Japanese-style iced coffee is brewed hot, directly onto ice. Part of the brew water is swapped for ice in the jug, so the hot coffee is chilled and diluted to the right strength the moment it lands. Hot water extracts the bright, fruity and floral flavours that cold brew misses, and instant chilling locks in the aroma. If you love light-roast filter coffee, this is the iced coffee for you.
Recipe
Ratio
30 g coffee · 300 g hot water (93–96 °C) · 200 g ice in the jug. The ice counts as brew water, so the overall ratio is about 1:16.
Put 200 g of ice in your jug or server and place your dripper on top.
Grind 30 g of coffee a little finer than you would for hot pour-over — there's less hot water, so you need a bit more extraction.
Rinse the paper filter with hot water (pour the rinse water away before the ice goes in, or rinse over the sink).
Bloom with 60 g of water and wait 45 seconds.
Pour the remaining 240 g slowly in circles, reaching 300 g total by about 1:45.
When it has drained, swirl the jug until most of the ice has melted and serve over fresh ice.
Tips
Choose fruity coffees
Light-roasted Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees taste like iced tea with berries. Dark roasts can taste flat and bitter cold.
Weigh the ice
Ice is part of the recipe. Too much and the coffee is watery; too little and it ends up lukewarm.
Works with any dripper
V60, Chemex, Kalita or a basic Melitta cone all work — just keep the 60/40 split between hot water and ice.
Japanese iced coffee FAQ
Is Japanese iced coffee better than cold brew?
It's different. Japanese iced coffee is brighter, more aromatic and ready in minutes; cold brew is smoother and more chocolatey but takes 12+ hours.
How much ice should I use?
Replace roughly 40% of your total water with ice: for 500 g total, use 300 g hot water and 200 g ice.
Can I just pour hot coffee over ice?
You can, but a normal-strength brew gets watered down. Brewing stronger, with the ice counted as part of the water, keeps the right strength.