Things That Make Us Go "Ewww"

The PG had us going for a bit with Amy McConnell Schaarsmith's article on making iced coffee at home, which was in yesterday's paper.

Some of what Amy said made sense.  It's true that some people don't like hot drinks on hot days (never stopped Euros, though).  It's true you don't add ice cubes to brewed coffee because the result will be watered down.  And it's generally true that many coffee shops don't a good job of sweetening cold drinks when requested.

But we think Amy's recipes need a bit of work.  First off, her whole concept of iced cappuccino is wrong.  A cappuccino requires both steamed milk and microfoam.  You can't just toss milk in a blender and get the same consistency.  Her two cappuccino recipes are simply flavored iced coffees.  Nothing to do with cappuccinos.  Move on.

And instant coffee for anything?  Che cazzo stai dicendo?

We have some other suggestions...

Side Note:  This is our 500th post!

If you like cold drinks and have a home espresso machine, we strongly recommend making some frozen espresso concentrate that you can use as your flavoring base.  In essence, you'd be making ice cubes from ristretto shots.  Use twice the amount of grounds (or same grounds but half the water) you would for your normal shot.  Fill up an ice cube tray.  Let it freeze.  When you want to make a blender or cold drink, let the cubes melt and use as you would a shot of espresso.

Or, you could buy a Toddy and cold brew a lot of coffee concentrate.  If you have a preference for a specific varietal or (sigh) flavored coffee in your cold drink, the Toddy is probably your best bet.

We reserve comment on Amy's last recipe with the coffee and chocolate pudding mix.  We can safely say it has nothing to do with a latte, but since we have a soft spot for Jell-O instant pudding, we might actually like that one (w/o the hazelnut).

Anyway, if you like the idea of an iced coffee, we'll make one for you fresh. Or, if you prefer frozen drinks, try one of our frappes.

Comments

[Silvia]

Hey Rich: I soooo loved your very appropriate use of that wonderful Italian phrase (and spelled correctly at that). I could actually see my dad saying it and using his hand gestures that go so well it. I'm looking forward to a delicious and refreshing frappe the next time I visit.

Also, is Frank's profile ever going to be included on the "Barista" link? A mom just loves seeing her children get their 15 minutes.