Frozen Coffee VS Iced Coffee & Why Make it Yourself

Learning About the Different Cold and Iced Coffee Drinks and How to Make Them Yourself  

What can top a sweet and refreshing cold coffee drink? Whether you love blended drinks like the Frappuccino or iced coffee in the form of a creamy latte, refreshing cold coffee beverages can be an amazing pick-me-up! 

So what differentiates the types of cold coffee drinks? And more importantly, how can you make them at home? Here, we will discuss how (and why) to make your favorite blended or iced coffee drinks at home, and what differentiates these kinds of coffee beverages. 

What is the difference between iced coffee and Blended coffee? 

The difference between iced and blended/frozen coffee is in ingredients and consistency. As the name suggests, blended coffee drinks are blended, or put in the blender until the ice is crushed into a uniform consistency, like a smoothie. Blended coffee drinks are also often crafted with sweet powders like white chocolate or cocoa powder and topped with whipped cream. 

In contrast, iced coffee drinks are made with whole ice cubes, as with an iced latte. In Iced coffees, the espresso is cooled by pouring it over ice, and then milk and sweetening agents like flavored syrup are added. Whipped cream or cold foam may or may not be added to finish things off. 

Also, there’s cold brew. Cold brew coffee is considered a cold coffee drink. Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coffee in cold water for an extended period of time. No ice is needed to cool off this type of coffee, although it can be served with milk and ice. 

Iced, Blended, and Cold Brew Coffee Differences Explained

Here’s a clear breakdown of the differences between iced coffee, cold brew coffee, and blended coffee drinks, including how they’re made, how they taste, and what to expect in terms of strength and texture!

1. Iced Coffee

Definition:

Hot-brewed coffee or espresso that’s cooled down and served over ice.

How It’s Made:

• Brewed using traditional methods (drip, pour-over, French press, espresso).
  

• Chilled and poured over ice (sometimes flash-chilled directly into ice).
  
  

Taste & Strength:

• Bright, acidic, and often more bitter.
  

• Tastes like regular coffee, but colder and a bit diluted from the melting ice.
  

• Often sweetened or served with milk/cream, or sweet syrups/caramel sauces for flavor.
  
  

Caffeine Content:

Moderate, usually it is about the same as a standard cup of coffee.

2. Cold Brew Coffee

Definition:

Coffee that’s brewed with cold or room temperature water over an extended time (usually 12–24 hours).

How It’s Made:

• Coarse coffee grounds steeped in cold water.
  

• Strained after steeping and served cold, often over ice.
  
  

Taste & Strength:

• Smooth, low-acid, rich, slightly sweet.
  

• Less bitter than iced coffee.
  

• It can be much stronger (often served as a concentrate, then diluted).
  
  

Caffeine Content:

Higher, especially if the coffee is undiluted.

3. Blended or Frozen Coffee Drinks (e.g., Frappuccino-style)

Definition:

Coffee or espresso mixed with milk, sweeteners, ice, and often flavor syrups or mixes/powders, then blended into a frozen drink. This gives a frosty, slushy, or smoothie-like effect to the coffee. 

How It’s Made:

• Base: brewed coffee, espresso, or cold brew.
  

• Blended with milk, ice, sugar/syrups, sometimes cream or flavored powders.
  

• Topped with whipped cream or drizzle (optional).
  
  

Taste & Strength:

• Creamy, sweet, dessert-like.
  

• Less emphasis on coffee flavor; more about sweetness and texture.
  

• Often customizable (mocha, caramel, vanilla, etc.) with toppings like caramel, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and more.
  
  

Caffeine Content:

Caffeine content of blended drinks will vary and can range from mild to high, depending on the amount of espresso or coffee.

Tips for Making Cold Coffee Drinks at Home

Want to save money and unlock delicious coffee that's made correctly every time? If so, you might want to look into making your own coffee drinks at home. You can make awesome at-home coffee drinks with fresh, high-quality beans, minimal equipment like a blender and a cheap espresso machine, and a few simple ingredients. 

If you invest in a few easy-to-find ingredients like caramel sauce and Torani syrups, you can start whipping up delicious coffee drinks whenever you feel like it! 

Believe it or not, making these cold coffee drinks at home is not difficult. And no, you don't need to invest thousands of dollars into getting an espresso machine. Not only can you get an espresso machine online for under $200, but you can also use your single-serving coffee maker or simply brew coffee at extra strength. 

You will, however, need some great coffee. This website sells an array of coffee and espresso beans in many flavors and styles, all with pure 100% pure high-grade Arabica coffee beans that have been freshly roasted. 

It's definitely worth checking out if you want to start making your own iced or blended coffee drinks at home. They also have flavored blends that can be ground extra fine and used for espresso drinks. 

How to Make Iced Coffee at Home

There are a few tricks to making great iced coffee at home. First of all, you want to make sure your shots of espresso are strong enough. You should aim for one strong shot of espresso for every 10 oz of liquid (the milk, ice, and sweetener) in your cup. So, a 16-oz drink would require two shots of espresso, and 24 24-oz drink would require four shots of espresso or extra-strength coffee. 

Also, since the ice is going to melt when you pour the espresso over it before adding the other ingredients, you want to make sure your ice is of good quality. If the ice you use doesn't taste good in general, it's going to taste even worse melted. 

Finally, decide which type of milk you want to use. After pouring the hot espresso over ice, you will fill the rest of your glass or cup with milk and whatever flavoring or sweetening agents you choose. Iced lattes can be made with whole milk, 2% milk, oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, and more. 

Most coffee shops use either whole milk or 2% milk for iced lattes. With the exception of coffee shops like Dutch Bros. and 7 Brew, which use half and half to make iced breve beverages. If you want to make an iced macchiato at home, simply line your cup with caramel sauce first, before adding the ice and espresso. 

How to Make Blended Coffee Drinks at Home

If you want to make copycat Frappuccinos or other blended coffee drinks at home, you're going to need a blender and certain powders like white chocolate powder or mocha powder, depending on which flavors you plan to make most. 

Definitely check out this Reddit post with various dupe blended coffee recipes, and if you need flavored coffee pods for your single-serve coffee maker, simply click this link!