Now that summer is here, iced drinks — and especially iced coffee — are back in season. Typically, there’s nothing more refreshing than a cool drink on a hot day, and if it also gives you an energy boost, that’s even better.
You may be tempted to run down to your local cafe to pick up an iced latte, but did you know you can make one at home without needing an expensive espresso machine? It’s possible for you to make all of your favorites and make them exactly the way you like them every time.
So now, Let’s begin to look at some ways you can make a frothy and delicious iced latte without breaking the bank.
What is a latte?
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve probably ordered a latte before, but what exactly is it?
The word latte comes from a shortened version of caffé latte, which means coffee with milk in Italian. Basically, a latte is made with espresso and steamed milk, as well as some milk foam.
There’s little difference between a hot and iced latte besides the inclusion of ice cubes and the preparation of the milk, which we will explain later on.
Ingredients
The most important ingredients for an iced latte are, of course, ice, coffee, and milk. Normally, a latte is made with espresso, but it’s still possible to make a latte with regular ground coffee.
- Ice: You can use any regular ice tray as long as the ice cubes can fit in your glass! An extra tip to help your latte from becoming watered down is to make ice cubes by pouring extra coffee into the ice cube tray so your drink doesn’t lose its flavor.
- Coffee: Again, espresso is ideal, but you can also use any ground coffee that you have. If you’re desperate, you can also use instant coffee or espresso; it just might not taste as fresh.
- Milk: A regular latte is made with dairy milk, but you can, of course, use any other milk substitute that you like. Generally, soy and oat milk tend to make better foam rather than coconut or almond milk.
- Sweetener/syrup: This step is optional and much more customizable! If you want to make your iced latte sweeter, you can simply add sugar or make it feel closer to a true cafe experience by adding flavored syrup such as vanilla or hazelnut.
Equipment
So, if you don’t have an espresso machine, what can you use? There are several different options. For all of these methods, you may need to chill the coffee once it’s brewed; otherwise, it can melt the ice too quickly.
- Drip coffee machine: Most people who drink coffee have a simple drip coffee machine. If you use this method, we advise brewing the coffee stronger than if you were making hot coffee because it may be watered down even further by the ice.
- Moka pot: If you want to be more traditional without needing an expensive machine, use a Moka pot! It’s an Italian-invented stovetop espresso maker that uses a pressurized steam system to brew proper espresso.
- French press: If you have a French press, you can also brew the coffee and chill it before pouring, but the recommended brewing method for iced coffee is to make a small batch of cold brew that is steeped overnight.
Making cold frothy milk
The second most important part of any latte is the milk, but how can you make that delicious, barista-quality frothy milk?
- Mason jar or bottle: Find a mason jar, container, or bottle that has a good seal on the lid. Add your milk of choice to it, make sure the lid is on tight enough not to allow the milk to spill out, then shake! About a minute of shaking should be enough to produce a nice foam.
- French press: Yes, you can also use your French press to froth milk! Simply put the milk into the French press and pump the plunger up and down for approximately 30 seconds.
- Handheld milk frother: A less labor-intensive option is to purchase a handheld frother. The end of it spins around to froth the milk automatically, but just be careful to hold the end far enough into the milk to not cause it to splash!
How to make an iced latte?
By now, you have your ingredients and equipment. Next, we’ll walk you through how you can make an iced latte at home!
- Brew your coffee: According to the directions of the type of coffee maker you use, brew your coffee and chill it if desired. In addition, it probably is a good idea to brew your coffee stronger than you normally would to avoid it tasting watery when the ice melts.
- Prepare your glass: Add ice as well as your choice of sweetener, if desired, to the glass.
- Prepare milk: From the options we shared above, prepare your frothed milk according to the method that works best for you.
- Finish: First, pour the iced coffee into the glass, then add your frothed milk on top. Generally, a latte is mostly made of milk, so the idea is not to add too much of the coffee if you want that classic, creamy latte taste.
- Enjoy! Be proud of yourself that you made your own iced latte and saved money in the process! If something still doesn’t taste quite right, you have the freedom to tinker with your own recipe until the taste is exactly the way you like it.
Extra tips
- For the best-tasting coffee, it’s recommended to use filtered water and fresh beans. If you are able to grind your own beans or don’t have a grinder, try to use ground coffee that was recently purchased for ultimate freshness.
- Experiment with flavor and toppings! Try different syrups or creams. Also, it may be interesting to try a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg on top.
- If you don’t want to make a new iced latte from scratch every time, consider making your own cold brew. Typically, you can make cold brew with a French press, and it stores for up to a week in the fridge. Then, you can use the cold brew to create an iced latte!