How to Make the Perfect Iced Americano at Home

The summer heat is here and you want to enjoy a refreshing iced coffee every morning, but it’s hard to find delicious recipes that are also healthy. Try the iced Americano!

After all, if you’re not careful, your iced coffee can be packed with sugar and calories. You don’t need all of that when you could have something simple like this recipe.

Make the perfect iced Americano at home! This drink has less than half of the calories of Starbucks’ version for a fraction of the price! Check out our full article on how to make this easy beverage at home here.

What is iced Americano exactly?

An iced Americano is a coffee beverage that is composed of espresso and water mixed together. There’s iced added to the mix.

An Iced Americano is the ice-version of the popular Americano coffee. The espresso is mixed with cold water and ice cubes.

In the traditional way, Americano is brewed with the use of hot water, moreand espresso (double shot) is added in otoate a stronger cup of coffee.

One way to brew it is just to brew the Americano like you usually do, and pour it in aintolass filled with ice. It needs a bit more time to cool down compared to the other brewing methods.

What is the difference between iced Americano and cold brew coffee?

A lot of people think cold brew is the same as cold coffee but that’s not true.

The main difference is in the brewing method.

Iced Americanos are made with the hot brewing method, with hot espresso and cooled down with ice. On the other hand, cold brew is made by steeping coffee beans in water for about 16 hours in ratm-temperature. The brewed coffee is poured over ice afterward.

Because of the hot brew method, iced Americanos will be more acidic compared to cold brew, which is known for less acidity because of the lack of heat in the process.

Hot The hoter extracts more oils and acids from the coffee beans.

That’s why people find cold brew coffee goes easier on their stomach and the taste is closer to the beanbean’sural tastes.

What is the difference between iced Americano and iced coffee?

The main difference is in the brewing method. They’re both brewed with hot water, so that’s not the difference. The difference is that the iced Americano is brewed with espresso and the iced coffee is made with hot coffee that is cooled down.

Another notable difference is the small layer of crema you’ll see when brewing espresso (Iced Americano). This crema is because of the hot water that was used in the brewing process and it’s not found in iced coffee.

When it comes to taste, an iced Americano will be more acidic and have a bolder taste. Iced coffees are generally smoother with less acidity.

How to make the perfect iced Americano at home

An iced Americano is a great option for a quick coffee fix that’s not that hard to brew.

Brew your espresso, mix and it with ice and cold water. If needed, you can add other sweeteners like sugar or honey to your brew. Stir the ingredients well, you can add (heavy) cream to it afterward. If you’re out of espresso, you can try instant espresso but be aware it can give another taste, so add more instant espresso for a similar effect.

This drink, if you add heavy cream to it, will look a lot like an iced latte but you’ll see the taste is different.

Follow this simple iced Americano recipe:

• 3 shots of espresso or 2 teaspoons of instant espresso (1 tablespoon equals about 3 teaspoons)

• 1 cup of cold water

• 1 teaspoon of sugar (not required)

• Ice (cubes or any other form is good, add more if you want it to be colder)

• Milk or cream (optional, but if you add heavy cream, think about leaving possible sweeteners like coffee or honey out of it)

Place the coffee in a tall glass and add ice, water, sugar or ,other sweeteners if needed. Stir well to dissolve all of the ingredients together. Add milk or cream if desired for a creamier taste.

Why should you choose an iced Americano over other coffee drinks?

Iced Americanos are a great alternative to kickstart your day because it’s not too strong and ittheyill last for a time. Other hot coffees, when it’s cooled down it has lost a lot of their flavors. You don’t have this ‘problem’ because the drink is iced.

The drink is not as strong as a regular Americano because of the added ice to the brew.

It’s a great way for refreshment in late spring, summer o,r autumn. It can also be great in the winter if you’re a diehard fan ;)! I’ll switch over to a regular Americano at that time of the year if I were you or any hot brew!

Making things yourself at home will cost you a fraction of the price you’ll pay in some coffee shop or coffee chain like Starbucks.

The iced Americano from Starbucks

At Starbucks, they brew the iced Americano in a different way, but with similar results.

Iced Americanos are made with the espresso shots first, added to cold water and ice in the end.

The ones at Starbucks are made in the other way: cold water with ice added to the espresso shots.

The taste will be similar but because of the other way at Starbucks, you won’t that top layer of crema on top of your Americano.

Of course, Starbucks is also known for its wide range of syrups and sweeteners to their coffees but the iced Americano is best consumed as it is meant to be: without syrups or sweeteners if you ask me!

How many calories are there in an iced Americano?

We all know that black coffee itself is quite negative on calories. The same goes for your (classic) Americano, iced or not! The major calories are in the added parts afterward like sugar, honey, heavy cream and so on. We’d say a classic Americano, with no additions, will be around 15 to 20 calories at best.

How much caffeine is there in an iced Americano?

It’s about the same amount as the classic Americano – if not less because of the added ice cubes that will lessen it. The actual caffeine content varies between coffee chains

Since the iced Americano consists of at least 2 shots of espresso, we’re talking about 130 to 140 mg of caffeine here, 65 to 70 mg each.

The thing is, when you’re drinking hot coffees, you’re drinking it in an expected timeframe because the longer you’ll wait and it cools off, the more flavor it loses. You don’t have that with iced drinks, you drink it in a slower way, resulting in a slower caffeine intake.

Is an iced Americano stronger than a cold brew?

Yes, an Americano consists of 2 shots of espresso and doesn’t have any extra added ice cubes. An iced Americano is stronger than a cold brew because of the way it’s brewed: hot vs cold. Cold-brewed coffee is known for its lesser acidity and bitterness compared to hot brewed coffee.

Is iced Americano healthy?

Yes, of course, it can be a great refreshing drink and doesn’t need any extra sweeteners like sugar, honey, cream, and so on. When you drink it black, with no additions, it doesn’t contain a lot of calories, about 15 to 20 calories. When you add sweeteners, you’ll add a lot of calories also so be aware of this.

Is an iced Americano just black coffee?

No, it’s however very close to a black coffee. It’s stronger than a regular black drip coffee and is espresso-based. Depending on the type of beans, if you use espresso beans, chances are that you’ll have that small crema that can add extra calories. Mostly, Americanos are sold with extra sweeteners, cream, milk, and so on, adding a lot of calories to your drink, pushing it far away from a black coffee.

Wrapping up

Iced Americanos is a refreshing beverage that can be perfect for any time of the day. The drink is not as strong as a regular Americano because it includes ice, which also helps to cool down your body and make you less thirsty during warmer months. If you’re looking for a caffeine boost or want something low-acid, this may be the drink for you!

These drinks are easily made at home, try our simple recipe and save a lot of time and money for your great coffee experience! The best things are done by yourself!

Enjoy your coffee!