For The Best Japanese-Style Iced Coffee, Grab This Kitchen Tool

Hot cappuccinos, steaming lattes, and macchiatos are perfect for adding a little pep to your step. That said, the nation's appetite for cold coffee drinks is also booming. Caffeinated beverages, like iced espressos, thick frappuccinos, and foamy nitros, provide the same hit but also have a refreshing quality that sets them apart from hot coffees. Japanese-style iced coffee is one of the easiest cold drinks to make at home because it doesn't require a lengthy extraction period. If you want to make it extra special, grab a kitchen scale before you begin so you can measure the weight of both your ice and coffee. This precision produces a brew that's balanced, delicate, and smooth.

So what makes Japanese iced coffee so unique?  At its heart, this coffee variety is simply a batch of concentrated java brewed over ice. Also known as flash brew, Japanese iced coffee is ready to drink immediately, unlike cold brew, which requires a much longer steep and can develop a bitter and oxidized taste. To make the best Japanese-style coffee, measuring the ingredients and creating the perfect ratio is vital; use too much ice and the flavors eventually become diluted as the cubes melt. Instead of making a regular shot of coffee, you must make a double-strength batch to compensate for dilution, and load your cup with a specific weight of ice rather than a random amount.

The simplest way to master the ratios for a Japanese-style iced coffee is to swap half the water you'd normally use for ice. For instance, instead of using 16 ounces of liquid, use only 8 ounces of water to brew your coffee, then add 8 ounces of ice in your cup. This ensures the ice cubes are included in the total amount of water used, guaranteeing that your coffee retains its bright and smooth flavor without becoming diluted. Meanwhile, measuring your coffee grounds ensures every cup you make is always consistent. The amount depends largely on your strength preference (use a scale and make adjustments the next time and experiment until you find that sweet spot). As a rule of thumb, anywhere between a 15-to-1 to 20-to-1 ratio of water to coffee works. This proportion relates to weight, not volume, so don't be tempted to use a scoop versus a scale.

Once you've measured the ice in your cup, place your lined coffee dripper on top, filled with your measured coffee grounds. Finally, pour over hot water until the scale reaches the correct reading and allow it to drip through.