With the arrival of the warm season, iced coffee is a must-have on our tables. You might also remember summers spent with family, when grandmothers always had a large bottle of chilled coffee ready in the fridge, right next to the iced tea. This tradition continues today and is something we can easily replicate at home.

The iced coffee recipe is actually very simple; you only need a few high-quality ingredients to achieve a result as tasty as the one from the cafe, with both energizing and refreshing power. Moreover, thanks to the espresso machines by Ariete, it becomes child's play to amaze friends and family with creamy iced coffee, prepared and enjoyed in various ways.

Iced coffee: the recipe to make it at home

The iced coffee recipe is one of the most popular during the summer, essential for the scorching afternoons of this season. It is the cold version of the classic espresso coffee, which can be conveniently made at home with a practical, functional, and easy-to-use machine like the many options offered by Ariete.

As mentioned, making a shaken espresso (caffe shakerato) requires only a few ingredients: start with a good coffee which, while still hot, is poured into a shaker - or alternatively an electric mixer - along with a few ice cubes and liquid sugar. Then, shake it quickly and pour it into a classic Martini glass: with the right care, you can sip a delicious drink in just a few minutes, enriched with thick and compact foam, which can be customized as you like with creams, whipped cream, spices, or liqueurs.

Iced coffee: how to make it with Ariete espresso machines

For a creamy iced coffee, the key is that the coffee is freshly brewed, or at least kept hot, so that the sugar dissolves completely. For this reason, Ariete coffee machines in metal and in metal with pressure gauge are particularly useful, thanks to a large thermal-seal tank; plus, whether using pods or ground coffee, it will always have an intense and authentic flavor.

Moving on to the ingredients, the shaken espresso recipe for 2 people requires:

• 3 cups of espresso coffee
• 7 ice cubes
• 3 teaspoons of liquid cane sugar
• a few coffee beans for decoration

To prepare a shaken iced coffee that rivals any cafe, first place two Martini glasses and the shaker you will use in the freezer about half an hour before preparation; this prevents excessive thermal shock once the ice cubes are added. Once removed from the freezer, put the ice in the shaker, followed by the hot coffee and the liquid cane sugar. Shake well for at least 20 seconds, or alternatively, pour everything into an Ariete mixer. Finally, serve by garnishing the glass with coffee beans.

Iced coffee in many different ways!

Shaken espresso is not the only way to consume this beverage in its summer edition. The easiest way to prepare an iced coffee recipe at home is to make it with Ariete espresso machines, let it cool for a few minutes, and pour it into a glass with ice. To sweeten it, always use liquid sugar, or granulated cane sugar while the coffee is still very hot.

An even more delicious variation of iced coffee, typical of Southern Italy, is coffee granita. Prepare it by mixing coffee with a syrup of water and sugar, then place it in a container in the freezer. Be sure to stir it at least every half hour to prevent it from solidifying completely; remove it after about two hours, ready to be enjoyed with whipped cream and a brioche. Finally, there are the American versions of cold coffee, namely the frappuccino and iced coffee. The former is a cold cappuccino prepared by blending ice cubes, milk, coffee, liquid sugar, and cream or ice cream, while the latter is a long American coffee cooled with a generous amount of ice cubes.