How to Make an Iced Americano

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With just 3 ingredients consisting of ice, espresso, and water, an Iced Americano is one of the easiest and simplest espresso drinks to make. See how to make it at home and how it’s made at Starbucks.

Iced Americano in a cup.

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What is an Iced Americano?

  • An Iced Americano is a cold drink made with ice, espresso, and chilled water. It’s the iced version of an Americano, which is made with just espresso and hot water.
  • The drink must be made with espresso to be called an Iced Americano. If it’s made with any other kind of coffee, it’s no longer an Iced Americano. Espresso should be made in an espresso machine or a Nespresso.
  • Iced Americano is a watered down espresso. It’s similar to strong brewed coffee made in a drip coffee machine.

RELATED: Starbucks Iced Americano Copycat

Difference between Iced Americano and Iced Coffee

The difference in the two comes down to the method used to make coffee.

Iced Americano is made with espresso while iced coffee is made with hot brewed coffee that has been chilled.

Because Iced Americano is made with espresso, you should be able to see crema along the top, which you won’t see in iced coffee.

Iced Americano at Starbucks

The traditional way of making an Iced Americano is by adding espresso shots to cold water, then adding ice. Starbucks makes theirs backwards by adding cold water to espresso shots instead.

The overall taste will be the same as a regular Iced Americano, but you’ll see less crema on the surface.

An Iced Americano can be ordered in 3 drink sizes at Starbucks: tall (12 ounces), grande (16 ounces), and venti (24 ounces). A tall sized drink contains 2 espresso shots, grande has 3 espresso shots, and a venti has 4 shots of espresso.

You can ask for the espresso to be made ristretto (short shot), or as a long shot, made decaf or with blonde espresso. If you want a more caffeinated drink, ask for an extra shot or two of espresso.

If you don’t see a decaf coffee drink option, ask for a decaf Iced Americano, which can be made to order.

The Iced Americano at Starbucks is made without any syrups or milk so you must specify if you want to add those to your order.

RELATED: Every Starbucks Drink Ranked by Caffeine Content

Ingredient Notes

Iced Americano ingredients.
  • Espresso: Any roast (dark, medium, or light/blonde) can be used to make an Iced Americano as long as the drink is made with espresso. Use an espresso machine or a Nespresso.
  • Water: Use filtered cold water for a better tasting Iced Americano.
  • Ice: Use ice made with filtered water if possible.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Pouring water into a cup.

Step 1: Pour cold water into a cup.

Pouring espresso intoa cup.

Step 2: Add espresso.

Iced Americano in a cup.

Step 3: Top drink with ice.

Serving Suggestions

  • Iced Americanos are served without any sweeteners or milk but they can be offered as options on the side.
  • Always use simple syrup to sweeten iced drinks since it’s the easiest way to mix sugar into a cold beverage.
  • Try flavored simple syrups for a tasty twist. Vanilla syrup or caramel syrup are popular add-ins.
  • To make it decadent, top the drink off with homemade vanilla sweet cream cold foam!

Expert Tips

  • To make a proper Iced Americano, make the drink by adding espresso into cold water, then adding ice. By adding espresso after the water, you can get more crema from the espresso on the surface.
  • Freshly made espresso is best. Hot espresso is cooled down instantly by adding it into cold water.
  • There is no standard in the amount of cold water that’s to be used in an Iced Americano, so use as much or as little as you like, depending on how strong you want the espresso flavor to be.
  • Iced Americano is usually made with dark roasted coffee. Use a blonde roast if you want a smoother flavor with slightly more caffeine or make it ristretto (short shot) for a less bitter taste.

RELATED: Starbucks Iced Latte Copycat

Questions You May Have

What’s the difference between an Iced Americano and cold brew?

Iced Americano is made with hot espresso shots that are instantly cooled in cold water while cold brew is made with ground coffee that has been steeping in cold water for several hours.

Can you add milk and sugar to an Iced Americano?

Yes, you can add any milk or sweetener you wish, but the drink comes without any unless you specify.

Which cold coffee drink has the most caffeine at Starbucks?

The Nitro Cold Brew has the most caffeine at 280 mg in a grande, followed by the Iced Americano with 225 mg, which has 3 shots of espresso in a grande. The Iced Coffee has 165 mg of caffeine in a grande, the Iced Latte with 2 espresso shots has 150 mg of caffeine, and the Iced Flat White, made with 3 ristretto shots, has 130 mg of caffeine.

Homemade Iced Americano in glass cups.

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How to Make an Iced Americano

Author: Jee Choe
With just 3 ingredients consisting of ice, espresso, and water, an Iced Americano is one of the easiest and simplest espresso drinks to make.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Course Drinks
Yield1 serving (16 ounces)

INGREDIENTS
 

  • cup cold water
  • 3 shots espresso
  • 1 cup ice

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Pour cold water into a cup.
    Use filtered water for a better tasting drink.
  • Add espresso shots.
  • Top drink with ice.

EQUIPMENT

NOTES

  • To make a proper Iced Americano, make the drink by adding espresso into cold water, then adding ice. By adding espresso after the water, you can get more crema from the espresso on the surface.
  • Freshly made espresso is best. Hot espresso is cooled down instantly by adding it into cold water.
  • Use an espresso machine or a Nespresso for best results.
  • There is no standard in the amount of cold water that’s to be used in an Iced Americano, so use as much or as little as you like, depending on how strong you want the espresso flavor to be.
  • Iced Americano is usually made with dark roasted coffee. Use a blonde roast if you want a smoother flavor with slightly more caffeine or make it ristretto (short shot) for a less bitter taste.
  • The drink is made without any milk or sweeteners like sugar, but you can always add any you like.
  • Use filtered cold water for a better tasting Iced Americano.
  • Use ice made with filtered water if possible.

NUTRITION

Calories: 15 | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 3mg | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg

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