Make Iced Americano at Home - A Healthier Summer Drink

When the weather starts to get hot, there's nothing quite like enjoying a cold iced americano. The iced version of the americano is perfect for summertime and is one of the healthiest cold coffee options available. 

In this post, we will discuss what iced americanos are, how to make them at home, and how much money you could be saving by doing so. We'll also cover the difference between iced americanos and other cold coffee drink options. Plus we’ll throw in some variations to inspire you for you iced americano.

So grab a cup of coffee and sit back and relax.

Next time you visit us you'll be able to grab a cup of iced americano instead!

What is an Iced Americano?

First things first, before we can tackle this question let's talk a bit about the Americano.

An Americano is a hot coffee drink that is made by combining espresso and hot water. There are a couple of theories about the origins of its name.

One is that it was named after American soldiers stationed in Italy in World War II. They were not used to the strong flavors and small volume of espresso, the drink of choice of Italians at the time.

So American soldiers would Americanize this drink by diluting it with hot water. It was not long for the locals to start referring to this drink as an Americano (American, in Italian).

Back to Iced Americano, you guessed it right! This drink is made of 3 simple ingredients:

• Espresso
• Ice Cubes
• Cold Water

To prepare it you simply brew espresso coffee, add it to a glass with cold water, add ice and then stir!

Traditionally iced americanos only include these 3 ingredients. But some people like to add a bit of milk or sugar to mellow down the coffee flavor.

Trivia:

Did you know that Iced Americanos are one of the most popular drinks in South Korea?

What Does an Iced Americano Taste Like?

This depends on the coffee beans you are using, but in general, an iced americano will feature strong coffee notes with earthy and nutty flavors. This is because iced americanos are mostly brewed with espresso beans (medium to dark roast).

Why Should you Make Iced Americanos at Home?

An iced americano is a healthy way to start your morning if you live somewhere hot, even if you're doing a keto diet or intermittent fasting. It's also a nice pick-me-up if you need to be refreshed and energized in the afternoon.

So if you make iced americanos part of your daily routine, you should make them at home. Here's why:

• You will save tons of money - even if you need to buy a brand new espresso machine. Depending on where you are, a Starbucks Grande Iced Caffe Americano will cost you around $3. That is almost $1,100 per year! There are many descent espresso machines under $1,000 (some around the $500 range). That means your brand new shiny machine will pay for itself within a year. It will pay for itself even quicker if you live with other coffee drinkers!
  
  
• You will save time - you won't have to make a detour to your local coffee shop.
  
  
• You will reduce your environmental impact - Making your own drink at home means less CO2 and less plastic waste.

Here, this is a great machine to start with, but be sure to check our post reviewing the best espresso machines under $1,000.

How Do You Make an Iced Americano at Home?

This is a very easy coffee drink to make at home.

Equipment

You will need the following tools to make an Iced Americano:

• An espresso machine or Nespresso machine. Don't have any of these? Try an AeroPress or brew a strong coffee.
• A coffee grinder (optional, if your machine does not have a built-in grinder)
• A glass

Ingredients

You'll only need 3 simple ingredients for this one:

• 2 espresso shots
• 100 mL of filtered cold filtered water
• Ice cubes

Preparation Instructions

1. Fill a glass with the cold filtered water.
2. Brew two shots of espresso. Feel free to add an extra shot!
3. Pour the two espresso shots in the cold water.
4. Fill your cup with the ice cubes and stir.

Simple right?

Next, let's talk about some tips on how to make your iced americano as tasty as possible.

What Are Some Tips to Make the Best Tasting Iced Americano?

Although this is a very simple recipe, here are some tips that will make your iced drink taste even better.

• Use whole espresso coffee beans. Although ground coffee will work, grinding your beans just before you brew them will ensure better flavors.
  
  
• We add the espresso to the cold water because this results in a light layer of crema.
  
  
• Although there is no standard for how much water you should be adding, we recommend 50 mL of water per espresso shot. But you're free to experiment and figure out the proportion that works best for you.
  
  
• Use filtered cold water - this will reduce the mineral content in your iced americano which could impact its taste.
  
  
• Same goes with ice, use ice cubes made from filtered water.
  
  
• Don’t have an espresso machine? Try an AeroPress or try brewing coffee using a Moka pot.
  
  
• Clean your coffee machine regularly - this will prevent buildup of old coffee grounds in the water chamber and filter basket.
  
  
• Preheat your portafilter before brewing - this will improve extraction from the espresso.
  
  
• Although Iced americanos are a black coffee drink, without sugar or milk, you're the boss of your own drink. Try adding some simple sugar syrup or a dash of milk or your favorite milk alternative.
  
  
• If you want to sweeten your drink, use a syrup. Granulated sugar won't dissolve easily in cold water.

What Are Some Variations of Iced Americano?

There are many many variations, just take a look at the Starbucks menu for inspiration.

Here are some popular (and still easy to make) variations.

• Iced Long Black: a long black is the americano in Australia and New Zealand. The difference between an americano and a long black is the order in which you add the hot water. With an Americano two hot espressos are added to hot water. For a long black, you add the hot espressos to the water. You may have noticed this is the case for the Iced Americano.
  
  
  So the Iced Long Black and the Iced Americano are essentially the same drink; however, the iced long black will be typically more concentrated as this is how Australians and New Zealanders prefer it.
  
  
• Decaf Iced Americano: use decaf coffee beans if you want to have your Iced Americano but want to save your precious sleep.
  
  
• Iced Vanilla Americano: add some vanilla syrup to your iced americano for sweeter tones
  
  
• Iced Americano Blanco: add some mocha and white chocolate to your iced Americano for a more sumptuous drink.

Is Iced Americano too 'vanilla' for you? Then take a look at these iced coffee drinks and decaf iced drinks for inspiration. They're from the Starbucks menu but many of them can be adapted for home.

What is the Difference Between an Iced Americano vs an Iced Coffee?

The main difference between iced americanos and iced coffees is that iced americanos are made with espresso. Iced coffees can be brewed using any type of coffee bean and coffee brewer.

Another difference is that iced coffees can contain milk and sugar, whereas iced americanos are traditionally made without milk or sugar.

What is the Difference Between an Iced Americano vs a Cold Brew?

The main difference between an Iced Americano and a Cold Brew is that cold brews are made by steeping the coffee in cold water for about 24 hours in the fridge. The coffee beans are ground to a coarse size for cold brews. Iced Americanos are made using espresso beans finely ground, and espresso shots are extracted using an espresso machine.

What Are Some Health Benefits of Iced Americanos?

Coffee is renowned for having a plethora of health benefits.

Further, iced americanos do not contain milk or sugars so you won't have to worry about the negative effects of other coffee drinks (sorry, Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino...)

Besides the caffeine, which will give you an energy boost and increase your alertness, coffee has been shown to lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes, enhance heart and brain health, help with liver disease, and so on. The list of health benefits of coffee is quite lengthy.

Just don't drink too many coffee drinks or you'll end up jittery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bottom Line

Iced Americanos are a great way to get your caffeine fix and enjoy the flavor of espresso without any added sugars or syrups. They're simple to make at home, and you can customize them however you like. Plus, they have lots of health benefits!

Give them a try this summer!

Let us know if you have any questions!