Japanese Style Iced Coffee

To get relief from the heat throughout the summer, we have been experimenting with cold coffee recipes. Earlier, we tried our hand at this Aeropress recipe that makes a cold brew in just 2 minutes — and it did not disappoint.

We're still not convinced that fall is upon us and pumpkin spice lattes are coming in just a few days. That's why to kick off September, we're bringing you yet another cold drink recipe. Recently, we tried a Japanese style iced coffee recipe and it had us sipping it all month long. This particular style of coffee is a cold brew alternative that has been served in coffee shops all over Japan for quite some time. It takes only 3-4 minutes to make, and retains almost the same complexity of flavors as a pour over coffee, but with a cold and refreshing taste.

According to Peter Giuliano of Fresh Cup Magazine, the concept is this: "Find a brewer with which you can drip coffee directly onto ice (most drip brewers work fine for this), and subtract thirty to fifty percent of the brew water, replacing the same volume of water in the form of ice in the carafe."

Directions

(Adapted from James Hoffman's Iced Filter Coffee Recipe)

1. Heat water to 203°F (95°C)
2. Add 165g of ice into the decanter
3. Pre-rinse your filter in the sink to avoid heating your decanter
4. Add 30 grams of finely ground coffee into your dripper
5. Slowly pour 60g of water, and let the coffee bloom for about 30-45 seconds
6. Pour an additional 150g of water. Let it drip down for about 1 minute. Feel free to stir the coffee in a circular motion for more extraction
7. Add the final 105g of water and let it drip down completely. You should have used a total of 315g of hot water
8. Swish the decanter lightly until the ice melts
9. Serve the coffee in a glass with some ice

Tip: Use ice pieces that are substantial enough, but melts rather quickly

Et Voilà! A refreshing and complex iced coffee you can enjoy in just 3-4 minutes. If you try this recipe, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

The gear we used: Artisan Electric Gooseneck Kettle, Tornado Duo Double Wall Glass Dripper, X Series Coffee Filters, X Series Glass Server (500 mL)