How to Make Coffee Ice Cubes

How to Make Coffee Ice Cubes

 

When spring gets into full swing or you just need a smooth, cool beverage, few options hit the spot like iced coffee. But in the middle of enjoying your complex, creamy beverage you hear the *ding* of an email or get sidetracked on Instagram (hey, we don’t judge). Twenty minutes later you return to every iced coffee connoisseur’s personal nightmare: a diluted mess of tasteless brown water.

 

Ice cubes are by far the easiest way to chill coffee when you prefer it iced, but cutting the pure coffee flavor results in an underwhelming experience. Treat yourself to iced coffee the way it was meant to be enjoyed: learn how to make coffee ice cubes!

 

Why Should I Use Coffee Ice Cubes?

 

Coffee ice cubes keep your coffee strong and don’t dilute the flavor even as the ice cubes rapidly begin to melt. If you don’t down your iced coffee in seconds you can benefit from filling your glass with coffee ice cubes that keep your favorite twist on iced coffee rich and full-bodied.

 

What You’ll Need: 

Brewed coffee

Clean ice cube tray

Patience

 

Freezing Time: 

3-4 Hours 

 

Coffee Ice Cubes Recipe

 

• First, take your ice cube tray out of the freezer and give it a deep clean with dish soap. Many people don’t wash their ice cube trays in between uses (we get it — you’re a busy go-getter), and you should get in the habit of cleaning your ice cube trays before making coffee ice cubes.
   

• Next, just brew a standard batch of brewed coffee. Whether you brew a fresh batch or use leftover coffee, 16 ounces should be enough to fill most ice cube trays.
   

• Carefully pour the coffee into your ice cube tray and place it in the freezer. That’s all there is to it! Next time you brew coffee you’ll have velvety coffee ice cubes ready-to-go.
   

• If you want to make several batches you can remove the coffee ice cubes from the ice cube tray and store them in a separate plasticware container.
   

How Long Does It Take Coffee Ice Cubes to Freeze?

 

As we indicated above, once you store your coffee iced cubes in the freezer they will be ready to use in 3 to 4 hours depending on the temperature in your freezer. For this reason, we don’t recommend dragging yourself out of bed at 5 a.m. to brew and freeze coffee ice cubes. Instead, use the remaining lukewarm coffee after a batch in the morning and freeze it for the next day. 

 

How Long Do Coffee Ice Cubes Last in the Freezer?

 

Your frozen coffee ice cubes are usable for about two weeks after you first freeze them. This is because ice cubes of all kinds will sublimate in the freezer over time. Sublimation is like evaporation, but instead of a liquid turning into a gas a solid (in this case, your delicious coffee ice cubes) turn into a gas.

Storing your coffee ice cubes in a sealed Ziploc bag will help them last longer. This storage method will also prevent other tastes and aromas working their way into your coffee ice cubes, which is helpful if you happen to store pounds of frozen tilapia in your freezer.

 

Why Do Ice Cubes Evaporate in the Freezer?

 

Your coffee ice cubes don’t evaporate, they sublimate. But why does this happen? You don’t need a PhD in chemistry to understand why this happens. The basics: you may assume that ice shouldn’t change form in conditions below freezing, but the environment of your freezer is affected every time you open the freezer door. In addition, the real culprit is the dry air. 

 

In many frost-free freezers a heating cycle is automatically triggered to occasionally remove ice from the cooling surfaces. Your coffee ice cubes will sublimate and become vapor faster when they are warmer than the air in your freezer.

This should not be a big issue unless you plan to leave your coffee ice cubes out in a tray for months. Based on how scrumptious and rich your morning iced coffee will be after you incorporate coffee ice cubes, we have a feeling your coffee ice cube tray will be empty way before you hit the two-week mark.

 

Can I Freeze Cold Brew Coffee?

 

Yes! In fact, cold brew coffee is less acidic and creates a smoother flavor. Cold-brew coffee ice cubes are less likely to negatively affect the dairy in your drink, which is great news for cream and milk diehards.

Of course, cold brew coffee takes more time to prep. Like, almost a day so be prepared to steep your cold brew for 20 hours. While this may seem like a tall order, if you schedule your cold brewing into your day you can craft the perfect coffee ice cubes for your iced coffee. One benefit of using cold brew to make coffee ice cubes? They freeze faster.
 

Brewing your own coffee to make complex coffee ice cubes is easier than ever — pick up a bag of smooth Costa Rica La Minita coffee or subtly sweet 100% Kona coffee from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®  and perfect the art of creating rich, iced coffees that aren’t watered down or dull.