How To Make Iced Coffee With A Keurig
Everyone knows a Keurig can brew hot coffee, but can you make iced coffee at home with a Keurig too? Yes! If you just got a Keurig or are thinking about getting one, knowing how to make a good cold coffee with K-cups will help you cut back on your coffee shop spending. Some machines have iced coffee buttons, but you can make a good iced coffee with any model. Keep reading to learn how to make a good Keurig iced coffee without that watered down taste.
Choosing The Right K-Cups For Iced Coffee
If you want a cold coffee that doesn’t taste watery, try the Keurig Green Mountain Brew Over Ice range of K-cups. These pods are crafted to hold up to ice. You can get them black or in flavors like vanilla caramel and hazelnut. While the caffeine content may vary from batch to batch, Keurig medium roast pods have between 75 and 125 mg.
These K-cups can be used with your Keurig brewer, even if it does not have an iced coffee button or setting. Just fill a 16 oz plastic tumbler with ice, insert the pod and brew using the 8 oz size option. If your brewer has a STRONG option, select that too for even more flavor.
Keurig K-Supreme or K-Slim +Iced Brew Over Ice Button
Two newer Keurig models, the K-Supreme range and the K-Slim+Iced machine, have a “Brew Over Ice” button that makes it super easy to make a good iced coffee that won’t taste watered down. This feature auto adjusts the brewing temperature for cold drinks. It starts hotter to extract the full flavor of the coffee, then cools down as the brewing finishes. The result is less ice melt for a drink with a vibrant, balanced flavor.
Using the “Brew Over Ice” feature to make coffee is easy. Just fill your 16 oz tumbler (not glass!) with ice, add your K-cup, and hit the button.
Keurig K-Elite Iced Coffee Setting
An older but still popular Keurig machine called the K-Elite was the first model to have an iced coffee setting. Just press the “Iced” cold brew button and the K-Elite will, according to Keurig, select the best settings for a delicious iced coffee. It is likely works through a combo of reduced water temperature while brewing and brewing a smaller, more concentrated coffee to allow for some dilution from the ice. Just Fill a 16 oz plastic tumbler (not glass!) with ice and hit the button!
How To Make Iced Coffee With Other Keurig Models
If you don’t have one of the Keurig models above, you can still make a good iced coffee using the Brew Over Ice pods. If you want to make a cold drink with your favorite K-cup instead, here are some tips you can try to avoid having it taste watered down by melted ice.
Add Milk First
A simple thing you can try is adding your milk or creamer to the coffee BEFORE adding the ice. If the milk is cold, it will cool the hot brewed coffee down. Stir with a spoon, then go ahead and fill it up with ice.
Get The HyperChiller
Have you heard of the HyperChiller? It is a super popular among single-serve machine users. It can chill coffee in 60 seconds or less with zero dilution. The HyperChiller uses just regular water (no gels or chemicals). Fill it with water and then store it in the freezer. To use the HyperChiller with your Keurig, place it under the outlet and brew the K-cup directly into it. Let it sit for 60 seconds, then pour the contents into a glass full of ice. Clean up is easy too since it is dishwasher safe. See my related post on a complete review of the HyperChiller.
Chill In The Refrigerator
If you have time, you can brew some pods into your mug or tumbler and then let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. When the time has passed, take it out, add your ice cubes and then any milk and sweeteners.
Make Coffee Ice Cubes
If you have the time to plan ahead, then you can make coffee ice cubes for a stronger cold drink. Brew a large cup size of coffee and let it chill in the refrigerator. After 30 minutes, take it out and pour it into an ice tray. Let it freeze for several hours. When you go to make your next cold coffee, use these cubes instead of regular ice.
What About Iced Keurig Lattes?
To make a true iced latte, you need espresso. That is a shot of coffee brewed at high pressure. As I wrote in a related post, Keurig coffee makers don’t have the power to brew espresso. The closest you get is an espresso roast K-cup that tries to copy that taste. Learn how to make a latte with Keurig.
