Introduction:Want to enjoy a refreshing and layered coffee in the summer? This article breaks down the preparation process of both iced latte and the recently popular dirty coffee in detail—from cup capacity, ice-to-milk ratio, to key parameters such as coffee grind size and espresso extraction volume—offering clear and easy-to-follow steps. Whether you’re recreating the classic iced latte at home or challenging yourself with the visually and texturally striking dirty coffee, this guide will help you master the core techniques and improve your success rate in making cold beverages.

Following our iced coffee brewing tutorial, today we bring you complete recipes for two summer-friendly cold coffee drinks—the iced latte and dirty coffee. These two beverages not only help beat the heat but also stand out as favorites among many coffee lovers due to their unique flavors and layered profiles. Below, we’ll walk through each detail of the preparation process, including cup selection, ice control, milk-to-coffee ratios, and key points in espresso extraction, helping you easily grasp the essence of these two drinks.

First, let’s introduce how to make an iced latte. It is recommended to use a cup with a capacity of about 300 milliliters, which ensures the right balance between ice, milk, and coffee—neither too diluted nor overly crowded. Next, add about 80 grams of ice cubes to the cup, which helps maintain the drink’s cool temperature while slowing down the melting process. Then, pour in 170 milliliters of milk. The choice of milk can be based on personal preference—whole milk, low-fat milk, or oat milk are all fine—but it’s recommended to use freshly chilled milk to preserve optimal flavor.

Now, onto the coffee part: accurately weigh out 20 grams of coffee grounds and adjust the grind size according to your grinder, aiming for a medium-fine grind similar to the texture of granulated sugar. Extract 38 milliliters of espresso from the ground coffee. This value can be slightly adjusted based on your actual brewing equipment and the condition of the beans that day. The key is to ensure the espresso is rich and flows smoothly.Slowly pour the espresso into the cup containing the ice and milk, gently stir to combine, and it’s ready to enjoy.And there you have it—a cool and smooth iced latte is complete.

Next up is the recently much-talked-about dirty coffee. The appeal of this drink lies in its striking hot-and-cold layering effect, offering a dual experience of visual and taste sensations. But before you start, there’s one crucial preparatory step:The cup you’re using must be pre-chilled in the freezer to ensure the glass is sufficiently cooled, which is essential for maintaining the layering effect when hot coffee is poured in.The entire preparation process needs to be done in one go to achieve the best visual and flavor outcome.

Step one: take out the pre-chilled cup, ensuring its surface is frosted but not frozen. Then, pour in 180 milliliters of iced milk. Here, it’s recommended to use freshly chilled whole milk. The cold milk creates a strong contrast with the hot coffee, enhancing the visual layering effect.The amount of iced milk must be precise—too much or too little will affect the final layering presentation.。

Step three: grind a suitable amount of coffee grounds (recommended to be similar in quantity to the iced latte, around 20 grams), and place them in the portafilter and tamp them down. This step must ensure the coffee grounds are evenly distributed and compact to facilitate stable extraction later. Step four is the most critical:Place the cup directly under the coffee machine’s group head and begin extracting the espresso, allowing the hot espresso to land directly on top of the iced milk, forming a distinct hot-and-cold boundary line.This process needs to be quick and steady to prevent the hot coffee and milk from mixing prematurely.

Once the espresso extraction is complete, you can immediately enjoy this visually and flavorfully impressive dirty coffee. It’s recommended to take a big sip to experience both the richness of the hot coffee and the freshness of the iced milk, savoring the unique interplay of layers. This drink is not only great for challenging yourself at home but can also become a highlight on any café menu.

In summary, although making iced latte and dirty coffee may seem simple, each step contains key details. From cup capacity, ice-to-liquid ratios, to grind size and extraction control, all are important factors influencing the final product. We hope this detailed guide helps you successfully recreate these two summer cold beverages—whether you’re enjoying a relaxing moment at home or sharing with friends, you’ll be able to showcase professional-level coffee skills.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.