Aaaahh.. iced coffees. Creamy coffee flavors with a chilled icy kick. But they’re expensive to buy, right?!! Not if you make them at home. Bring on the INSTANT POT ICED COFFEE CONCENTRATE!
INSTANT POT ICED COFFEE CONCENTRATE
So you could simply make a coffee and wait for it to cool down and then put it over ice, but it’s just not the same thing, right? Iced coffees are a tad stronger because that ice, when melting, waters down the coffee flavor.
And let’s just talk about the price! You can buy one at one of the most popular coffee shops in the world, and you’ll spend close to 5 bucks a shot with each one! (In my neighborhood, anyway).
So why not make them at home? It’s easy to do and you’ll be loving your iced coffees all summer long, on the cheap!
Let me tell you, I’m the first to admit I’m not a coffee snob like some of my friends, and they might proclaim the ONLY way to have iced coffee is over a cold ‘brewed’ (pour-over) method. Ok, not a problem.
No one is saying their method is wrong, but I happen to LOVE this method! It’s quick, convenient, and gives me another yummy, useful way to use my Instant Pot!
What Can I Use This Coffee Concentrate For?
You could make iced coffees like we are talking about today, or you could also use it to make hot regular coffee. As my friend Nancy suggested, homemade Frappuccinos would be incredible!
Also, you could add it to your baking when making cakes or loaves. It’s especially good when mixed with chocolate cakes!
How Do I Make Instant Pot Iced Coffee Concentrate?
SIMPLE! So if you’re new to using this handy dandy pressure cooker, no worries. I have this Instant Pot Guide For Beginners post that you can take a peek at which will make you feel a bit more comfortable working with the appliance.
That being said it’s a matter of using the Instant Pot to extract as much coffee flavor from your favorite coffee grinds, in an intense, concentrated sort of way! You’ll be pressure cooking the coffee grinds in the water to create a concentrate so that you can simply make your instant pot iced coffees at your convenience!
Simply said, you’ll add the decaf coffee grinds to the water and use the pressure cooker function for an amount of time, and then separate the coffee grinds from the concentrate when it cools. But, there are a few specific things you’ll want to keep in mind.
- Brand of coffee
- Type of water
- Strength of concentrate
- Steeping time
Can I Use Any Brand Of Coffee?
You bet! You can use your favorite brand. Myself, I prefer a decaf (gasp, I know),Β Americano blend, but use whatever is your favorite. This recipe is meant to be used with decaf coffee and the concentrate will be very (too) strong if you use regular caffeinated coffee. You’ll want to be sure the grind is a normal grind, not course, and not fine. If the grind is too fine your concentrate will be too ‘sludgy” if that makes sense.
What Type Of Water Do I Use?
Ok, well you can use regular tap water of course. However, I would suggest using filtered water if possible. It makes for a much smoother coffee flavor and is worth the extra work to buy the filtered over using regular tap water.
How Strong Can I Make The Concentrate?
Technically, as strong as you want. The strength of the coffee concentrate will come from the length of pressure cooking/steep time, as well the amount of coffee grinds you use, to begin with. I used 1 Β½ cup of grinds to a full (max line) Instant Pot of water. That was plenty strong for me, but you should use your discretion as to the strength you’d like it to be.
Keep in mind that this recipe is meant to be made with decaf coffee grinds, but if you use a regular grind, the more coffee grounds you use, the stronger the caffeine levels. The Salty Pot cannot be held responsible for the effects of too much caffeine, so please proceed with caution. This is why I used decaf coffee for this recipe! This concentrate recipe is meant to be MIXED WITH EQUAL AMOUNTS OF WATER for the final iced coffee. You should not drink this concentrate straight!
Can I Pressure Cook / Steep The Grinds Longer?
Sure can! Again, if you’re looking for a stronger brew, feel free to pressure cook / steep the grinds for longer than I did. That being said, there will come a time that the grinds are ‘spent’ and will not make the concentrate any stronger. If you want it SUPER strong, then I would use a darker roast.
(Keep in mind though, the more grinds you use, the more caffeine that will be present if you use a caffeinated blend of coffee, so one needs to practice caution. The Salty Pot cannot be held responsible for the consequences of ingesting too much caffeine. This is why I used a decaf coffee for this recipe)
Also, for a fresher taste, try and grind your own beans if possible, just before using them in the Instant Pot.
