Well, if this idea doesn’t take the idea of “freezer cooking” to a whole new level, I don’t know what does. I’m guessing many of you have already seen this on Pinterest or on another blog. Still I felt it was worth mentioning as a reinforcement that the idea is really wonderful.
By the way – remember when I didn’t like coffee? Then how I started liking coffee just a little bit? Then how I started liking it just a little bit more? Yeah. I totally love coffee now. Love it.
It seemed to happen right around the time I turned 40. Suddenly coffee started tasting really good to me. I drink it in the morning while I spend time with God. Oh my goodness, how I love to let the goodness of Jesus and the deliciousness of coffee wash over me as I start the day. Simply awesome.
So now what’s all this about making coffee ice cubes for iced coffee? Here’s how I learned this idea: Matt and I have a great male friend who is super athletic, macho, and manly. Not that guys who are super athletic, macho, and manly can’t be on Pinterest, but when this guy said to me, “Hey Laura, do you do Pinterest? I found a great idea for you!” I was so shocked that I laughed out loud and snorted like an idiot. Oh, c’mon. You know I’m exaggerating. I totally concealed my shock, held my composure, and simply giggled and blurted, “Whoa. Dude. Seriously?”
What can I say? I’m used to this guy greeting our family by putting one of my boys in a choke hold instead of sharing his excitement about a Pinterest idea with me. Nonetheless, the idea he found is brilliant, which is this: If you like Iced Coffee, freeze leftover coffee in ice cube trays. That way, when you pour coffee over ice, the ice won’t melt and water down your coffee. See? Brilliant.
I’m not much into eating or drinking sugar these days (my body rebels and I start feeling sick – also something that happened about the time I turned 40). Therefore, my favorite way to make an iced coffee is to pour cold coffee into a glass filled with coffee ice cubes, add a shot of whole milk, and sit down to enjoy the creamy delightfulness of rich, cold coffee.
If you’re a little more into having a little sweetness with your coffee, I recommend stirring in some Homemade Chocolate Caramel Creamer. And by the way, I know there are wonderful gadgets on the market specific for cold brewing coffee. I just find that it’s easier to brew a pot of hot coffee in my French press, then chill it (or freeze it into coffee cubes). Why buy another gadget for my already full kitchen, right?
Do you like coffee? Do you like iced coffee? Ever tried freezing coffee in ice cube trays? Serious deliciousness.
I just started doing this with iced tea. No more watery tasting tea.
Great thinking!!
Me too! I hate watered down tea, but tea ice cubes takes care of that problem!
Next time put the cold coffee, cream, and ice cubes in the blender. It’s amazing.
YES!!!! That sounds so good. If I wasn’t afraid of the caffeine keeping me awake all night, I’d go do that right this minute. :)
I’ll be over tomorrow to help you try it. :)
I am more or less like Laura, I started drinking coffee at about 30, Greek coffee more, I love it’s smell so much.
I make the coffee, let it stand a little and then mix in my drink mixer machine milk and ice cubes in order to make it cold cream.
Then put it on top of the coffee.
Altough Greek coffee is always drunk hot, this version is spectacular. Try it.
You can also make cream ice cubes. Or milk cubes. Or cream and coffee cubes. Or add pretty much anything you like in your coffee so that the ratio of coffee to coffee-goodness stays the same:)
I never thought of freezing cream too. You all are brilliant!
Sometimes we mix cream and juice in little ice cube molds… my son loves to eat them as little ice cream bites in the summer. The consistency changes a bit, but still tastes the same.
Just saw the comment on cold brewing… I had forgotten about that! I used to do it in …. tada…. mason jars!!! Lol. But now I use leftover brewed coffee for my iced coffee to not waste it, but yeah, cold brewing rocks, too!
Have you tried cold “brewing” ? You don’t need any thing special cold water, ground coffee and something to filter the coffee with. Since I started cold brewing, we started using the leftover for ice cubes. Need to try blending and with a dollop of your chocolate whip cream!!! nummy
LOL! That’s what I was gonna mention ” cold brewing”. I picked that up from Pioneer Woman and love making it that way. I also love not needing to have a coffee pot or any other special equipment.
I guess I assumed you had to have some sort of appliance. How does it work exactly???
Nope Cold brewing is basically allowing time to “brew” the coffee instead of heat. But I find that freezing leftover coffee appeals to my frugal side… ;)
here is where the pioneer woman explains it: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/
I was going to mention this, too! The coffee is much smoother and less bitter. I follow Nourishing Gourmet’s tutorial:
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2012/05/how-to-cold-brew-coffee.html
MMM! Laura I bet that chocolate whipped cream tastes wonderful with a glass of iced coffee. I’ve always preferred cold coffee to hot. I would often dollop some whipped cream on top of my ice cubes. I also love to dash some cinnamon on top of the whipped cream, but no need for that with chocolate whipped cream . For some reason I’ve been thinking you were enjoying HOT coffee with all that chocolate cream.
I had been enjoying hot coffee with chocolate cream, for sure! But now that the weather is getting warmer, I’ll be stirring it into my iced coffee. :)
I have done this in the past but lately I don’t have any coffee left over. :( I prefer cold coffee but here in the last year (since turning 30) I have developed a taste for hot coffee, so I usually brew in the morning drink a couple cups then have it cold in he afternoon.
