Iced americano
Also known as: iced black coffee, espresso over ice
Espresso lengthened with cold water and served over ice — black, sharper than a hot americano, and the simplest cold coffee an espresso machine makes.
- Coffee dose
- 18g
- Yield
- 250ml
- Intensity
- medium
- Preparation time
- 2 min
- Skill level
- beginner
Caffeine estimate
Approximately 120-160mg (double shot).
Well established
Brewing method
Made using Espresso machine.
Taste, variation and common mistakes
Thin-bodied and bright. Without milk to soften it, the effect of cold on perception is at its most obvious: sweetness recedes and any sharpness or bitterness in the shot is left exposed.
Common mistakes
- Pouring espresso onto ice with no water, which chills and dilutes unpredictably as the ice melts and gives a different drink every time.
- Not accounting for melt. An iced americano drunk slowly ends up considerably weaker than it started, which is why many people build it stronger than the hot version.
- Assuming a shot that tastes bitter hot will taste better cold. It usually tastes more bitter, not less.
Very widely drunk across East Asia, where an iced americano is a year-round default rather than a summer drink.
Steps
- Fill a tall glass with ice and add cold water.
- Pull a double espresso.
- Pour the espresso over the iced water.