Iced Coffee: The Topic

[alacarte]

It makes me happy just knowing that this thread exists.

I have a dumb question to ask my fellow iced-coffee addicts:

Is it true that if you make coffee (or espresso) and then chill it overnight, that it loses its caffeine content? I've noticed that it certainly tastes best when you make a fresh shot and then chill it over ice & drink it right away. Is this some kind of coffee fallacy?

[alacarte]

Here's alacarte's recipe for The Best Iced Mochaccino Ever (courtesy of 52 Irving coffee shop )

Fill a cup about halfway full of ice.

Pour in non-fat milk until it almost hits the top of the ice.

Pull an espresso shot (or two), and mix with Ghiradelli chocolate syrup while hot.

Pour the mixture over the ice and milk, and stir together so the espresso chills.

Add frothed milk on top if the fancy strikes you.

do NOT add powdered cocoa on top of the froth. Bleechhhh.

sip, enjoy, repeat, think happy caffeinated thoughts

I also enjoy the occasional iced hazelnut coffee, extra milk & sugar.

[Varmint]

I drink quickly-made iced coffee at work most afternoons. It's not Nirvana, but it does the trick. Our standard office coffee is Starbucks, about 6 different varieties. I pour a cup of Starbucks Sumatra, add two teaspoons of sugar and stir. I then fill a tall glass (we have pint glasses for water) with crushed ice straight from our filtered water dispenser. Onto that I pour approximately a quarter cup of half and half. Then, while stirring, I add my coffee. Instant iced coffee. I've had to show several of my co-workers how to do this. We also have nasty flavored coffees here (hazlenut is the most popular) -- they aren't too bad in iced coffee.

[slkinsey]

Is it true that if you make coffee (or espresso) and then chill it overnight, that it loses its caffeine content? I've noticed that it certainly tastes best when you make a fresh shot and then chill it over ice & drink it right away. Is this some kind of coffee fallacy?

From a purely chemical standpoint, I don't see how it would lose any caffeine. The taste difference is probably due to the fact that freshly-brewed esppresso is chick full of volatile flavor and aroma compounds. "Volatile" in this case means "don't last for long, so drink it quickly before they go away."

[JosephB]

It's getting warmer, and in Springtime a young man's fancy turns to iced coffee. Today I almost achieved iced coffee nirvana.

Tall Glass

Fill 2/3with leftover extra-strong presspot coffee

Add plentiful sweetened condensed milk

Add a slug of U-Bet chocolate syrup

Add ice

Stir

Enjoy

The two things that would improve on this, as I see it, would be frozen coffee cubes instead of ice, and some of that Ghirardelli chocolate syrup Alacarte pointed out. Some people like to use espresso as the coffee base, but at the volume I drink I'd be getting something like 14 shots per serving.

So...? How do you do it?

I had the pleasure of trying one of these last week -- yum, yum, yum!

[Java-Joe]

Alacarte, your iced coffee will not lose it's caffeine content.

Joe

[alacarte]

Alacarte, your iced coffee will not lose it's caffeine content.

Joe

Coffee fallacies debunked here, 25 cents!

[alacarte]

I drink quickly-made iced coffee at work most afternoons. It's not Nirvana, but it does the trick. Our standard office coffee is Starbucks, about 6 different varieties. I pour a cup of Starbucks Sumatra, add two teaspoons of sugar and stir. I then fill a tall glass (we have pint glasses for water) with crushed ice straight from our filtered water dispenser. Onto that I pour approximately a quarter cup of half and half. Then, while stirring, I add my coffee. Instant iced coffee. I've had to show several of my co-workers how to do this. We also have nasty flavored coffees here (hazlenut is the most popular) -- they aren't too bad in iced coffee.

That sounds good, Varmint.

I think it's often lost on people that it's a good idea to dissolve the sugar or add chocolate while the coffee is still hot, so it blends, and then you try to chill it -- adding sugar to already-chilled coffee leaves a grainy texture from undissolved sugar.

I've also made the blunder of pouring hot coffee over ice and then adding the milk -- which of course melts the ice too much so you get watery iced coffee. It's like a mini chemistry set.

