Japanese Iced Coffee

The Japanese iced coffee method is old enough to be considered legend, supposedly dating back to 1891 when an ice shop owner offered his version of iced coffee to help beat the summer heat. By the 1920’s, this style of iced coffee that doesn’t dilute rich flavors could commonly be found in coffee shops throughout Japan.

The first coffee shop I ever worked at made iced coffee by first brewing it hot, then waiting for it to cool down before pouring it over ice. Another shop early in my barista days served iced coffee by simply pouring hot coffee over ice. So, my customers were either getting a cup that had lost a lot of flavor, or a watery, diluted cup. Good thing there’s another way, right?

Japanese iced coffee preserves both the flavor and strength in an iced coffee. Brewing directly over ice helps capture the aromatic compounds before they escape. The process also uses less hot brewing water which creates a concentrated coffee. The strength of the brew will become balanced when the ice melts, and flavors won’t evaporate since the coffee hits the ice immediately.

My take on Japanese iced coffee is only slightly different from some recipes you’ll find out in the world. I like to brew over ice, but then strain into a separate glass of ice. This way, instead of having a lot of tiny, melted cubes, you’ll end up with a glass of fresh, full ice cubes. It’s the little things.

Recipe Details

• Complexity - Low
• Serves - 1
• Prep Time - 5 Min
• Cost - ($)

Ingredients

• 15 grams of coffee
• Hot water
• 10 oz of ice
• Straw optional

Equipment

• Pour over brewer & filters
• Pour over server
• Scale
• Grinder
• Pour over kettle
• 12 oz glass

A Few Quick Tips

I recommend a coffee that has some significant weight or body. Lovers of earthy notes should try our Hidden Malabar, but if you’re looking for something a bit more complex, our Ethiopia Limmu will do the trick. For the equipment, we used a few favorites from Brewista, Varia, and Kinto.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Heat kettle

If you're using our Hidden Malabar, go with 195°F. If you’re using our Ethiopia Limmu, 200°F will work.

Ice the Server

Load the server with about 6 oz of ice.

Grind and Prepare

Grind 15 grams of coffee relatively fine. You’ll need to achieve a full extraction with less water, and grinding finer will both expose more surface area and extend the brew time, avoiding underextraction.

Add the filter to the brewer and add the grounds to the filter. If you’re in the habit of rinsing the filter, no need to worry about it here (especially if you’re using Brewista filters; these are known to impart little to no papery taste).

Start Timer and Begin Pouring

I’ve found that a schedule like this (or even this exact one) works well:

• Bloom with 30g of hot water
• At 0:45, pour until the scale reads 80g (50g added)
• At 1:10, pour until the scale reads 120g (40g added)
• At 1:30, pour until the scale reads 150g (30g added)

The coffee should finish dripping at about 2:30. If it’s taking too long, adjust the grind size coarser. Too quick? Adjust grind size finer. Discard the grounds when the brew is complete.

Ice the Glass and Strain

Add about 4 oz of ice to your glass. Strain the iced coffee into the glass, holding back small pieces of ice if you can. Drinking from a straw is my personal preference, but of course, optional.

Photography by Grace Walker

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