Read on to learn how AeroPress iced coffee can bring even MORE sunshine to hot summer days.
If you’re anything like me (Megan), there’s just something special about that time of year when the sun starts shining warmer, the days get longer, and the hot cup of coffee just isn’t cuttin’ it. It’s time to switch to cold brew, iced Americanos, iced coffee—you name it. I get so excited, I’d go so far as to recommend that this day of transition be commemorated as a holiday. Something to look forward to between the Easter egg hunts and 4th of July BBQs.
And when I learned that my favorite home coffee brewing method, the AeroPress, could give me that darling, refreshing, summer-friendly cold caffeine kick I was after, I just had to learn more.
Here’s the lowdown on all things AeroPress cold brew, my summertime fling—including how to make my AeroPress iced coffee recipe in five minutes or less.
What IS iced coffee with an AeroPress?
AeroPress “cold brew” is a home-brewing method that allows you to use your favorite portable coffee making tool to make what amounts to be an iced pour over. “Iced pour over” might sound like a nonexistent dream beverage, but if you use the right amount of AeroPress concentrate, you can actually create something downright delicious.
Since iced coffee from an AeroPress is a fairly new home brewing method, our coffee community has yet to settle on an official name for this type of coffee.
You might begin to refer to it as any of the following:
- Simply “Iced AeroPress”
- AeroPress cold brew drip
- Japanese iced coffee in the AeroPress
- Cold press coffee AeroPress
- Iced pour over (Elsa & Anna approved)
- The AeroPress Americano (#AlliterationWins)
- and more!
Even if my beloved summer coffee drink doesn’t have it’s name on lock quite yet, I still always refer to it with love. For the purposes of this article, I interchange most of the above terms!
David’s Nerdy Note 🤓: Yes, technically this isn’t “cold brew.” As you’ll see when you get to the how-to section, we make “iced AeroPress coffee” rather than cold-brew. We’re brewing with (almost) boiling water, and not “cold” or room-temperature water. And, yes, my accuracy-hungry programmer brain flipped out about the conflation in this article. But it’ll be OK, I promise. ❤️
Iced AeroPress vs. traditional cold brew
Traditional cold brew coffee is a fun and easy home coffee brewing method that allows you to have mass quantities of coffee concentrate on hand. It’s not a get-awake-quick scheme, as traditional cold brew can take up to 24 hours or more to steep. But, once you power through that day, you’re rewarded with ample extra coffee in your fridge, ready to be consumed on the fly.
The difference with AeroPress cold brew is that you can make it quickly and easily in a single serving. There’s no waiting around, twiddling your thumbs before you get to enjoy the AeroPress cold brew. You run fewer risks of the resulting iced coffee tasting too bitter or overly-concentrated. And it can be made and ready to consume in less than five minutes.
With cold press coffee from AeroPress, you get all of the rounded body of the coffee bean without diluting the flavor or caffeine—and quickly!
The science behind AeroPress iced coffee (& why it tastes so good)
I thought I would be able to research this section and write something really helpful and insightful for our readers, but as it turns out, I’m not much of a scientist and I am a little fearful of using words like “oxidizes” and “acidity’ and “extractions.”
If you’re super curious to learn the lowdown on different cold brew coffee methods, you’ll probably really enjoy this piece from Prima Coffee. :)
My go-to AeroPress iced coffee recipe
This AeroPress iced coffee recipe has been tweaked over the last several months, and I’m happy to share it with you!
- Heat your water. We use a Gooseneck Kettle from Bonavita to heat the water of 185 degrees fahreinheit.
- Weigh your beans. I usually grab the latest beans from our Trade coffee subscription and weigh out 20 grams on our OXO Digital Scale. This is about 5 grams more than I typically use when making a cup of hot coffee from the AeroPress.
- Grind your beans. I set our Baratza Encore grinder to 14 (the same as my hot cup of AeroPress) and let it do it’s magic. » Read our in-depth review of the Baratza Encore.
- Grab a pint glass and fill it 2/3 with ice. You’re welcome to use a different glass, but I find these work really well with the size and shape of the filter. Set this glass of ice to the side of your AeroPress.
- Pour the freshly ground coffee into your AeroPress chamber, then fill the chamber to the top with water.
- Next, take your stir stick and give the chamber a few stirs. You want to make sure that all of your coffee grounds are in the mix.
- Put the paper filter in the cap, wet it, then seal it onto your AeroPress. Flip the AeroPress onto your cup of ice and push it down to release the coffee into the pint glass. Be careful that it doesn’t overflow the cup.
Voila! A gorgeous, delicious, and refreshing cup of AeroPress iced coffee. Add cream and sugar (maybe peppermint? Mmm! 😋 ), grab your reusable straw, and go to town!
Common AeroPress iced coffee mistakes
When you make iced coffee with AeroPress, avoid these errors!
- Wrong grind size. I make sure to use the same grind size I always do for home-brewing AeroPress, around 14 on a Baratza Encore. However, I increase the amount of beans. Don’t go too coarse or too fine; AeroPress beans are most happy when they’re a fine middle ground.
- Incorrect water-coffee ratio. You might be tempted to make a stronger coffee concentrate by using less water. We recommend filling the AeroPress maker to the top with water, then pouring it directly over ice cubes.
- Not enough ice. This one is easy to fix, thankfully. Just add more!
- Too much ice. You might be stuck with a slightly-watered-down-version of the AeroPress cold brew. Better luck next time!
- Bad beans. It might be tempting to use lower-quality beans to make AeroPress cold brew. We still think that coffee bean quality is the #1 influencer on how delicious a cup will taste. Stock up on your favorite light, natural-processed roast before embarking on your Iced AeroPress journey!
- Using cold water. Making AeroPress with cold water is a mistake. You should still heat up your water in advance of making this, just pour the hot water immediately over ice.
AeroPress iced coffee, recapped
Now you know the inside scoop on all things iced AeroPress. I invite you to join me in enjoying this treat even in the off-season!
Recommended tools to make the best iced coffee with AeroPress:
What you’ve described is iced coffee, which is not the same as cold brew! The Prima article you link to makes the difference clear. I’d suggest changing the title of your page. Otherwise, your website is great.
Cold brew, well made, really does have a sweetness and much less acidity than coffee that’s hot brewed (even if it’s iced right after). Some people (like me) can’t handle the acidity of hot brewed coffee (at least not too frequently), but have no problem with cold brew (or moka press).