[BeJam]

Please use a good quality coffee. The Toddy will set you back @ 24 bucks. Spend 6 or 7 bucks on a decent coffee. Grind it between.slightly coarse to percolate. As "snowangel" said, pour the coffee in the gizmo, pour in @ 9 - 10 cups cold water, let sit overnight, drain into carafe. You've got 32 oz. of fresh hi quality coffee concentrate. Double volume with 32 oz. water.

I've used a Toddy for years think it makes an exceptional cup of cold coffee. It is less good for hot drinks though. They claim adding three parts hot water to one part coffee concentrate is as good as any regularly brewed cup. But the process takes out too much of the acid and leaves the coffee without much bite, or as a friend of mine from NC says, "crunch."

The key to the Toddy, says the manufacturer, is the filter which is about a half inch thick and three inches round and fairly stiff. It fits in the bottom of plastic tub that has a small rubber-stopper held reservoir below. After 12 hours of steeping, the stopper is pulled and, over the course of 15 minutes, the coffee drains into the carafe. It works great in any cold drink and I agree, that good coffee is a requirement. The vanilla tip is a good one too. There are hints of cocoa in the cold brew and the vanilla really brings them out.

I am curious though how a cold-brew would turn out by placing the same proportions of coffee and water in a Mason Jar, steeping it, then using a couple of regular coffee filters under the lind ring and draining it. I'll test it next time I C-B.

[laurenmilan]

I love iced coffee in all forms, but the problem is I've been having a lot of Vietnamese food over the last year or so and have become accustomed to Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

Its sort of like freebasing cocaine. Once you go hardcore, its difficult to go back to other methods.

Oh man, tell me about it... my first experience with "kopi sua doc", my expression was kinda like this...

I was hooked ever since, and I soon got a hold of the little steel kopi filter and have been making it myself.

[Java-Joe]

Bode..........

I want to know how that experiment works out. Be sure to let us know how much coffee you use in this test. Don't fergit to wear yer goggles and gloves! Just kidding!

No, cold-dripped coffee does not a good HOT beverage make! That's why man discovered fire. Or was it electricity?

Joe

[phaelon56]

No, cold-dripped coffee does not a good HOT beverage make!

Yes... I agree completely. It does make for a very low-acid cup, helpful for some people if acidity is a problem, but I find that a good Indonesian coffee such as a Sumatra Mandheling or a Sulawesi, makes a very smooth low acid cup when brewed in the traditional manner (but tastes much better).

[fredbram]

My recent variation on the Shakerato is a double shot of freshly brewed espresso into the blender with a tablespoon or so of hazelnut syrup, 3-4 ounces of milk and 6 or so ice cubes. Blend for 10-15 seconds--you dont want to puree all of the ice, only some of it. Strain into glass and drink. Strong, smooth, creamy, not too sweet, irresistable.

[_john]

I was never into iced coffee until I moved to Japan. In Japan you can get iced coffee with milk and sugar already added in cartons just like milk. 1 liter of iced coffee is 99yen (less than $1) at my local market! I find myself buying a carton and drinking the whole thing in one day. I don't know if torakris (a fellow iced coffee addicted japan resident) shares this experience. I don't have a coffee machine (or even room for one in my small apartment) and it is just so much cheaper to buy it already made as opposed to buying the coffee, filters, milk and sugar separately. As for the taste... it is really good actually, I swear there is something strangely addictive about it, dangerous stuff. No ice for me thanks, I drink it right from the carton!

[torakris]

I was never into iced coffee until I moved to Japan. In Japan you can get iced coffee with milk and sugar already added in cartons just like milk. 1 liter of iced coffee is 99yen (less than $1) at my local market! I find myself buying a carton and drinking the whole thing in one day. I don't know if torakris (a fellow iced coffee addicted japan resident) shares this experience. I don't have a coffee machine (or even room for one in my small apartment) and it is just so much cheaper to buy it already made as opposed to buying the coffee, filters, milk and sugar separately. As for the taste... it is really good actually, I swear there is something strangely addictive about it, dangerous stuff. No ice for me thanks, I drink it right from the carton! 

←

Hell yeah!

I didn't start drinking coffee until I came to Japan either. The Japanese can do wonderful things to iced coffee.

