Cinnamon Cardamom Iced Coffee

Cinnamon Cardamom Iced Coffee

Inspired by that Middle Eastern rocket fuel known as Turkish coffee, I played around with creating a flavorful iced coffee version using cardamom and cinnamon to add some excitement to the morning brew.
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AeroPress Cinnamon Cardamom Iced Coffee

 Servings Prep Time Brew Time
1 10 minutes - 10 years 3 minutes

 

Cinnamon Cardamom Iced Coffee

This recipe calls for using fresh cardamom pods.

Those will give you the best and most intense flavor which is often described as an “herbal warmth.” The fresh pods give off a powerful aroma that lies at the intersection of mint, pepper, and eucalyptus. The taste is somewhat sweeter than cumin with a citrus kick.

But, using fresh pods can also be a pain in the ass since you have to open the pods and grind the seeds.

If you don’t want the hassle of using fresh cardamom, use the ground cardamom powder that you probably already have in your spice rack.

But, you really should try the fresh pods at least once. The fragrant essential oils are contained in the cardamom seeds and they lose potency fairly quickly once ground.

To avoid any bitterness that comes with typical iced coffee, I’m using the Aeropress to brew this coffee Japanese style. You can learn more details about that here.

The short version is brewing with hot water extracts more flavors from the grinds, cardamom, and cinnamon. The pressure the Aeropress uses to push the water through the grinds also helps extract those flavors.

By letting the brew percolate over ice cubes, the coffee is flash-cooled. By bringing the coffee down to a cold temperature quickly, you preserve the distinct floral and fruit taste profiles of lighter roast premium coffee.
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Coffee Gear

Ingredients

Directions

  1.  Set the inverted AeroPress plunger halfway between the numbers 3 and 4.
  2. Add ground coffee, cardamom, and cinnamon to the chamber
  3. Pour just enough water to saturate the grinds.
  4. Thoroughly mix the water and grinds.
  5. Let the mixture "bloom" for 45 seconds.
  6. Slowly pour the remaining hot water. The full 180g of water should just about fill the chamber.
  7. Put the paper filter in the filter basket and lock onto the chamber..
  8. Flip over onto a cup filled with ice and slowly push the plunger as far as it will go…until you hear that lovely “hisssssss.”
  9. Enjoy!

    Video


    Notes

    • Ice Management Tip. Your ice will melt when it comes in contact with the hot coffee. It's basic bro science thermodynamics. You can drink the coffee from that first pour and be good to go. Otherwise, brew into an insulated tumbler (like in the video). The insulated tumbler is chilled by the ice so that aids in the rapid cooling process. Put the tumbler lid to keep the ice from spilling out, and then pour it into a second glass with fresh ice.

    • Add-Ons. Some folks like this strong, earthy brew “as is” over ice. Others find it a bit peppery, depending on the strength of your cardamom. Adding honey and almond or oat milk is a great way to add healthy sweetness to the Cardamom Iced Coffee.
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