mattmikulla Senior Member Joined: 9 Jun 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Nashville Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Wed Jun 9, 2010, 1:01pm Subject: Making Iced Americanos or really good iced coffee
Hello all. I drink Iced Americanos and I'm not a big fan of hot coffee. I'm trying to cut my expenses down so I would like to have the option to make them at home.
My question is this. Do I need a really good home espresso machine since I'm not steaming milk?
Also, has anyone tried Aero Press for iced coffee?
clivecoffee Senior Member Joined: 4 Oct 2008 Posts: 31 Location: Portland, OR Expertise: Professional
Posted Wed Jun 9, 2010, 2:01pm Subject: Re: Making Iced Americanos or really good iced coffee
Hi Matt, Great question! For iced coffee I like to use a french press and the cold brew method - minimizes the variety of coffee tools you have to keep in your kitchen (unless you like that sort of thing), tastes great, and it's easy. I wrote up a quick how-to here: http://www.clivecoffee.com/category/cold_brewed.html It's not an iced americano, of course, but you still get the nuance of the varietal without the bitterness of most iced coffees/espressos.
Haven't tried it with an Aero Press - would be curious to hear feedback from someone who has!
In re: espresso machines - you could probably get by with an inexpensive espresso machine to make iced americanos, but you're going to invest in a good grinder for most "good" espresso machines. The other route you could go is a handheld grinder (like the Hario Skerton) and the Mypressi. This would work for low-volume espresso-making.
mattmikulla Senior Member Joined: 9 Jun 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Nashville Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Wed Jun 9, 2010, 7:16pm Subject: Re: Making Iced Americanos or really good iced coffee
Thanks all. Just from poking around I am beginning to realize the importance of a good grinder.
For the money I spend on coffee everyday I'll be able to play around with a french press, aero press, and score a decent but cheap espresso machine. I'll keep my eye on on craigslist for a starbucks model or better.
What would be a decent affordable electric grinder if I need one? I only have about 1 coffee a day.
But if I'm making flash brewed or hot-brewed iced coffee (as opposed to COLD BREWED - there's a big difference), the AeroPress recipe works fine, just add ice to 350g total instead of adding dilution water.
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