Latte Confusion? Iced Latte vs Iced Coffee—We Have The Solution

The major difference between an iced latte vs iced coffee drink is that an iced latte contains both espresso coffee and milk and an iced coffee uses regular brewed coffee and doesn’t necessarily contain milk, although it still can. An iced latte will also typically have flavoring added to it, like vanilla or caramel.

Espresso is a 1 ounce shot of concentrated coffee typically brewed by forcing nearly boiling water at 9-10 bars of high pressure (130-150 psi) through finely ground, tightly packed coffee beans. The result is an espresso shot; a very intense, concentrated coffee with a thick syrup-like crema on top, which you can’t achieve with lower pressure brewing methods.

I would encourage you to explore the many forms of espresso by experimenting with different coffee beans (different origins) and roast degrees, for an almost endless variety of experiences. In the end, this will only help you step up your iced latte game.

They are both very similar, but it’s not as simple as throwing some ice cubes in your drink.

Both an iced latte and regular latte contain one or more shots of espresso and milk, with difference being, instead of steamed milk, you use cold or cooled milk with an iced latte since you’re trying to keep your ice cubes from melting. Similar to a traditional (hot) latte, though, is an iced latte can contain many of the same flavorings/syrups.

In my iced latte at home, I like to add half and half as well as my favorite creamer for an extra surge of awesomeness.

Lattes, as popularized by the masses, are hot coffee drinks that contain steamed, frothed milk, an espresso shot (or shots), and sometimes different flavorings and/or syrups.

A latte contains around 8-15 ounces of steamed milk (usually per shot of espresso) that’s brought up to a temperature of around 150-155 degrees Fahrenheit. This steamed/frothed milk contains the smallest amount of visible foam (called microfoam because of its intricate bubble structure) at the top.

The steamed milk has a thicker consistency which also enhances the perceived sweetness in your mouth. It’s also important because it helps balance the flavor of espresso and rounds out the intensity of its bitterness.

Espresso coffee differs largely from regular brewed coffee in that it’s brewed using finer grinds than conventional brew methods, it’s brewed with a much less volume of water, and it’s brewed under many bars of pressure (900–1,000 kPa; 130–150 psi).

Because of this, it comes out at a much higher and stronger concentration than regular coffee; the concentrated liquid gold we know as espresso coffee!

Last, there are about 1001 flavors and syrups you can add to your latte; cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, and vanilla, to name a few.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a decent espresso machine at home, then you’re in luck!

Methodically crafting your own latte at home is incredibly satisfying, especially when you consider the overall cost savings. All it takes is a little time and know-how to make your favorite coffee drink in just minutes.

To make the perfect latte with your home espresso machine, I’ll share the method I use:

Remember: don’t be afraid to check out YouTube for insightful videos on the subject. They can be very helpful and so much better than learning via trial and error.

You can still achieve espresso-like coffee even if you don’t have an espresso machine…yet. Follow these simple steps for an “almost” perfect latte:

This is a fairly straightforward process, and you can always adjust your coffee to water ratio for an even stronger coffee base in your latte.

Not to be confused with cold brew coffee (a different process altogether) or an iced latte, an iced coffee is just what it sounds like. Coffee and ice cubes.

You can easily make your own delicious iced coffee using very strong, regular brewed coffee, poured over ice.

The reason for using extremely strong coffee is that your iced coffee can quickly become a nasty, watered-down coffee when all the hot coffee melts your ice. Using rocket fuel strength coffee is simply a way of compensating for the expected dilution.

After pouring or brewing your fresh coffee over your ice cubes, add your favorite creamers and/or sweetener. Keep this in mind though; you’ll probably want to substitute the granulated sugar for a simple syrup or another water soluble sweetener, as the sugar won’t easily dissolve in the cold ice.

Explore different tastes and experiment with beans of various roast levels to discover your perfect iced coffee.

If you’re a fan of iced coffee like me, making it is relatively easy, especially if you own a single serve coffee maker such as the Keurig or something similar.

There are a couple ways you can go, depending on your patience level and need for a caffeine fix!

You can brew a slightly stronger, normal cup or pot of coffee and wait for it to cool down to room temperature or chill completely in the refrigerator.

Or….

You could brew much stronger coffee directly over ice. I’ll describe that process here.

As I mentioned, brewing stronger coffee will prevent your iced coffee from becoming too diluted when all your ice melts from the hot coffee.

Also, if you’re grinding your own beans, be sure to grind to a medium to medium-fine consistency for optimal taste and flavor.

The required ratio of coffee to water will depend on your specific tastes, but a 1:5 to 1:4 ratio is a good place to start and will give you high potency coffee that will compensate for the melted ice.

So, for example, if you wanted 3 fluid ounces of this strong coffee, you would divide your desired 3 (fl oz) by the 5 (in the 1:5 ratio) or the 4 (in the 1:4), which would give you roughly 0.6 to 0.75 ounces of coffee needed (or 17g to 21g; 3.4 to 4.2 tablespoons).

But one problem with this scenario is that most standard drip coffee makers won’t be able to brew a small quantity like 3 ounces.

This is where your math skills will come in handy. You’ll have to apply proper multiplication/division to your variables. Good thing you were an academic anomaly.

Here’s a very useful calculator if you weren’t. 🙂

So, if 12 fluid ounces is the minimum capacity your machine will brew, you’d know that you’d have to multiply the 3 fluid ounces you want, by 4 to get to 12 (or just divide the 12 fluid ounce minimum by the 3 fluid ounces you’re after).

When you get your number (4, in this example) you need to multiply your coffee quantity by it as well. So, 17g x 4 = 68g.

In this example, this would provide enough really strong coffee for 4 servings since you’re only using 3 fl oz of strong brew at a time.

It becomes a lot easier if you’re using a single serve coffee maker like a Keurig; simply brew it on the smallest water capacity setting available or add a bunch more grounds to your single serve coffee maker.

As you’ve probably noticed in the past, most of the brew strength is extracted in the first few seconds of the brew process anyhow.

Give it another go on the same pod if you feel you need a bit more liquid. Remember, though, your ice will melt significantly.

Also consider that you might add creamer/milk/sugar, so be sure to leave enough room for those.

Enjoy!

An iced latte or iced coffee make a great summer coffee drink; and traditional lattes, a noble companion during the long, cold winter. We explored a couple ways to make them, regardless of your gear, so you can become your own barista.

But for those who don’t want to bother brewing their own iced latte or iced coffee at home, or don’t have a latte time, you can purchase ready-made latte and iced coffee at your grocery store or local coffee shops and cafes.

We hope this post has helped you better understand the difference between an iced latte vs iced coffee vs traditional (hot) latte.

Lattes, Coffees, & Beers, Oh My! (Beers???)