5 Easy Ways To Update Your Iced Coffee Slideshow

If you want an iced coffee as good as your favorite coffee shop makes it, try brewing it the Japanese way. Most coffee pros, like Aaron Ultimo of Ultimo Coffee or the folks behind Counter Culture Coffee, swear that the Japanese iced coffee method is the only true brewing method for the freshest-tasting iced coffee. The Japanese method of making iced coffee replaces the amount of water you use to brew with ice instead. Fill your carafe with just the right amount of ice, 8 ounces, and brew your normal pour-over coffee. That way, the coffee isn't diluted with tons of water and keeps all of its great aromatics and taste. We love Counter Culture Coffee's tutorial on iced coffee. 

It's no secret that we love Thai coffee for its coffee roasts. But our newly discovered love for Thai iced coffee may just send us over the edge. If you have condensed milk and cardamom on hand, you've got all the fixings for a spicy version of your everyday iced coffee. If you're looking to turn your iced coffee into a real treat, try adding whipped cream, cinnamon, or heavy cream to make it more of a dessert.

A Vietnamese iced coffee is another sweet variation on the traditional iced coffee. It's an awful lot like a Thai iced coffee, except that it's not made with cardamom. Many believe that Vietnamese iced coffee is made with chicory (much like the famous New Orleans iced coffee, made by Blue Bottle Coffee), but true coffee connoisseurs insist that the secret to Vietnamese iced coffee is not chicory — it's the coffee. Instead of using lighter-bodied Arabica roasts, Vietnamese iced coffee makes uses of darker Robusta roasts. Many people dislike Robusta roasts for how dark it is, but when balanced with a bit of condensed milk, your mind just might be changed. Coffee Geek has a great recipe for Vietnamese iced coffee; and if you're looking for something bit sweeter and more New Orleans-style, Blue Bottle has an iced coffee recipe that's more dessert than drink.

Who doesn't love a good ice cube for your iced coffee? Two easy ways to spruce up the ice in your iced coffee: coffee ice cubes, and vanilla ice cubes. Whoever thought up freezing leftover coffee into ice cube trays deserves a medal for their good deeds to humanity. And vanilla ice cubes, made with milk and vanilla extract? Well, talk about an ice cube we want to melt forever and ever. We like this recipe from Fine Dining Lovers.