As the temperatures get warmer, your need for iced coffee grows exponentially. You can spend cash on your favorite coffee every morning, or you can learn this simple trick: make iced coffee with a Keurig coffee maker. Seriously, it's very simple.
listen to me. There's a type of coworker, maybe your age, who comes to the office every day with a Trenta-sized ice-cold drink from that fancy coffee shop down the street. Meanwhile, as you sit in your cubicle drinking a cup of hot Styrofoam coffee from the kitchen, praying it will work before your boss arrives, you might be tempted to ask, "How on earth do you support yourself? ?!” Say hello to your blessed co-worker before rushing off for a drink.
Listen, everything is going to be fine. If you have a Keurig brewing system at home or have access to it at work, you can drink iced coffee or brew it yourself.
Once upon a time, if you wanted to make iced coffee, you would do cold brew, which involved steeping coffee grounds in cold water for at least 12 hours.
No one has time for that.
Cold brew coffee is a great choice if you're looking for a cup to drink the rest of the week. But if you want a drink as soon as you wake up or walk into the office, making a single-serve iced coffee with a Keurig can produce delicious results in half the time. Feel free to customize it by adding everything from mint leaves to homemade vanilla syrup and condensed milk...just maybe not all at once.
Start brewing in these five easy steps.
1. Select Basic Brewing K Cup
I love flavored coffee, but I like to add syrups and other ingredients to my regular brew to control the flavor and sweetness. I recommend doing the same and choosing a regular bold or medium K-Cup mix.
2. Think small and work harder
To ensure strong, flavorful coffee, brew two K-cups and select the smallest brew size available. I recommend 4 oz. options.
3. Add sugar while hot
Once the coffee is brewed, add the sweetener of your choice to the hot beverage; this will melt it and distribute it evenly. No one wants to take a swig of sugar from the bottom of their glass.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight
This is where patience is required. If you pour hot coffee over ice, the ice will melt immediately and dilute the drink. To ensure a cold, strong cup of iced coffee, prepare it the night before and refrigerate it overnight, or if making it the same day, refrigerate the coffee for at least 30 minutes to cool it well enough to prevent the ice from melting.
5. Add ice, milk and other condiments
Pour the cooled coffee into a nice tall glass, add milk, maybe a flavored syrup, and saunter past your Trenta-loving coworker with the drink in tow. Raise your glass and cheers.
Who wins now?
Photo Credits: Teresa Stanton /Flickr; Tyler Enriquez(5); Jiffy
