How Long is Iced Coffee Good For?

Absolutely nothing beats an iced coffee on a hot day. The cold of the ice contrasts perfectly with the smooth bitterness of the coffee, and refreshes you and energizes you simultaneously as you drink.

However, while iced coffee and a hot day go perfectly together, they are also a bit of a catch-22. The hotter the day, the faster the ice will melt, and the sooner your coffee will be ruined. Drink up quick!

So exactly how long is iced coffee good for? We’ve broken down the question for you so you know precisely how long you’ll have to drink your coffee once it’s made.

What is Iced Coffee?

Iced coffee is simply that- coffee poured over ice. It can be made by pouring normally brewed coffee over ice, or by brewing the coffee cold- many coffee aficionados prefer the cold brew method.

Iced coffee can be espresso like a latte or cappuccino, or American coffee. It can be poured over ice or blended with ice to form a frappe type drink. Often, flavours and sweeteners are added before serving for an extra twist.

There are as many options for iced coffee as there are for hot coffee, but with one caveat- in order to truly drink your iced coffee you have to drink it relatively quickly

How Long is It Good For?

So how long does iced coffee last? The short answer is that it lasts just as long as it tastes for the ice inside, whether cubed or blended, to fully melt.

This will depend on the temperature outside, while you are drinking. A standard one inch ice cube takes about 50 minutes to melt in 24 degrees celsius weather. That seems like a long time! Unfortunately, your iced coffee will begin to taste watery and unpleasant not so long into the melting process.

This is where personal taste comes in. Some people are ok with watery iced coffee, and will be happy with their drink until halfway through the melting process, at 25 minutes. Some people will be done with the drink after 15 minutes. It all depends on you.

Of course, in hotter weather this process will take less time. In colder weather, this process will take longer. Though it’s not standard brewing practice, if the coffee is hot when poured over ice, the ice will melt very fast. If it’s ice cold, the ice will melt slower. It’s all variable!

How Can You Make Iced Coffee Last Longer?

Now that we know how long iced coffee lasts in normal conditions, how can a coffee lover make their drink last longer? It all comes down to temperature.

If you want your iced coffee to last longer, try drinking in a cooler environment, like the AC. While drinking on a sunny terrace may feel like a dream, your ice will melt very fast under the sun.

You can keep your coffee in an insulated tumbler such as this one, which regulates the temperature inside to help keep it colder for longer.

Finally, making sure that the coffee is poured over the ice cold is essential to ensuring your coffee stays cold as long as it can.

Conclusion

So there you have it! Unfortunately, it’s hard to say exactly how long iced coffee will last as it’s completely variable based on temperature. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to make sure your coffee will last longer.

If you have any more questions about iced coffee, please let us know in the comments below. We’ll be sure to answer your inquiries as best we can!