I use the Toddy cold brew system for most of my coffee now, it is more expensive than the carton stuff but I like it better. I do buy the carton stuff though for when I am having parties, etc

Have you tried the coffee flavored milk that seems to be a favorite of most Japanese children?

[Hiroyuki]

The problem with these coffee drinks is that they contain a fair amount of sugar. One source says that a 250-ml coffee can contains about 20 g of sugar. Canned coffee contains about 8 to 10% sugar, according to another. If this is true of the type of coffee drink you mentioned ("coffee gyuunyuu"), one 1-liter carton contains about 100 g of sugar.

You can make a much healthier and possibly cheaper version by simply mixing one part milk and one part instant coffee and adding some sugar. This is exactly what I do when my children want to have coffee.

[phaelon56]

Is it true that if you make coffee (or espresso) and then chill it overnight, that it loses its caffeine content?  I've noticed that it certainly tastes best when you make a fresh shot and then chill it over ice & drink it right away. Is this some kind of coffee fallacy?

From a purely chemical standpoint, I don't see how it would lose any caffeine. The taste difference is probably due to the fact that freshly-brewed esppresso is chick full of volatile flavor and aroma compounds. "Volatile" in this case means "don't last for long, so drink it quickly before they go away."

←

I've experimented with frozen blended iced coffee drinks made with espresso, with extra strong coffee and also with a combination of the two. The combination seeems to be the best but just making extra strong hot coffee also works well in the frozen blended drinks. The addition of ice and sweeteners really creates a need for extra flavor kick.

"slkinsey" is on the money about the subtlety of espresso when it comes to frozen blended drinks - I think it's a waste in that context. It will shock some of you to hear this but my best results in home brewed frappuccino style drinks resulted from using extra strong brewed coffee and then tossing about two heaping teaspoons of Medaglia D'oro "instant espresso" powder into the coffee to dissolve, prior to adding milk and ice.

[_john]

Have you tried the coffee flavored milk that seems to be a favorite of most Japanese children?

←

Hmmm I don't think I have had the pleasure of trying it yet, what does it look like and what is it called? My favorite so far is Morinaga Mild Coffee. When I first had it I could have sworn that I had mistakenly picked up a carton of melted coffee ice cream. Now Hiroyuki has me all worried about my sugar intake... Beer, sugar, butter, next thing you know I will find out kimchi is bad for me.

[Hiroyuki]

Have you tried the coffee flavored milk that seems to be a favorite of most Japanese children?

←

Hmmm I don't think I have had the pleasure of trying it yet, what does it look like and what is it called? My favorite so far is Morinaga Mild Coffee. When I first had it I could have sworn that I had mistakenly picked up a carton of melted coffee ice cream. Now Hiroyuki has me all worried about my sugar intake... Beer, sugar, butter, next thing you know I will find out kimchi is bad for me.

←

As someone in your host country, I do care about your health. I know you are still young and 100 g of sugar a day may not be too much, though.

I think you drink the same type of coffee drink as that that torakris mentioned.

[Hiroyuki]

Once all the coffee essence is extracted, you mix it up with the condensed milk, yeilding a very sweet, very strong coffee(usually flavored with chickory) that is then poured over a glass of ice.

This is correct - most Vietnamese restaurants in the uS actually use Cafe du Monde dark roast coffee - the New Orleans product that is a coffee and chicory blend. My favorite local Viet restaurant has switched over to a Vietnames import - more costly but it makes an iced Viet style coffee far superior to any other brand I've tried

Trung Nguyen Coffee

My favorite iced coffee drink is a home brewed variation of the Starbuck Frappuccino style drink. I make mine to have far less sugar content and lower fat (not to mention that it cost me 50 cents instead of $4.00!)

Use a full bodied coffee such as a good French roast. Reduce by 50% the amount of water used to make the coffee. I sometimes also add a couple spoons of Ferrara's Instant Espresso powder while it's hot.

Most important is to use small ice cubes and a good strong blender that is capable of finely crushing the ice. I suggest the

Braun Powermax Blender

It has a stronger motor than anything else in its class and in my experience actually does a better job at crushing than the Waring and other brands in the $100 - $150 range.

Do not over blend - mixture will separate more rapidly after serving if you do so. Lately I've been experimenting with adding food grade carageenan as a binding agent to prevent separation - if doing this use a very small amount - about 1/4 teaspoon in a blender full of ice and mix. My attempts at using pectin for this purpose were disasterous.

