<p>Recipes vary according to taste, but if you want a similar concentration ("strength") of coffee, you'll probably want to use a stronger brew of coffee (basically amounts to using more grounds). This is because you're diluting the coffee when you add the ice (which melts), even more so if you're trying to start with freshly brewed and very hot coffee (melting more ice). Here's a suggestion from <a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/30487-basic-cold-brewed-coffee" rel="nofollow">Chow</a> and a discussion from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/whats-the-best-way-to-brew-iced-coffee.html" rel="nofollow">Serious Eats</a> that discuss the methods. </p>

<p>Personally, though, I prefer the result of cold-brewed coffee. Rather than brewed-hot and served-cold, it's both brewed <em>and</em> served cold. I think the cold-brew extraction is a better complement to the cold service. Furthermore, less ice might be needed to cool the beverage to a similar temperature, which is an added bonus. See the myriad questions with <a href="/questions/tagged/cold-brew" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged 'cold-brew'" rel="tag">cold-brew</a> for more on that subject. </p>

<p>As for milk/cream and/or sugar/sweetener, this seems to be entirely personal preference. I take mine black, so I'll let others comment on that. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-13T07:26:48.780Z
Just as important as the dilution, we don't perceive flavors as strongly in cold things. Ice cream is a really good demonstration of this: when frozen it tastes fine, but once melted it tastes overly sweet and possibly overflavored too.
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-13T13:08:41.473Z
@Jefromi - Good point about very cold temperature and taste. I suspect something different is happening at moderate temperature: certain flavours are *amplified* (bitterness?); [this cooking.se question](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/35676/25286) on off-tastes in room-temp coffee, but *if* and/or *why* still evade me; I'm not satisfied by [lukewarm bitterness](http://www.livescience.com/19288-room-temperature-coffee-taste.html) and [this blog](https://scienceandfooducla.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/coffee-brewing-chemistry-hot-brew-and-cold-brew/) on hot-bew forming bitter chemicals.
hoc_age
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-13T18:00:39.673Z
Iced coffee at 32F/0C (i.e. the ice didn't all melt) is definitely cold enough to make you perceive the sweetness less. (Maybe refrigerated soda vs room temperature is a closer parallel than ice cream.) Not sure about it being *more* bitter - I certainly haven't noticed that - but if it's true it'd skew the ratios even more as you add more sugar to cover it up!
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-13T18:34:08.873Z
@Jefromi - I'm with you on the coldness; in my previous comment, I meant that I suspect *additional behavior* from hot-brew getting off-tastes, by virtue of the hot-brew process, as it cools (to any temperature). One might even be tempted to add salt (as suggested [here](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/9292/25286) and [here](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/23373/25286)) to mask the bitterness! We'll be eating coffee-milk-flavoured, salted-caramel popsicles before long... and I arrive full circle with hot, black coffee. :) But the former does sound a little appealing...
hoc_age
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-12T22:37:49.010Z
2015-02-13T00:26:34.553Z
2015-02-13T00:26:34.553Z
hoc_age
<p>If I'm making iced coffee, should the ratios of the ingredients (coffee, water, sweetener, milk) differ in any way?</p>

<p>If so, how?</p>

<iced-coffee>
How would the ratios of iced coffee differ from regular coffee?
Shokhet
# How would the ratios of iced coffee differ from regular coffee?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-12)

If I'm making iced coffee, should the ratios of the ingredients (coffee, water, sweetener, milk) differ in any way?

If so, how?

**Tags:** iced-coffee


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-02-12. Score: 2

Recipes vary according to taste, but if you want a similar concentration ("strength") of coffee, you'll probably want to use a stronger brew of coffee (basically amounts to using more grounds). This is because you're diluting the coffee when you add the ice (which melts), even more so if you're trying to start with freshly brewed and very hot coffee (melting more ice). Here's a suggestion from [Chow](http://www.chow.com/recipes/30487-basic-cold-brewed-coffee) and a discussion from [Serious Eats](http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/whats-the-best-way-to-brew-iced-coffee.html) that discuss the methods.

Personally, though, I prefer the result of cold-brewed coffee. Rather than brewed-hot and served-cold, it's both brewed *and* served cold. I think the cold-brew extraction is a better complement to the cold service. Furthermore, less ice might be needed to cool the beverage to a similar temperature, which is an added bonus. See the myriad questions with [cold-brew](/questions/tagged/cold-brew "show questions tagged 'cold-brew'") for more on that subject.

As for milk/cream and/or sugar/sweetener, this seems to be entirely personal preference. I take mine black, so I'll let others comment on that.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Just as important as the dilution, we don't perceive flavors as strongly in cold things. Ice cream is a really good demonstration of this: when frozen it tastes fine, but once melted it tastes overly sweet and possibly overflavored too.  
> **username_1**: @Jefromi - Good point about very cold temperature and taste. I suspect something different is happening at moderate temperature: certain flavours are *amplified* (bitterness?); [this cooking.se question](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/35676/25286) on off-tastes in room-temp coffee, but *if* and/or *why* still evade me; I'm not satisfied by [lukewarm bitterness](http://www.livescience.com/19288-room-temperature-coffee-taste.html) and [this blog](https://scienceandfooducla.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/coffee-brewing-chemistry-hot-brew-and-cold-brew/) on hot-bew forming bitter chemicals.  
> **username_2**: Iced coffee at 32F/0C (i.e. the ice didn't all melt) is definitely cold enough to make you perceive the sweetness less. (Maybe refrigerated soda vs room temperature is a closer parallel than ice cream.) Not sure about it being *more* bitter - I certainly haven't noticed that - but if it's true it'd skew the ratios even more as you add more sugar to cover it up!  
> **username_1**: @Jefromi - I'm with you on the coldness; in my previous comment, I meant that I suspect *additional behavior* from hot-brew getting off-tastes, by virtue of the hot-brew process, as it cools (to any temperature). One might even be tempted to add salt (as suggested [here](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/9292/25286) and [here](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/23373/25286)) to mask the bitterness! We'll be eating coffee-milk-flavoured, salted-caramel popsicles before long... and I arrive full circle with hot, black coffee. :) But the former does sound a little appealing...  

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