Japanese Iced Coffee

The Undisputed King of Cold Coffee

Hey, everyone!

Today I’m going to show you how to make Japanese-style iced coffee. I first discovered this technique a few years ago, and it was something of a revelation.

I’ve more than once been accused of coffee snobbery for my strong views on this subject. But I prefer to think of it as coffee respect. Coffee is a gift. A truly incredible beverage that requires an insane amount of work to plant, harvest, ferment, dry, transport, and roast. Just as I take careful measure not to overcook a steak that I buy from a local rancher, I take careful measure to ensure the coffee I buy is enjoyed in the best way possible.

The best way to brew coffee is with a pour-over setup. It hits the right balance of timing and extraction, and certain flavor compounds in coffee are only activated when they’re heated up.

Cold brew, while delicious, tends to be one-dimensional. It often has strong notes of chocolate or nuts, but rarely ever takes on the more interesting flavors that are present in great coffees. That’s why a lot of coffee shops will actually use cheaper beans for cold brew, or at the very least they’ll save the best beans for hot coffee.

Traditional iced coffee, on the other hand, often tastes bitter and stale. When a large batch of hot coffee is poured over ice, it cools more slowly. This ends up making things watery and bitter. The Japanese method, in which each drop of coffee that falls through the dripper lands directly on ice, cools it down more quickly. The result is a cup of coffee that has all the flavor notes of a pour-over, with none of the staleness of an iced coffee.

Give it a try, I think you’ll love it!

Myles

Ingredients:

• 25g coffee

• 200g ice

• 200-250g water

You’ll also need a pour-over device. I use a Chemex, which I love. But you can also use a v60, Kalita Wave, or one of these beautiful ceramic drippers from Masienda.

Looking for coffee inspiration? The great news is that this technique works well with any coffee. Lately I’ve been loving Masienda’s Alebrije, anything from Sey Coffee, and my local favorite Greater Goods.

Process:

Start by grinding 25g of coffee. This will be enough for one large cup of coffee, so double the recipe if you want more.

I like to use a slightly finer grind than I would for regular drip coffee. Because you’re pouring less water over the coffee (since half the water in this recipe comes from the ice below), a finer grind will allow it to drip a bit slower and extract more.

Add 200g of ice to the bottom of your pour-over device. The hot coffee will drip directly onto this ice and cool immediately. This will allow you to get the flavor from the hot extraction, but the immediate cooling will prevent unwanted bitterness.

Put a filter over it, and add your ground coffee. Place your pour-over on top of a scale and set it to zero.

If you don’t have a scale, just eyeball it— I trust you!

Start by pouring 50g of water over the grounds, covering as much surface area as possible. Then let it sit for 45 seconds. This is called “blooming” the coffee and it enhances the flavors. You’ll nice it start to bubble as the hot water actives the coffee.

Now, pour in an additional 150-200g of water (for 200-250g total). Allow the coffee to drip directly onto the ice.

Once the water has all dripped through, toss the filter and give it a swirl. Now you’re ready to drink.

Pour it over a glass of ice and enjoy the best cold coffee you’ll ever have!