Can I Use Flavored Coffee Grinds To Make This Instant Pot Iced Coffee Concentrate?
Yes! Feel free to use any flavored decaf coffee grinds you’d prefer. Some suggested flavors could be:
- Hazelnut
- Vanilla
- Dutch Chocolate
- Caramel
How Would I Serve My Coffee Concentrates?
So because it’s a concentrate, you will want to play a little bit with the ratio of concentrate to water. If you want a stronger cup of iced coffee, then use more concentrate than water.
With my brew, I use about half water and half concentrate. Of course, if you make your iced coffee stronger, then you’d use less water. It’s all trial and error until you find the perfect ratio.
As for serving, I like to use a little bit of coffee cream and sugar in my iced coffees. But again, feel free to have them just as you wish.
- Black iced coffee
- With a bit of cream and sugar
- Add some flavored syrups
- Add some whipped cream on top
- Use crushed/minced ice to make a slushy
- Add some Baileys Irish Cream for an adult kick!
How Else Can I Serve This Coffee Concentrate?
Well, I recently tried a little experiment! I made the coffee concentrate like normal, and then when it cooled, I poured some into ice cube trays along with pouring some heavy whipping cream into some of the ice tray compartments as well.
I froze them for a few hours and then removed them from the tray. I added the cubes, both coffee and cream, to my blender and added extra concentrate, extra cream, and a bit of sweetener.Β Β
Then I put in about two tablespoons of chocolate syrup and PRESTO!!
ICED MOCHACCINO!!!!!
This was so incredibly delicious!! Think of the ways you could switch this up!!
- – Flavored coffee ice cubes
- – Flavored Creamers
- – IRISH CREAM additions to make a grown-up coffee Slurpee!!!
- – Whipping cream on top
- – Added vanilla and cinnamon to the blender for even more flavor!The possibilities are literally endless with this concept! I love Instant Pot Appliances!!
I hope that you can see how versatile this coffee concentrate can be. I know it saves me a ton of money (and time) when I make this at home. If you’re interested in making your very own boozyΒ coffee creamer, I have a post on the blog for you to take a peek at as well. It’s super easy! Lastly, you can use this concentrate to make aΒ HOT coffee as well by simply adding boiling water to the concentrate (instead of cold water) to enjoy a hot cup of coffee!
Thanks so much for stopping by The Salty Pot today, and when you make this concentrate, I’d love to hear what you think of it and how you prefer to drink it!
Instant Pot Iced Coffee Concentrate
An Instant Pot Iced Coffee concentrate that's perfect for making creamy iced coffee all summer long!
Ingredients
- 1 Β½ cup fresh decaf coffee grinds (regular grind)
- 18 c water (see notes)
Instructions
- Add the decaf coffee grinds to the instant pot bowl insert
- Add enough water to come to the MAX on the pot (approx 18 c) **see notes
- Press manual , high pressure for 5 minutes
- After the cooking time is up, let it do a natural release until the pin drops and it's safe to remove the lid.
- Leave the coffee mixture in the pot until it is totally cooled down to room temp.
- Line a colander with cheese cloth and set it inside another bowl.
- Ladle the coffee concentrate through the colander to remove the grinds. **see notes
- Store the coffee concentrate in jars and chill until you are ready to use.
- When making the iced coffee, use a half and half ratio of water and coffee concentrate and mix well.
- Garnish with heavy cream or coffee cream and sugar if you prefer. Enjoy!
Notes
** Add enough water to come to the MAX line on the inside of the pot.. I measured it to be 18 cups, and I have an 8 quart Instant Pot.
**The strength of the concentrate will depend on how long you let the grinds steep. I let mine steep until the Instant Pot had completely cooled down naturally, up to about 2 hours.
You can leave it longer if you wish, however, coffee grinds will eventually be 'spent' with steeping time. If you wish the concentrate to be stronger, then use more grinds.
