Last updated: 10 October 2026
Iced coffee is strong for the first few minutes. Then the ice melts and you're drinking coffee-flavoured water.
Regular ice cubes melt and dilute your drink. The fix is to freeze the coffee itself.
Coffee ice cubes keep your iced coffee strong until the last sip. The same method also makes coffee popsicles. Both work well while the weather is still warm.
Why coffee ice cubes work
Normal ice melts into plain water. Coffee ice melts into coffee. So as your drink warms up, it gets cooler without getting weaker. All you need is a tray, a freezer and five minutes.
How to make coffee ice cubes
What you need
- Ten15 Americano or Espresso (one 2 g serving per cup)
- Hot or cold water
- An ice tray (silicone trays make popping them out easy)
Method
- Add one serving to a cup. Following the pack, use 180 ml hot water or 120 ml cold water. For cubes, you can make it stronger with a little less water.
- Stir until fully dissolved. Freeze-dried coffee dissolves well in both hot and cold water, so there's no need to wait for a kettle.
- Let it cool for a few minutes, then pour into the ice tray.
- Freeze for at least 4–6 hours, or overnight.
- Pop out the cubes and store in a sealed container or freezer bag so they don't pick up freezer smells.
Tip: one serving makes a full cup of coffee, which fills roughly one standard ice tray. Make a double batch and you've got cubes for the whole week.
What to do with them
- Iced latte: fill your glass with coffee ice cubes and pour cold milk over them. As they melt, the milk turns into a coffee latte. Our iced latte guide has the full method.
- Iced Americano: add cubes to cold water for a black coffee that never fades.
- Milk-on-coffee: drop cubes into a glass of cold milk, add a spoon of sugar or syrup and stir. It's a quick, sweet, café-style drink.
- Frappe booster: blend a few cubes into your frappe for extra coffee flavour.
- Dessert shortcut: put a coffee cube in a glass and pour a little cold vanilla milk over it for a coffee-milk treat.
Coffee popsicles
Want something to eat, not just drink? Coffee popsicles take one extra step.
What you need
- 1 serving of Ten15 Espresso or Americano (2 g)
- 150 ml milk (or a milk of your choice)
- 1–2 tbsp sugar, condensed milk or syrup, to taste
- Popsicle moulds and sticks (or small paper cups and wooden sticks)
Method
- Dissolve the serving in about 60 ml hot water so it's concentrated.
- Stir in the milk and your sweetener until smooth. Taste it: it should be a little sweeter than you'd drink it, since freezing dulls sweetness.
- Pour into moulds and add sticks.
- Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
- To release, dip the mould in warm water for a few seconds.
Upgrades: stir in chocolate chips, dip finished popsicles in melted chocolate, or add a swirl of caramel sauce before freezing.
Tips for better coffee ice
- Use a covered container to stop the cubes tasting like last week's leftovers.
- Make them stronger than usual so they stay flavourful as they melt.
- Label the batch so you know what's in the freezer. Add the date.
- Don't use sweetened mixes for the cubes if you want to control the flavour of your drink later. Plain Americano or Espresso cubes work with anything.
Want more ways to enjoy coffee on a hot day? See our five iced coffee recipes and the how-to-make-cold-coffee guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make coffee ice cubes with freeze-dried coffee? Yes. Dissolve a serving in water, pour into a tray, and freeze. It dissolves in cold water too, so you don't need to heat anything.
How long do coffee ice cubes last? Store them in a sealed container in the freezer and use them within a few weeks, for the best flavour.
Can I use the latte or frappe sachets? You can, but they contain milk and sugar, so the cubes will be creamy and sweet. For flexibility, use Americano or Espresso.
Why do my cubes taste weak? Use less water when you make them. A stronger base stays bold when it melts.
Do I need a special tray? No. Any ice tray works. Silicone ones are easier to pop out.
Make coffee that stays cold and strong
Get Ten15 Americano or Espresso, or try the Starter Pack — 50% off.
Try the Starter Pack — 50% Off
Keep reading: How to Make an Iced Latte at Home and 5 Iced Coffee Recipes for Karachi Summer.
