roast or an Italian roast works better, much better.

For making this cold coffee drink we are going to alter the usual coffee to water ratio of a moka pot from 1:10 to 1:8 to get a stronger brew.

Use whole fresh whole beans and weigh them as whole before grinding. Weigh 15 grams (1/2 Oz) of whole coffee beans and grind them to a fine powder like grind size using a ceramic conical burr grinder.

Add your coffee grounds to your moka pot.

Add 120 ml (4 Oz) of preheated water to the water chamber. Preheating your water to 70C (158F) and then adding to the water chamber results in a much better quality moka pot coffee due to less flavor lost due to rising water vapor spoiling the coffee by making it damp before it is ready to extract the flavor compounds.

When your coffee is ready, pour your 4 oz of brewed coffee over ice into a tall glass and add cold water. To get the perfect taste, add a little cold water, give the coffee and water a little stir and sip test it. Keep adding cold water, stirring and spit testing until you get the perfect taste as per your own liking.

When ready, relax and enjoy your refreshing cold coffee drink!

Using A French Press

A French press is not usually used to make a strong espresso style coffee. You can still use your press to make a strong, full-bodied coffee.

Like a moka pot and Aeropress, to achieve this goal it is best that we use a more focused coffee to water ratio.

Instead of the regular 1:12 ratio, use a 1:8 coffee to water ratio and weigh 15 grams (1/2 oz) of whole coffee beans and grind to a coarse grind of coffee.

Heat 120 ml (4 oz) of hot water to 96C (205F) and pour slowly and evenly into your French press. Stir the water and coffee grounds for a minute. Slowly lower your plunger to just below the water line and leave your coffee to brew for 3 to 4 minutes.

When ready, with an even pressure push down on your plunger. You should feel some resistance. Carefully pour your coffee over ice cubes in a tall glass.

Slowly add cold water while mixing it well by stirring. Take frequent sip tests and stop when the flavor of the coffee is perfect for you.

Iced Americano Ratio

The traditional ratio for an iced Americano is 1:1 but varies from coffee shop to coffee shop. Starbucks uses an iced Americano ratio of 1:5 with 1 part espresso and 5 parts cold water.

Many of the better coffee shops serve a small jug of cold water and a cup with the shots of espresso and ice served in a tall glass. It is then up to the client to pour as much or as little cold water into their iced Americano to get the flavor that they desire. This is the best way of serving the drink as each individual coffee drinker has their tastes and likes.

Iced Americano Calories

There are very little calories in an iced Americano. It is one of the healthiest coffee drinks on the menu at Starbucks with no sugar, no fat and only 10 to 15 calories depending on the size of the drink that you order.

As long as you enjoy it as it comes with no milk, no topping and no flavored syrups it’s a rare low calorie drink from Starbucks, which compared to a latte which can have as much as 250 calories or a mocha which has almost 500 calories you can see that this drink is one of the better choices if you are watching your figure.

Iced Americano With Milk

You can add milk to your iced Americano. The addition of milk will alter the flavor and texture and turn it into a different drink, an iced Americano misto. Just a splash of milk is enough. Dairy milk alternatives like almond milk and oat milk work very well as does coconut milk and soy milk.

Just be careful not to over do it, usually only a touch of milk is enough.

Frequently Asked Questions About Iced Americano Recipe

What Is In An Iced Americano?

A traditional iced Americano is an espresso-based coffee with an equal amount of cold water with ice added.

Is An Iced Americano Healthy?

Yes, an iced Americano is low in fat, sugar and calories when compared to other coffee beverages, particularly those with milk, cream and flavored syrups. It also has a good nutritional profile with riboflavin, niacin, potassium, magnesium and phenolic compounds.

Coffee is also loaded with powerful antioxidants.

Why Do Koreans Drink Iced Americano A Lot?

I spent  years in South Korea, iced Americano is popular due to many Koreans and Asians in general being lactose intolerant and this black coffee beverage like this is popular. They are also hardworking, very hardworking people, and the caffeine content I appreciated.

The hot climate dictates the use of ice in their coffee.

Is Iced Americano With Sugar?

No, an iced Americano is served with no sweetener, not sugar and no milk. It’s simply a shot of espresso coffee with an equal amount of cold water and ice cubes. 

Can I Drink Americano On Empty Stomach?

Drinking coffee augments the production of stomach acid but does not cause digestive issues for people drinking coffee on an empty or full stomach. According to the well respected health site, Healthline, it is perfectly fine to drink coffee on an empty stomach.

Do Europeans Drink Americanos?

Yes, Café Americano, regular or with ice, is popular in Europe with many Spaniards, Italians, French, Germans and Dutch nationals to name a few. 

Fun Fact: Café Americano was invented in Europe by American servicemen during World War 2. While missing their regular drip coffee from home, they requested the popular espresso and added water. Due to being popular amongst Americans, it became known as café Americano! 

Final Thoughts – Iced Americano Recipe

Making this iced Americano recipe is easy, very easy. Best results are achieved with the best equipment and thus an espresso machine gets much better results in terms of taste and are well worth the investment if you are serious about coffee.

If you are still sitting on the fence and undecided, a moka pot will still get you good results.

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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