How to Make an Iced Espresso

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 Tested

An iced espresso is a cold and refreshing way to enjoy your morning cup of joe on a warm summer day. Making them at home is a great way to save money, and it allows you to customize your drink just the way you like it. Iced espresso starts with freshly brewed espresso, and from there you can either chill the espresso in the freezer, or you can cool it down with milk and serve it over ice.

Ingredients

Black Iced Espresso

2 ounces (59 ml) water
3¾ tablespoons (20 g) ground coffee, finely ground
1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 g) sugar, to taste
Ice

Creamy Iced Espresso

2 ounces (59 ml) prepared espresso
1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 g) sugar, to taste
¼ to ½ cup (59 to 119 ml) milk, to taste
Ice

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Brewing the Espresso

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1
Try an espresso machine . An actual espresso machine will give you the best results for espresso, because the machine is specifically designed to make it rather than coffee.
- The main difference between coffee and espresso is the brewing method. Espresso is made by extracting flavor from coffee grounds using high temperatures and pressure. Coffee, on the other hand, doesn’t use pressure to extract the flavor.
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2
Make espresso with a moka pot. If you don’t have access to your own espresso maker, there are some simple devices you can use at home. A moka pot, also called a macchinetta, is a small stove-top coffee maker. To make espresso in the moka pot:
- Fill the bottom chamber with the water, being sure not to surpass the maximum fill line.
- Place the metal filter basket inside the bottom reservoir, and fill it with the coffee. Screw on the top chamber. ^{[1]
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- Close the lid and heat the moka pot over medium heat. As the water in the bottom chamber heats up, it will be forced up through the coffee and into the upper chamber.
- When the moka pot starts sputtering, lift the lid. Leave the pot on the heat until the coffee stops bubbling up.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
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3
Use an AeroPress to make espresso. An AeroPress is a type of coffee press that you can use to make an espresso-type drink. To use the AeroPress for espresso instead of coffee: ^{[2]
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- Insert a new filter in the strainer and assemble the AeroPress. Pour in a little water to wet the filter, and then position the AeroPress over a coffee mug.
- Pour in the coffee.
- Boil your water in a kettle or a saucepan, and when it boils, pour the water over the coffee. Stir the coffee, and then insert the plunger slightly. Pull the plunger back a little, but not enough to remove it from the column.
- Let the coffee brew for two minutes, and then apply gentle and even pressure to the plunger to push the coffee through the filter.
- Continue pushing the plunger all the way to the bottom, even when it starts hissing, so you get the crema for the espresso.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making Black Iced Espresso

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1
Get your equipment. Along with 2 ounces (59 ml) of brewed espresso, ice, and sugar, the only things you need to make this type of black espresso are a martini shaker and a freezer.
- Note that this method for making iced espresso takes several hours, because you freeze the black espresso in the freezer to chill it.
Brew your espresso and pull the shot into a regular demitasse cup. When the espresso is ready, add sugar, to taste, and stir to combine. You add the sugar now while the espresso is still hot to make sure that it dissolves properly. ^{[3]
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3
Transfer to the martini shaker and freeze. Pour your sweetened espresso into a metal or plastic martini shaker. Keep the lid off, and place the espresso in the freezer for between two and three hours, until it’s chilled and very slushy. ^{[4]
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- While you can add ice cubes directly to hot espresso to cool it down, you'll just end up with a warm and watered down espresso drink.
- Chilling the concentrated espresso in the freezer will allow it to retain all of the flavor of the coffee.
4
Shake and serve. Once the espresso is fully chilled and slushy, remove it from the freezer. Add a few ice cubes, put on the lid, and give the iced espresso a good shake.
- You can also add milk to the espresso to make it creamy and delicious. Add it to the martini shaker and shake it up with the ice and espresso.
- Serve in martini glasses, aperitif glasses, or tallboys.
- Garnish the iced espresso with chocolate shavings, cinnamon, or nutmeg if you like.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making Quick and Creamy Iced Espresso

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1
Gather your supplies. To make a creamy iced espresso, you'll need a tall cup, 2 ounces (59 ml) of brewed espresso, milk, sugar (optional), and enough ice to fill your cup. The more ice you add, the more chilled your espresso drink will be, which is important because you're working with hot coffee.
- You can use any milk you like, including whole, cream, heavy cream, or non-dairy milks like coconut, almond, or soy.
- Make sure your milk is completely chilled, as this will help to cool the coffee.
2
Add sugar. Pull your espresso shot into a regular cup or demitasse. Add sugar, to taste, directly into the cup with the hot espresso. Give the espresso a stir to dissolve and distribute the sugar. ^{[5]
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- It’s important to add the sugar to the hot espresso, because sugar will not dissolve properly in a cold drink.
Pour your milk into your tall iced espresso glass. Add in the sweetened espresso and stir to combine. By combining the hot espresso with the cold milk, you'll temper, or decrease the temperature, of the espresso and prevent the ice cubes from melting immediately. ^{[6]
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4
Fill the glass with ice and serve. Once you’ve cooled the coffee by combining it with the milk, fill the glass with ice to chill the coffee. Stir the coffee and ice to fully chill the drink. ^{[7]
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- You can garnish the iced espresso with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices.
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