Need iced coffee NOW and not up for waiting for cold brew? I’ve got the solution for you: Japanese Iced Coffee!

This method for making iced coffee makes my mornings SO MUCH better. Great iced coffee in (practically) an instant? Sign me up!

Two glasses of iced coffee with brown straws, on a tray lined with a light blue napkin.

Japanese-style iced coffee involves adding ice to a vessel, then adding the grounds to the carafe or a cone and pouring hot water over the grounds. Rich, strong coffee then drips over the ice, and if your ratios are just right, you end up with the perfect glass of iced coffee that’s rich, amazing-tasting, and not even a little watered down.

Table of Contents

The Story Behind the Recipe

These days, we are pretty married to our pour-over carafe. My guy is a routine man, and every weekday morning like clockwork he wakes up at 5:30 a.m., showers, heads downstairs, puts away any dishes that left out to dry overnight. And then he starts the process of making coffee.

Grind the beans, warm the carafe, boil the water, add the grounds to the thick paper filter, patiently pour the water over to make a few perfect mugs. The pour-over method isn’t as easy or as fast as many others, but it results in a seriously killer cup of coffee.

Come spring and summer, though, hot coffee doesn’t sound quite as good to me. My guy, he never wavers from his steaming-hot cup, but I like a tall, strong glass of iced coffee just as well – maybe even better – once the weather warms.

I’m a huge fan of cold-brewed iced coffee concentrate, but the half-day process requires some planning ahead, and the truth is … I’m not always a plan-ahead type of gal.

Enter a newish-to-me, practically instant method that results in an incredible glass of iced coffee: Japanese-Style Iced Coffee!

I started making Japanese-style iced coffee last year, and I pretty much became an instant fanatic.

Cold Brew vs. Japanese-Style Iced Coffee

So what’s the difference, you ask, between cold brew and Japanese style, other than the fact that one takes 12 hours and one takes 12 minutes (if that)?

Well, with Japanese-style, you only get one serving at a time – as opposed to cold brew, where you can fix up a whole big batch at a time. So keep that in mind, depending on how much caffeine you’re looking to consume.

Flavor-wise, cold brew is famous for producing a mellow yet potent elixir that’s rich, relatively free of acid, and tastes almost chocolatey. 

Japanese-style, on the other hand, is known for retaining more of the nuances of flavor that you lose when coffee doesn’t ever meet hot water. You get a bit more acid, yes, but still a full-flavored cuppa. Or jarra, as the case may be, because I brew my Japanese-method cold brew right into a mason jar. High class, baby.

Add some creamer, plop in a straw, and hallelujah: delicious caffeine.

A top view of a jar of Japanese-style iced coffee

About this Recipe for Japanese Iced Coffee

There are a few resources out there for how to make Japanese-style iced coffee, and they are very thorough. But coffee, like wine, can be a little … highfalutin? Controversial?

I can usually recognize and adore a great cup of coffee, but a coffee connoisseur I am not. So let’s maybe just call this one How to Make Japanese-Style Iced Coffee for the Average Joe. I’m keeping it simple and straightforward to give you somewhere to start.

For instance, I like to brew my Japanese Iced Coffee directly into my vessel (a mason jar). I mean, does it get any easier than that?

Many instructions call for the use of a scale, and if you have it, I do second that suggestion (because it makes things so easy!) But it’s definitely not required. You can also brew your iced coffee this way with a few simple measurements.

Ingredients

  • Coffee – Go with a rich, dark roast for the most robust glass of iced coffee. Grind your beans to a medium-fine consistency.
  • Ice
  • Water

Equipment

You can use two different set-ups for perfect Japanese Iced Coffee:

  • Carafe + paper filter – a Chemex is great for Japanese-style iced coffee. Just plonk your ice cubes right in the base.
  • RECOMMENDED: Ceramic coffee brewing cone (here’s an affiliate link to the one I use) + paper filter + mason jar – My preferred method is to use a ceramic cone set right over a Mason jar. The Mason jar is thick and sturdy, so I don’t have to worry about easing the ice into my Chemex without breaking it. With a Mason jar, just brew right into it, plop in a straw, and done!

Adaptations/Variations

How to Make Japanese-Style Iced Coffee

Start by adding the ice to your mason jar or carafe.

Set a filter in your brewer, then add the coffee grounds.

Pouring the coffee grounds into a cone brewer for Japanese style iced coffee.

Bring your water to a boil, then slowly pour just a teensy bit of water over the grounds to “bloom” them.

Pouring boiling water over coffee grounds for Japanese iced coffee.

Pour about half of the remaining water over the top, then when it’s finished dripping through, pour the rest of the water over.

Brewing Japanese iced coffee - Pouring boiling water over coffee grounds for Japanese iced coffee.

When it’s done brewing, add more ice and cream if you like, sugar if you want, and any other flavor. It’s up to you!

Pouring cream into a jar of Japanese-style iced coffee.

Tips for Success

  • Grinding tips: Grind your beans right before you brew your coffee and make sure your grinder is set to medium-fine.
  • Use a scale: Set your Mason jar & brewer or carafe on a food scale and zero it out. Add 230 grams ice, then 30 grams coffee beans, and finally brew with 230 grams of water. You don’t have to use any measuring cups and the scale makes it super easy!
  • Use a goose-neck kettle: It’s not a must, but it’s so much easier to make pour-over style coffee with one.
A top view of two glasses of Japanese style iced coffee and the used coffee brewer.

More Iced Coffee Love 😍

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How to Make Japanese-Style Iced Coffee

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 1
Want high-quality iced coffee in minutes? This method makes it happen by brewing coffee right over the ice. I make mine even simpler by placing a pour-over cone right over a big mason jar. Just add cream, plop in a straw, and morning’s made!
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup ground coffee beans (1 ounce/30 grams. I like a darker roast)
  • 1 cup ice cubes (8 oz./230 g., plus more for serving)
  • 1 cup water (8 oz./230 g.)

Equipment

  • Measuring cups or a kitchen scale
  • A pour-over cone aka a drip brewer, or a carafe like a Chemex
  • A coffee filter that fits the pour-over cone or carafe
  • A 16-ounce or larger mason jar if not using a carafe
  • Tea kettle preferably a goose-neck shape made for pour-over brewing

Instructions

  • Fill the mason jar or carafe with the 2 cups/8 oz./230 g. ice.
  • Set a filter in the brewer, set it over the mason jar (if using) for brewing, and add the coffee grounds.
  • Bring the water to a boil. Slowly pour just a bit of the water over the grounds – just enough to cause the coffee to expand (also known as “blooming”). Once all of that water has dripped through, slowly pour about half of the remaining water over the top. When that has finished dripping through, slowly pour the remaining water over the top. Let drain completely.
  • If using a mason jar, remove the drip brewer. If using a carafe, remove the filter and grounds then pour into a glass. Add ice, cream, and/or sugar if desired. Add additional ice, cream, and/or sugar if desired and stir. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1g, Sodium: 24mg, Calcium: 14mg

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