Advisory: The stronger the coffee, the more the caffeine that will be present in the concentrate if you use regular, caffeinated coffee. Please take caution with how much you consume. Too much caffeine can be harmful and The Salty Pot cannot be responsible for any adverse affects resulting from ingesting too much caffeine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 Serving Size: 4 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Brooke says
This is the best. I use 3 instant pots 2 days a week and freeze into all shapes including round, cube, seasonal shapes and refreeze. I vacuum seal them. I put in my double walled tumbler the night before with cream and sugar and put in fridge. In the morning I just add more coffee, cream and sugar.
Joanne says
This is so awesome Brooke!! I’m thrilled that you love it and have made the recipe work for you! This makes my day, thank you for rating and commenting!
Katherine Wheeler says
Can I use Maxwell House Filter packs to make this recipe??
Joanne says
I’ve never used anything like that Katherine, so I can’t really say how it would work. I think I would wonder how the filter pack would hold up under the process. If you try it, please let me know how it works for you. If you have success with it, shoot me an email letting me know and I’ll add it to my post for extra information. That would be valuable info to know!! You can email me directly at joanne@thesaltypot.com
Michael Press says
I canβt wait to make this recipe in the Ninja Foodi! I want to use the drinks not only at home but when we travel, it would be awesome to have several days worth of frozen (take it in a cooler, in the car) concentrate to be able to make my iced coffee drinks on the road! Will let you know how it goes.
Joanne says
I JUST made another batch three days ago Michael! And yes, this would be PERFECT to take traveling – it would save so much money! Can’t wait to hear from you and how it went!
Michael Press says
Hi, Joanne, thanks for responding. Iβm going to make it tomorrow morning and will let you know. You said 5 minutes then natural release but I think you mean βquickβ release in Ninja Foodi terms (their term for natural means additional time beyond the 5 minutes you set it for). Meaning after 5 minutes, release the pressure, wait for the pin to drop, but leave the liquid in the pot 2 more hours (theyβd call that a 2 hour natural release) before removing the lid?
Joanne says
Hi Michael. So what I mean is to p/c for 5 minutes and then basically leave it alone (natural release) to release all the pressure in the pot on it’s own. So really, you’d be pressure cooking it for five minutes and then just walking away and leaving it until the whole unit cools down. You want the grinds to be soaking in the water until it’s completely cool… 2 hours or more. (I’ve left it overnight!).
Michael Press says
Thanks, Joanne. Okay I get it so that IS indeed a natural release and I apologize for questioning it! Just walk away until it cools completely! Iβm overcomplicating it βΊ
Will follow up in a couple of days and thanks for this great recipe. It was so timely, my wife and I were discussing how to approach iced coffee on the road.
Joanne says
Good morning Michael! Yes, exactly. As long as the unit is cooled and the pin has dropped, you’re good to go! I hope you love this recipe/idea as much as I do. It’s SO incredibly convenient and I love the potential of the different iced coffees it can make. (Plus, who doesn’t love saving money, right?) Wishing you and your wife safe travels!!
Michael Press says
Hi, Joanne. Forgot to mention I did make this about a week ago and I was absolutely thrilled with the recipe! Now I understand why you mentioned several times that youβre not responsible for people being hyped up on caffeine if they decide to use regular instead of decaf coffee. I myself used regular. Got a nice coffee buzz the first couple of times! First time I went about 50/50 and actually the flavor wasnβt quite as strong as I like, so I went 60/40 coffee concentrate to water, and that did it! LOVED that formula!
I used a regular gold cone filter into a jar, just had a few iterations of pouring out of the big pot through the filter and it went pretty fast. Itβs held up well in the fridge, too. My wife wants me to do the decaf since thatβs what she drinks, weβll take both on the road with us but Iβve been drinking mine at home and enjoying it quite a bit!
Joanne says
Michael!! I was wondering if/when you were going to write back with your thoughts!! I’m so happy you did! So yes, I use decaf because I love iced coffees at all time of the day, and if I have it ready to go, I can make one up at 11pm if I want and not worry about staying awake for 5 days.. haha!
I’m so happy to hear you and your wife have been enjoying the recipe, and that’s AWESOME that you found the right ratio that’s perfect for your tastes! Thank you so much for commenting again. Safe travels!!
Bre says
Love the cold brew , I tried the 18 cups to the 1 1/2 coffee grounds it was to watery so I tried it again and only used 9 cups of water to 1 1/2 grounds that was perfect was strong enough for ice and creamer ..
