How to Brew a Perfect Pitcher of Starbucks Iced Coffee at Home in Five Simple Steps

Lazy summer days and long holiday weekends were made for backyard barbeques with friends and family. Here are five simple steps for making a perfect pitcher of iced coffee for your next gathering.

What you need:

• 12 cup coffee press
• Starbucks Kenya coffee, ground coarsely for a coffee press (Starbucks Willow Blend is also delicious)
• Measuring spoon
• Your favorite pitcher
• 5 ¼ cups of ice

Step 1:

Choose your coffee. Kenya is great iced with bright acidity and fruity flavors raging from black currant and blackberry to tart grapefruit. The flavors become more pronounced as the coffee is iced.

Brewing is effective and flavorful with a coffee press. For best results, rinse the plunger assembly and pot of the coffee press with hot water to preheat them.

Step 2:

Grind the coffee coarsely for the press. The grind should look similar to kosher salt.  Starbucks recommends 32 Tbsp. of freshly ground coffee for a 12-cup press. If using a 2 Tbsp. Starbucks coffee scoop, add 16 scoops.

Fun Fact – your Starbucks barista is happy to grind your coffee for you. Either ask before leaving the store or bring in your bag of Starbucks coffee.

Add coffee to the press.

Step 3:

Add hot water, just off the boil. “Off the boil,” the ideal brewing temperature for all coffees (except espresso) is 195ºF to 205ºF. Bring water to a boil, remove it from the heat, wait a moment, then pour it over the coffee. For a 12 cup coffee press, pour 5 ¼ cups of water into the press.

Stir to make sure all the grounds are wet.

Step 4:          

Place the plunger assembly loosely on top to hold in the heat.

Using a timer, let the coffee brew for four minutes.

Point the pouring spout away from you and hold the pot by the handle.

Slowly press the plunger down with your other hand to push the grounds to the bottom of the pot.

Step 5:

Add ice to the pitcher.

Pour the brewed coffee from the press into the pitcher and stir.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Want to take your iced coffee to the next level? For a refreshing twist, add sliced oranges. Sweeten your iced coffee with a pump or two of vanilla or caramel syrup.

If you don’t feel like brewing coffee at home, here are few other ways to enjoy iced coffee this summer: Starbucks Iced Coffee-Brewed to Personalize, Bottled Starbucks Iced Coffees and Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee.

  Beverage, Brewing Coffee at Home, DIY, Do it yourself, Iced Coffee, Non Alcohol, Starbucks