To make iced coffee at home that isn't watery, brew it hot at double strength, or brew it straight onto ice by swapping a third to a half of the water for ice, then pour it over fresh ice. Freeze leftover coffee in an ice cube tray, so melting cubes add coffee to the glass instead of water.

We roast one coffee in cast iron on our family farm in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. None of these methods need a special machine: a drip coffee maker or pour-over cone, a jar and an ice cube tray will do.

Why it turns watery: ice chills coffee by melting, and the melt becomes water in your glass. So brew stronger than usual, letting the melt bring it back to normal strength, or make the ice out of coffee.

Iced coffee vs cold brew

Iced coffee is brewed hot and chilled fast. Cold brew steeps in cold water for half a day or more. Our FAQ puts it simply: "Cold brew is smoother and less acidic. Iced brew is faster and keeps more aroma. Both work with our roast."

For cold brew, our FAQ's recipe is about one cup of coffee to four cups of cold water, steeped in the refrigerator twelve to sixteen hours, then strained and diluted to taste. Our ground coffee works as it comes; if you grind whole beans, many people grind coarser for cold brew. Our cold brew guide has the full method. The rest of this page is the faster drink.

Method 1: Double-strength drip over ice

This is the easiest way, and it is the one our FAQ gives: "Brew it double strength and pour it over ice so the melt does not thin it out."

1. Double the coffee. Our everyday starting point is two tablespoons per six ounces of water, so for iced coffee use four. For two glasses, that is 12 ounces (1½ cups) of water and 8 level tablespoons (½ cup) of ground coffee, about 40 grams (estimate).
2. Brew as usual in a drip machine or a pour-over cone. For pour-over, use water just off boiling, about 200 to 205°F.
3. Pour it over ice right away. Fill two 16-ounce glasses to the top with ice, pour the hot coffee over, and stir. Top up with ice if it melts down.

Or keep your usual scoop and halve the water; the strength comes out the same. If the doubled grounds nearly fill the basket, brew a smaller batch so it does not overflow.

Method 2: Brewed straight onto ice

This is the Japanese-style method, or flash brewing. The ice goes in the carafe first and the hot coffee drips onto it, so it is chilled the moment it is made. Part of the brewing water goes in as ice: a third to a half of it.

One roaster's recipe uses 35 grams of medium-fine coffee, about 165 grams of ice and 335 grams of hot water: about 1 part coffee to 14 parts water, counting the ice. That is a little stronger than our everyday hot cup (near 1:18, estimate), since the fresh ice in your glass thins it a bit more.

Estimates: about 1:14 counting the ice, and about 5 grams per level tablespoon. More hot water and less ice pulls a little more flavor; more ice finishes colder. Adjust to taste.

1. Put the ice in the carafe that came with your brewer, or another heatproof container under your pour-over cone.
2. Put the ground coffee in the filter. Our ground coffee is one medium-fine grind, the same grind this recipe calls for.
3. Brew with only the hot water from the table. Pour-over: wet the grounds with about twice their weight in water, wait 30 to 45 seconds, then pour the rest in stages. Drip machine: fill the reservoir with just that amount, and take the carafe off the warming plate when it finishes.
4. Swirl until the ice is gone, then pour over a glass of fresh ice.

No scale? Freeze ¾ cup of water the night before. That is about 6 ounces of ice, right for the two-glass batch with 1½ cups of hot water and 7 level tablespoons of coffee.

Method 3: Leftover coffee and coffee ice cubes

Leftover morning coffee works too. Our FAQ notes that coffee left on a hot plate keeps cooking, so move it off soon after it brews. Let it cool in a jar, put the lid on and refrigerate it. Drink it within a day; it will never be as bright as coffee brewed onto ice.

Then make the ice out of coffee. In our FAQ's words, coffee ice cubes "keep iced coffee from watering down. Freeze leftover brewed coffee in a tray." Regular coffee over coffee cubes stays full strength to the last sip, because the melt is coffee. Keep the tray covered so the cubes do not pick up freezer smells.

Which coffee works best for iced coffee

Cold and melt both quiet a coffee's flavor, so start with a coffee that has body. A medium or medium-dark roast holds up over ice and with milk. Very light roasts make a bright, fruity iced coffee that some people love; if that is your glass, buy from a roaster who specializes in light roasts. We don't roast light.

Ours is 100% Colombian Supremo Arabica. Supremo is Colombia's grade for the largest beans by screen size. We roast it medium-dark in the German Norwegian style: one roast that releases beans at different points, so each batch holds a spread of roast levels. Customers describe it as smooth, bold and low in acid, and good black. Our FAQ adds that it has enough body to stand up to milk or cream without disappearing, and most customers skip the sugar. More on drinking it plain in coffee you can drink black.

“Awesome bold coffee flavor while still being smooth. It's great for hot or iced coffee.”
Justin S, verified buyer, March 2026

If you drink iced coffee most days, the Big Hoff Bag, ground (2 lb, $34) is a good size. Ground is one medium-fine grind that works for every brew method, espresso included; if you grind at home, order the Big Hoff Bag, whole bean. At about 17½ grams a glass (the brewed-onto-ice recipe), a 2 lb bag makes about 52 glasses, roughly 65 cents each at the one-time price before shipping (estimate). A second bag of the same kind (both ground or both whole bean) in the same order is $4 off, so two come to $64, and orders of $50 or more ship free by USPS to US addresses. We roast in small batches on a regular schedule, and it ships within days of roasting in nearly all cases.

We don't make decaf, flavored coffee or pods. For an iced decaf, a decaf from another roaster will suit you better. For a caramel or vanilla iced coffee, a little syrup in the glass works with any coffee.

Questions about iced coffee

Can hot coffee go in the fridge?

Yes. Let it cool, cover it, refrigerate it and drink it within a day for the best flavor. Our advice against the refrigerator is for beans and grounds, which pick up moisture and odors there; keep those sealed in a cool, dark cupboard (see storing coffee in Mason jars).

How do I keep iced coffee from watering down?

Brew it about double strength, or brew it straight onto ice so the melt is part of the recipe, then pour it over fresh ice. Coffee ice cubes made from leftover coffee keep the glass at full strength as they melt.

Is iced coffee the same as cold brew?

No. Iced coffee is brewed hot and chilled with ice in minutes. Cold brew steeps in cold water in the refrigerator for 12 to 16 hours. Cold brew is smoother and less acidic; iced coffee is faster and keeps more aroma. Our roast works for both.

What is the best roast for iced coffee?

For a classic iced coffee, black or with milk, a medium or medium-dark roast with body holds up to the cold and the melt. If you like bright, fruity flavors, try a light roast brewed onto ice.

How much coffee do I use for iced coffee?

For double-strength drip, four level tablespoons per six ounces of water, twice our everyday rule. For brewing onto ice, about 1:14 counting the ice; for two glasses, 35 grams of coffee (about 7 level tablespoons), 165 to 250 grams of ice, and hot water to make 500 grams in all. Adjust to taste.

A cold glass, no gadgets

Make it strong, plan for the ice, and keep a tray of coffee cubes in the freezer. For how much coffee to use in any brewer, see our coffee to water ratio guide, and for more, browse our coffee guides.