Addie Calvitt says
What do you consider a βnormalβ bring? I buy coffee at the grocery store (McCafe Colombian), and this is a drip grind. Is this the βnormalβ grind?
Joanne says
Normal grind = regular grind. I’ll mention that in the post. Thanks Addie!
Tracy Stewart says
How long can this be stored for?
Joanne says
Thanks so much for asking your question Tracy! It’s good for up to a week, but another alternative someone suggested was to freeze the concentrate in ice cube trays and then take them out, add water and milk or cream, and blend.
Leslie says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made this all the time in my Instant Pot untilmy pot died. It was delicious and better than anything I could get at the restaurants. I’m making it for the first time in my Ninja Foodi. Fingers crossed!
Joanne says
OMG Leslie!! I’m THRILLED to read that you liked this recipe!! Yes.. do it in the Foodi and then if you can, please send me an email and let me know how it went for you, and if you’d make any other adjustments!! You made my day! email: joanne@thesaltypot.com
Terri Frasher says
I bought the giant filters like for the industrial coffee pots and tied it like a giant tea bag used one cup of regular mcD coffee breakfast blend it was incredible I love like a slushy with liquid creamer and sweetener !
Joanne says
Terri, that sounds DIVINE!! Yum!! What a great way to do it!
Heather says
I wonder about making this concentrate to have on hand in the mornings for making hot coffee. I was thinking equal parts coffee concentrate and milk or half and half, poured into a cup and microwaved. Then i wouldn’t always have to brew coffee in the morning.
Joanne says
That’s a fantastic idea, Heather!!! It sure would be a time-saver in the mornings!
Debbie Bloomquist says
I tied my coffee grounds in cheesecloth before brewing. This made filtering unnecessary and cleanup a breeze! My daughter is now addicted to this and uses half and half with flavoring syrup for her drinks
Isabella says
Hi! I know you say that you use decaf, but do you have any recommendations if using caffeinated? I made a batch using 1 cup to max like water fill in a 6 qt and am wondering if Iβm gonna OD on caffeine. Lol. Safety precautions you know?
TheSaltyPot says
I am affected easily by the effects of caffeine, so that’s why I used (and recommend) using decaf. Isabella, I’m sorry I don’t have any suggestions regarding using caffeinated.
jake says
I did 4 cups coffee to 18 cups water. It can be made as strong as you want to, the stronger you make it, the more water you use when making your iced coffee to dalute it. I like mine super concentrated so it goes further.
Joanne says
Sounds Great Jake!
Jay says
This has replaced my making cold brew coffee. It seems easier and faster and my tastebuds can’t really tell the difference. To make it even easier I use paper bags that are found in Japanese stores for make your own teabags (usually found by green tea section). And I put those in a strainer basket that fits in the Instant Pot. Then fill with water. I still strain the coffee but hardly any grounds are loose.
TheSaltyPot says
Wow Jay, that’s awesome!! I’m thrilled to hear that it’s working so well for you. I know I love this method (using the Instant Pot) to make the coffee concentrate. It’s SO convenient! I think containing the grounds is a great way to do it π
Thank you SO much for commenting, you’ve totally made my day!!!
Kim says
Have you ever tried the filter packs of coffee? TIA
TheSaltyPot says
I have not Kim, but it’s an interesting thought. Are you meaning the coffee that is already in the (tea bag type) rounds? Like a massive tea bag but with coffee? lol.. if you try it, I’d love to hear your results!!
Debbi says
I used the filter pack bags from Maxwell House and the iced coffee came out perfect!
TheSaltyPot says
OMGOSH!!! That’s soo awesome Debbi! I’m thrilled that it worked out for you – talk about a much easier way to make it!! π
Denise Lyons says
how many filter bags did you use?
Brian Banister says
I was wondering if the concentrate could be frozen. I want to do large batches or multiple batches and freeze would this work?
TheSaltyPot says
Hi Brian! It sure can! If you check the post again, I just updated to to where I froze the coffee in ice cubes and then blended it to make a coffee frappuccino of sorts!! YUUMM!!!
Bev says
Might be a stupid question, but would this still work if you just used maybe half the coffee grinds and half the water, or even less, but still to the same ratio of grinds to water, or does the Instant Pot have to be filled to the line? I would like to maybe make smaller batches to try it.
