Baristas Share People's Biggest Mistakes Making Iced Coffee

These slipups could be why your drink is watered down and full of funky flavors.

When you’re craving a quick and easy iced coffee, you can get away with brewing your favorite roast, pouring the java over ice, stirring in your choice of milk or sweetener and calling it a day.

The no-frills method gets the job done, sure. But if you want to get the most out of your caffeinated beverage, you’ll need to put a bit more forethought and effort into your technique. Here, professional baristas share the mistakes you’re making when creating iced coffee at home — and what you should do instead for a balanced brew.

1. You’re Using Too Much Water

With any iced coffee, the ice in your beverage will inevitably melt, leading to a diluted drink that may taste too weak, too watery, too warm or a combination of all three, said Kathleen McCarthy, a corporate trainer at Lavazza. The good news: You can reduce the odds of this unpleasant drinking experience by accounting for ice melt during the brewing process, she said.

To do so, brew your coffee with a stronger grounds-to-water ratio. The typical recommendation is 1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water, but when you’re planning to drink your coffee iced, use a slightly stronger ratio of 1:12 or a double-strength 1:8, McCarthy suggested. That way, your beverage will still taste strong even when the added ice begins to melt.