Using ice cubes made of espresso or strong coffee also adds a nice kick.

1 1/2 cups cold extra strong coffee

simple syrup to taste

1 teaspoon chocolate syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir to dissolve ingredients while hot

Add cooled mixture to 1/2 cup milk with fat level of your choice before storing. Shake well before adding to blender. This recipe is intended for use with 3 cups of ice cubes.

←

In Japan, where iced coffee is quite popular, there are clear guidelines to make good iced coffee (which agree with your descriptions):

1. Use dark roast coffee beans.

The darker, the bitter, the more bodied, and the less acidic.

2. Use less water to make stronger coffee.

3. Cool the coffee quickly.

If cooled slowly, the coffee will get cloudy.

[Cook456]

Once all the coffee essence is extracted, you mix it up with the condensed milk, yeilding a very sweet, very strong coffee(usually flavored with chickory) that is then poured over a glass of ice.

This is correct - most Vietnamese restaurants in the uS actually use Cafe du Monde dark roast coffee - the New Orleans product that is a coffee and chicory blend. My favorite local Viet restaurant has switched over to a Vietnames import - more costly but it makes an iced Viet style coffee far superior to any other brand I've tried

Trung Nguyen Coffee

My favorite iced coffee drink is a home brewed variation of the Starbuck Frappuccino style drink. I make mine to have far less sugar content and lower fat (not to mention that it cost me 50 cents instead of $4.00!)

Use a full bodied coffee such as a good French roast. Reduce by 50% the amount of water used to make the coffee. I sometimes also add a couple spoons of Ferrara's Instant Espresso powder while it's hot.

Most important is to use small ice cubes and a good strong blender that is capable of finely crushing the ice. I suggest the

Braun Powermax Blender

It has a stronger motor than anything else in its class and in my experience actually does a better job at crushing than the Waring and other brands in the $100 - $150 range.

Do not over blend - mixture will separate more rapidly after serving if you do so. Lately I've been experimenting with adding food grade carageenan as a binding agent to prevent separation - if doing this use a very small amount - about 1/4 teaspoon in a blender full of ice and mix. My attempts at using pectin for this purpose were disasterous.

Using ice cubes made of espresso or strong coffee also adds a nice kick.

1 1/2 cups cold extra strong coffee

simple syrup to taste

1 teaspoon chocolate syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir to dissolve ingredients while hot

Add cooled mixture to 1/2 cup milk with fat level of your choice before storing. Shake well before adding to blender. This recipe is intended for use with 3 cups of ice cubes.

←

In Japan, where iced coffee is quite popular, there are clear guidelines to make good iced coffee (which agree with your descriptions):

1. Use dark roast coffee beans.

The darker, the bitter, the more bodied, and the less acidic.

2. Use less water to make stronger coffee.

3. Cool the coffee quickly.

If cooled slowly, the coffee will get cloudy.

←

How do you cool the coffee quickly?

[Hiroyuki]

How do you cool the coffee quickly?

←

Oh, that's easy enough. Just make strong coffee and pour it into a glass full of ice cubes. If you use a dripper (in Japan, french presses are much less popular than in the States), just place a glass full of ice cubes below the dripper, and the coffee will be cooled instantly.

[Cook456]

How do you cool the coffee quickly?

←

Oh, that's easy enough. Just make strong coffee and pour it into a glass full of ice cubes. If you use a dripper (in Japan, french presses are much less popular than in the States), just place a glass full of ice cubes below the dripper, and the coffee will be cooled instantly.

←

But then you're diluting it.. ??

[Hiroyuki]

How do you cool the coffee quickly?

←

Oh, that's easy enough. Just make strong coffee and pour it into a glass full of ice cubes. If you use a dripper (in Japan, french presses are much less popular than in the States), just place a glass full of ice cubes below the dripper, and the coffee will be cooled instantly.

←

But then you're diluting it.. ??

←

Exactly. That's whey you have to make stronger coffee with less water.

[slkinsey]

Interesting article in New York Magazine about what some NYC places are doing for iced coffee. It seems that using frozen coffee cubes is catching on in a big way.