TheSaltyPot says
Not a stupid question at all Bev! You can use any ratio you’d like. I started out using the recipe I made almost like a starting point. So if you’d like to make the same strength, but just less volume, simply cut the recipe in half. If you want the brew stronger, then add more coffee grinds to the water. The recipe is a jumping off point to make it exactly as you’d like it! π The only rule would be to have at least one cup of water in the pot π lol
Lissaemtb says
Trying a blend of Cameron’s Chocolate Caramel Brownie and their Southern Pecan. Hoping to make my work mornings that start at 4:30am quicker! Dancing the fine line between sufficiently caffeinated and way too perky….wish me luck!
TheSaltyPot says
Lissa! That sounds amazing!! We don’t have those brands here in Canada, but I’ve tried hazelnut coffee and it was fantastic π However, your combination sounds SO MUCH BETTER! Let me know how it went, I’m interested in knowing!! That’s a crazy early morning work time – I’m totally wishing you luck!
Bev Colwell says
Where in Canada? If you have a Bulk Barn nearby, they have so many different flavours of coffee- beans, but you can just buy the flavours you want and grind the beans there. You could then try all different combinations of flavours.
Jay says
Awesome recipe! I have my own grinder to grind the beans fresh. I’m curious if anyone has tested different types of grinds and which they found to be best for this recipe?
TIA
TheSaltyPot says
Hey Jay! So glad you like the recipe!! As for others who have tested different grinds, I haven’t heard of any. All I’ve heard of is people trying flavored coffee for some variety. Which I tried as well – I used hazelnut and it was amazing!!
Jeanette Schutz says
Do you have to start this with cold water or can you start it with hot water since that might help it come to pressure sooner? I did use the cold water to start mine out with, but I was just wondering if this would make a difference or not. Thanks for posting this. I have mine brewing right now.
TheSaltyPot says
I’ve always started with cold water Jeanette, but you could definitely try with hot water. If you do, please let me know how it worked out, I’d love to hear your results!!
Chris says
Have you used a nut milk bag or “coffee sock” that’s often used for a cold brew setup? This really cuts down on the filtering work in my experience and I’ve also used a French press device to press out some of the grinds then pouring through a paper filter.
I’m going to try this recipe both ways (with and without the brew bag) and see how it goes. Kudos for the good idea to use the IP for coffee brewing!
Ross T says
Hi!
My IP defaults to βwarmβ after the pressure time, leave on or turn off?
Thanks
TheSaltyPot says
Hi Ross,
You want to turn it off and let it cool completely. Thanks for writing in!
Mimi says
I have two sealing rings–one for savory and one for sweet. I’m wondering which to use for this. Does the coffee pick up scent (or flavor) from the ring? Does it impart them? Weird question, I know, but I don’t think cumin flavored coffee would be too tasty, nor would I like coffee flavor in a non-coffee dessert.
TheSaltyPot says
Hi Mimi! So you know, I was wondering the same thing about the sealing ring! I’ve done this recipe a few times now, and I’ve not had any problems. I just read in a facebook group where a woman who has tried everything to get eh scent out of the sealing ring finally found that she leaves a small bowl of baking soda right inside the pot when she’s storing it with the lid loosely on top. She said all the smells have gone from the ring! So I’ll keep that in mind next time I make something that imparts the scent. Taco meat is a small issue sometimes, but I find it never really sticks around.
Let me know how it goes for you, I’m interested in hearing about it!
Cynthia Tucker says
I just put the sealing ring in the top rack of my dishwasher. It comes out perfectly “scentless” and I always use the sanitizing cycle (very hot) without any damage to the ring!
Joanne says
That’s awesome Cynthia, thanks for the tip!
Shirley says
I donβt drink coffee but I would like to make this for friends and family. I think I would like to use it in baking.
How much coffee would you use for a 6 qt.
TheSaltyPot says
You don’t really have to cut it back, it will just have a stronger taste and you can dilute it with more water. That being said, if you really wanted to cut back, I would probably cut back about a half cup π Thanks for commenting Shirley!
Shirley says
Thank You for such a fast reply.
