When the weather is hot and temperatures reach boiling point, your best bet is to cool down the hotness around you by drinking an excellent iced coffee.
Coffee is an essential part of our day, and summer is not an excuse to miss our favorite java. For that reason, most of us resort to iced coffee to get our daily caffeine boost.
However, where iced coffee is often confused with cold brew, they are both different coffee types and different methods used for both. I wrote an article talking about their differences.
Similarly, your regular brew might not make excellent iced coffee and that’s why choosing the right one is essential.
These four best brands make for the perfect iced coffee: Stone Street Coffee, Brandywine Coffee Roasters Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, LifeBoost Coffee, and Lavazza Whole Bean Blend.
Keep on reading to find how to make the best iced coffee and the best brands for iced coffee.
Best Roast and Grind for Iced Coffee
Dark roasts have been proven to be healthier than light roasts, therefore having them for iced coffee will do you good. As for grind, choose beans that were coarsely grounded.
If you ask me about the most straightforward answer, then there is no set recipe, best coffee brand, or rule to follow. Any coffee, as long as it tastes good, can be acceptable to make iced coffee.
Still, let’s find out what kind of beans and roast are preferable when making iced coffee at home.
Roast Level
Medium and dark roast are the best ones for iced coffee.
Light Roast: You can use any brand of light roast, what matters is the size of the grind and the quality of the taste of coffee.
Light roast has more acid flavors and rings the best chocolatey smooth finish taste in your cup of coffee. Plus its gives a slightly more caffeine boost than dark roast coffee.
Medium Roast: If you have tried Starbucks medium roast unsweetened iced coffee, you can guess the flavor you can get from medium roast.
Like light roast, medium roast also brings out the nutty and chocolatey flavors, resulting in a flavor-pack cup of iced coffee.
Dark Roast: If you have the option, always go with a dark roast! As I said before, there are no rules on which coffee to use as long as it tastes good. Dark roast has strong base notes and is considered best for iced coffee.
These are some of the best dark roast options for iced coffee.
- Colombian Supremo
- Dark roast blends
- Sumatrans
- Dark roasted South American
Usually, coffee brands mention on their package or official website where they get the beans. So, check them and see if you find one from your favorite brand.
Grind Size
Coarsely grind are the ones you should use for iced coffee. Why?
When you use coarse grounds, water quickly penetrates and steeps them. If the grind is too fine, you will get more dry clumps that get over-extract resulting in a bitter taste. No one likes bitter iced coffee so, you better avoid fine grinds.
If you don’t have a machine at home, purchase whole beans and have them coarsely ground from the nearby coffee shop.
Best Brands For Iced Coffee
Here is a table summarizing the best coffee to make iced coffee at home:
| Best Coffee For Iced Coffee | Roast Level | Price |
| Stone Street Coffee | Dark Roast | $65 |
| Ethiopia Yirgacheffe | Light/ Medium | $18 |
| Lifeboost Coffee | Medium Roast | $30 |
| Lavazza Whole Bean Blend | Dark Roast | $15 |
Stone Street Coffee
New Yorkers’ favorite coffee, Stone Street has started from Brooklyn as a small roastery and became the best one in entire new york.
There 100% Colombian supremo beans blend is perfect for your iced coffee.
Pros:
- Columbian beans
- Superior bean sourcing
- Bold, balanced, low-acid, slightly sweet cold brew
Cons:
- It might not be as flavorful as you’ll hope
Brandywine Coffee Roasters Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
Loved by the US coffee championship in Good Spirits Competitions, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is your go-to coffee for iced as well as a cold brew.
Heavy fruity flavor lives up to its billing. You can’t go wrong here!
Pros:
- Single-origin coffee
- Great fruity notes
- Rich and delicious
Cons:
- Dense and over-extracted
Lifeboost Coffee
What’s better than single-origin organic coffee to make an iced cup of coffee on a hot summer day?
All Lifeboost blends are handpicked roasts that are free of Mycotoxin and pesticides free. They have notes of wood and cocoa powder.
Pros:
- Arabica and Maragogipe beans from the mountains of Nicaragua
- Single-origin
- Low acidity
Cons:
- Flavors are good but not up to the price you have to pay due to its low acidic content
Lavazza Whole Bean Blend
If you want to enjoy iced coffee but are not much of a caffeine fan, this next coffee is for you!
Lavazza decaf is made with an all-natural process where coffee is treated with steam to remove caffeine using carbon dioxide. This process retains the bean’s natural flavor.
The blend of the whole bean has a smooth flavor of cream and the exceptional aroma of the best coffee beans.
Pros
- Blended and roasted in Italy
- 100% Arabica beans
- Smooth and well-rounded flavor
Cons:
- Make great decaf but not best for espresso
What type of coffee is best for iced coffee?
Medium to dark roast is best . For selecting beans, always opt for Arabica coffee beans, as they are most popular because of their rich flavors.
If you want your iced coffee to taste even better, iced coffee pairs well with flavors like caramel and chocolate. Adding this to your regular cup will bring your iced coffee to the next level.
To avoid tartness in your iced coffee, use full-bodied coffee. If you prefer tea-like iced coffee, then try coffee sourced from Kenya or Ethiopia.
If you don’t want to go into the depth of the source of beans, then buy medium to light roast from your favorite coffee brand and brew yourself delicious iced coffee.
Can you use regular coffee for iced coffee?
Yes, obviously! You can use your regular coffee for iced coffee.
You can brew your regular coffee, then let it cool and store it in the fridge for later use. Then when it’s chill enough to use as iced coffee, pour it in a glass filled with ice cubes. You can add sugar or cream according to your taste preference.
Lastly, if you are using regular coffee to make an iced one, always use a combination of more coffee grinds and less water.
How to make iced coffee?
To make the best-iced coffee follow this simple recipe.
All you need is a glass and a spoon long enough to get to the bottom of the glass, ice, and some regular brewed coffee.
- First, fill your glass with ice whole to the rim. Tip: Use coffee that’s been turned to ice to avoid the watery down effect in coffee.
- Next, pour your chilled coffee into the glass.
This option is entirely up to you. If you like a decent treat, then add half-and-half and cream. If you like light coffee, use fat-free half and a half and milk instead of cream.
Now, watch as the swirl sink to the bottom of the glass, then take your long spoon and mix coffee, and enjoy the fantastic coffee to beat the summer heat.
The flavor is mainly influenced by the type of coffee you use more than making iced coffee; that’s why always choose the right one.
What coffee does Starbucks use for iced coffee?
Starbucks uses Terraza blend for iced coffee that comes in a medium roast sourced from Kenya.
You can use Terraza blend to make a similar iced coffee beverage at home. You can also make iced coffee using other Starbucks coffee, such as the Veranda Blend, though it will taste different from the one made with the Terraza Blend.
Wrapping Up
So, in my opinion, any coffee that has the best flavor can make a good iced coffee. However, make sure to use fresh organic beans so you can enjoy the flavor and freshness of your coffee.
Some of the best coffee for iced coffee are:
- Stone Street Coffee
- Brandywine Coffee Roasters Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
- Lifeboost coffee
- Lavazza Whole Bean Blend
Watch the video to learn about how to make the best iced coffee: