The Perfect Iced Latte in 5 Minutes

The iced latte is summer's answer to the morning ritual, and it's almost embarrassingly easy to make well. The whole game is one principle: start strong, because the ice is coming for your flavor. Get that right and you'll never pay six bucks for one again.

The watered-down problem

Regular-strength coffee over ice tastes thin and sad within minutes. The fix is brewing concentrated: moka pot, AeroPress, espresso if you've got it, or double-strength drip (same water, twice the grounds). You want roughly 3 to 4 oz of strong coffee per glass.

How to make it

1. Brew strong, brew small

A moka pot's worth of Resurrection Espresso is perfect, the milk chocolate notes taste like dessert over ice. (Moka pot guide.)

2. Cool it 2 minutes

Pouring boiling coffee straight onto ice melts half of it instantly and waters your drink down. Two minutes of patience keeps it cold and strong. In a hurry? Stir the hot coffee with a metal spoon for 30 seconds.

3. Build the glass

Fill a tall glass all the way with ice. Pour in the coffee. Top with 4 to 6 oz of cold milk and watch the swirl, which is objectively the best part.

4. Sweeten smart

Granulated sugar will NOT dissolve in a cold drink (hello, sad gritty bottom). Use honey or maple stirred into the hot coffee, or keep simple syrup in the fridge.

Dial It Your Way

• Stronger: add a shot or use less milk; coffee ice cubes (frozen leftover coffee) keep it from watering down at all.
• Sweeter: more simple syrup, or a flavored syrup stirred into the warm coffee.
• Lighter: unsweetened almond milk and a no-cal sweetener (see the skinny version).
• Zero-effort: keep cold brew concentrate in the fridge and it's a 30-second pour.

Sunshine, a sweating glass, and good coffee you made with your own two hands. Lovely.