Bev says
How long will the jars of chilled coffee concentrat last in the fridge?
Paulette says
Just wondering….about how long will this last in the fridge? 2-4 weeks would be ideal. Or should I make a new batch after so many days?
Joanne says
Hi Paulette! I’d say you’re good for at least a week, but you’d really have to just try it and see. It goes pretty quick in this house, so it’s hard to definitely say!
Shanna Childress says
So I have a strange question. I have to have cold brewed coffee because of the acidity in hot brewed coffee messes with my stomach.
Doing cold brew in an instant pot, does it have the same acidity as hot brewed?
TheSaltyPot says
Hi Shanna. This method is not making cold brew coffee. This is a coffee concentrate. From the concentrate, you can make an iced coffee if you wish. I dont find it acidic, nor do my friends who’ve tried it and other’s who have tried it and made it in different FB groups.
It’s only a cup and 1/2 of coffee grounds, and you can decide. Because we are all individual and different foods affect ppl in different ways, so I can only suggest that you try it for yourself and then make up your mind.
Albert says
Hi; to answer your question; it shouldn’t be bitter. Look up “ken rollins cowboy coffee” on youtube. It shouldn”t be bitter the same reason cowboy coffee isn’t bitter. The bitter tannins get burned off.
Tonia says
Do you have recommended measurements for using regular coffee instead of decaf? I’m in Argentina and don’t have a lot of choices, I don’t think I can find decaf. Also, I have a 6 quart. Would I use the same amounts, just less water to get to max line?
TheSaltyPot says
Hi Tonia. The coffee amount will not matter if it’s decaf or caffeinated. Use a coffee that you like the taste of. I prefer to use decaf because I like to have chilled coffee in the evenings and I don’t need to be kept awake all night from the caffeine π If you have a 6 quart, cut back to one cup of grounds if you don’t want it as strong, and fill the water to the max line.
Emily says
Iβve just made this and itβs great! A couple notes… it takes a long time to come to pressure and a long time for depressurization and to cool. Like prob a couple hours all in. And I used my filter from my coffee pot set atop the pot to strain the grounds. Worked great. Looking forward to making some delicious drinks!
TheSaltyPot says
Fantastic to hear!! I’m so happy you enjoy it!!
PJ says
Thanks so much for the tip of using your coffee pot. Makes so much sense but I doubt I would have thought of it. π
Heather says
I’m so glad you mentioned that it took a long time to come to pressure. I’m making my first batch now and thought something was wrong bc it’s taking a while to come to pressure.
justginster says
Does making this in the IP turn out a more bitter coffee? I was intrigued by this concept so looked online to see if anyone else had tried it, and there’s a Reddit thread that points out that brewing coffee in the IP gets it to a higher temp than a standard coffee maker, which would result in more bitterness…was wondering if you happened to notice that in your results? I typically do a cold brew but love the quicker results that this technique would produce!
TheSaltyPot says
Hi, and thanks for writing in π I had no issues with the coffee being bitter, but the only way you can judge that is to try it. FYI, my grandmother was very sensitive over the bitter tastes in coffee (even through her coffee maker), so she would add a pinch of salt to the coffee basket to negate that.
Again, I had no issues with bitterness. Remember, this is a concentrate, so you have to add things or it will be much too strong. Hope this helps.
Priscilla says
My dad added salt too with a few grains of pepper.
Kathy says
Hi! This sounds super simple! That’s a good thing! I was wondering if you could just wrap the grounds in a cheesecloth and put it in the water? Less mess. Then you would just grab the bundle out and let it cool.
Ellen says
8 quart or 6 quart or mini for measurements?
TheSaltyPot says
8 Quart! π
Cat says
Wondering if you know how long this will keep once refrigerated? Sounds great and hope to make it soon. Also pinned your boozy coffee creamer recipe π
TheSaltyPot says
Hey Cat!!
Thanks so much for commenting and asking your question! Honestly, I’d keep this for about a week, but seriously, it doesn’t last longer than a few days in this household. π Another alternative someone suggested was to freeze the concentrate in ice cube trays and then take them out, add water and milk or cream, and blend. π I think I’ll be writing about THAT one soon!
And THANK YOU SO MUCH for pinning my creamer recipe!! You’re awesome!