That is just what I’ve been doing! Hot in the morning, cold over ice in the afternoon. Mmmmmm!
I cold brew in my french press. Put coffee grounds in the bottom, fill up with cold water. Wait overnight. Pour over ice and add milk. Delicious! The french press completely resolves the dilemma of how to filter the cold brewed coffee. Since you already have one, you are set!
Aha! That I can do…sounds super easy. :)
That’s just what I was going to suggest-that’s what I do too :)
So my first thought was “Who has leftover coffee!?” ;) The hubs and I drink it all up in the morning. (Well, he takes a thermos and leaves the rest for my indulgence to get my day started before my boys arise. Lol!) But then I read an above comment about having some iced coffee in the afternoon. I never thought of that!? That would totally get me over my afternoon hump. Thanks so much for sharing! (Also can’t wait to try your chocolate cream and your homemade creamer.)
Ha! No one in my house likes coffee except for me…so I usually have a little leftover each morning that I can warm up later or freeze into ice cubes. :) I always love it when people come over and share my coffee with me.
Yum just Yum! We use a french press too and I can totally taste the chocolate caramel creamer about 2-3pm in the afternoon for the 3pm blah pick up. The chocolate whipped cream sounds good too…
I too use to hate coffee! Then at 33, when I started homeschooling, I needed some more umph for my day! I found when I was reading aloud to my children I would run words together ???? So, I tried coffee… The next is history as they say, now I love my coffee! LOL
I love this tip on freezing the leftover coffee! In these hotter months iced coffee in the afternoon is so nice (hot is my fave, but when it’s 100? it’s no bueno.) Regular ice waters down the coffee & I don’t care for that taste. Thank you for this tip, it’s brilliant! Or thank the manly man friend of yours ????
In Australia, where my father is from and we have lived in the past, they have iced coffee in cartons everywhere. Like where we have chocolate milk in stores, they will also have iced coffee. Akin to Starbucks Frappachino but way better and less sickly sweet!!!! And it is best straight from the paper carton!!! Anyways, I am headed inside to make a cold coffee right now with my leftover coffee sitting in my fridge!
For those of you who do not want to drink coffee… if you’re even reading this post, lol… Teeccino is delicious cold, too! I think it’s better cold than hot, myself.
Or, if you cannot drink caffeine at night before bed but want a cold coffee like drink, this is a good alternative. Often I’ll have coffee in the am, then at night when it’s hot still (southern AZ, here) I’ll make a glass of iced Teeccino with milk.
And, of course you can make Teeccino ice cubes for that, too :)
Glad to hear this – I have yet to try Teeccino.
I was just thinking today as I was drinking my iced coffee that I need to make coffee cubes so it won’t get watered-down. I also like mine with just milk and no sugar. And you’ve got to try cold brew. You can just make it in your French press like other people have already said. Or you can brew up a gallon or however much you want at once and just pour it through a strainer when it’s done and if that’s not clear enough you can pour it little by little through a coffee filter laid in the strainer. It is much less bitter because of the different process of brewing. Hope you enjoy! Let us know…
I knew about the coffee iced cube idea, but it never dawned on me to do it for iced tea! I do love coffee, but I am a half-and-half snob. Recently it is something I have given up, due to the cost, but I still crave it daily. Especially during my Bible time. I just tell myself that hot tea is just as good. :)
Maple syrup in cold coffee is delish . It sounds weired but its awesome.
Has anyone got the ratio to cut down PW’S cold coffee recipe? I don’t want to do that much at one time. I adore this website and the awesome recipes- I even have a Pinterest Board for Heavenly Homemakers recipes!
I just cold brewed for the first time yesterday — enjoy the fruits of my labor today. It really does have a different taste/finish!
After a both of research ( 1 pound of coffee is about 4 1/2 to 5 cups ) here is the math I used:
Based on 5 cups the ratio is
2 1/2 cups of coffee ground to 1 gallon (16 cups) of water
1 1/4 cups of coffee to 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of water
If you want to base it of tablespoons there are 16 dry tablespoons in a cup, so 5 cups x 16 = approx. 80 tablespoons in 1 pound of coffee
I made the 8 cups to 1 1/4 cups of Coffee and I like the strength. You can always adjust the amounts to the strength you like!
Hope this helps!
Hi Laura. Maybe I missed it, but where is the recipe for the coffee flavored ice cubes? :) Sorry ;p Oh and maybe could you plz post a recipe for iced coffee? Like an easy one. Thanks and have a great Sunday.
No recipe – simply pour leftover coffee into ice cube trays and freeze the coffee like that. Then, use the frozen coffee cubes to make an iced coffee. I put the coffee cubes in a glass, pour in cold coffee and milk and I’m good to go!
Thanks! I love iced coffee. I cannot wait to try it!
I don’t know which part of my brain is missing, but I am grateful for you for coming up with this idea! I just took the rest of my morning pot of coffee (I always make a pot, but we really only drink about 2 cups — I don’t understand that part of my thinking, either!), and poured it into trays and it’s freezing away! Okay, confession time — I had to go to the dollar store to BUY cube trays because my refrigerator has a very reliable ice maker and I never thought I’d need the old trays again so just gave them away. BUT, we shall have lovely iced coffee because of your suggestion for great cubes, so thank you!