How to Make an Iced Latte at Home

Caffeine is about 120-150 mg, the same as a double espresso.

1. 1

   Prep the espresso. Dose, distribute and tamp, but do not pull yet. See how to dial in espresso.

2. 2

   Fill the glass. Half to two-thirds with cubes.

3. 3

   Add 150 ml cold milk.

4. 4

   Pull the double directly over. The milk and ice.

5. 5

   Wait 15-20 seconds, then stir once. , or leave it layered.15-20 seconds

A cold drink hides flavour, and melting ice adds water every minute. A single shot over a full glass of ice and milk dilutes fast, which is why many home iced lattes taste thin by half-way.

Hot espresso melts the first ice it touches. That is why the recipe puts cold milk over the ice first and the espresso on top: pouring the shot straight onto bare ice loses more strength. If you prefer, flash-chill the shot over a couple of cubes in a small metal jug and pour it in at once; what dulls the aroma is letting it cool slowly on the counter.

• Use a double shot, not a single, and fill the glass only half to two-thirds with ice.
• Use large cubes; they melt more slowly than small or crushed ice.
• Use fridge-cold milk and a chilled glass; warm milk and glass melt ice early.
• Freeze coffee ice cubes from leftover espresso or cold brew so melting adds flavour instead of water.
• Stir once before the first sip, as the espresso settles under the milk.

A double (36–40 g) with 150 ml milk is roughly 1 part espresso to 2.5–3 parts milk before the ice melts; melt then adds 30–50 ml of water. A 1:5 or 1:6 build ends as vaguely coffee-flavored milk.

Start with the standard version and adjust. Our how to make a latte guide covers the hot version, and how to make cold brew is an alternative base if you do not have an espresso machine. If you take the cold brew route often, our best cold brew coffee makers compares four makers.

For a smaller, stronger iced drink, apply the same method to a cortado's 1:1 ratio; latte vs cortado covers how the two differ, hot or cold. Our guide to alternative espresso drinks has the rest of the menu.

For cold foam, froth cold milk with a handheld frother or a French press until it thickens, and spoon it over the drink. Skimmed milk and barista oat milk make the most stable cold foam, even though skimmed milk tastes thin as the main milk in the drink.

Taste before adding sweetener; cold milk tastes less sweet than steamed milk, so iced lattes often need a little more than hot ones.

• Vanilla or caramel: 1–2 pumps of syrup stirred into the hot espresso first, since syrup does not mix well into cold milk.
• Brown sugar oat: 1-2 tsp brown sugar syrup before barista oat milk and ice.
• Salted caramel: 1 tsp caramel sauce in the glass; a pinch of flaky salt sharpens the espresso.
• Vietnamese-style: sweetened condensed milk in place of some of the milk; taste as you go.
• Cold foam: see the cold foam section above.

• Moka pot (closest): 60-80 ml base with 120-140 ml milk. See how to use a moka pot.
• AeroPress: inverted, fine grind, 15 g coffee, 60 ml water.
• Cold brew concentrate: 60-80 ml per drink. See how to make cold brew.

Plain drip coffee turns thin against a full glass of milk. Compare with coffee drink differences.

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See all tiers in highest-rated home espresso machines. Pair with a good grinder such as the Capresso Infinity Plus or Baratza Encore ESP.