Can brewed coffee be frozen? - The best way

Coffee is one of the drinks with which you can be very relaxed or quite demanding. Some people choose only a specific roast, prepared in a certain way, while others drink their coffee however.

If you’re not too picky about coffee, and find yourself with a large amount of coffee left over in the morning, or don’t feel like making a new batch of coffee every morning, you may be wondering how to store coffee to enjoy later.

Refrigerating your coffee isn’t always the best option, as moving your coffee in and out of the fridge can lead to condensation, which ruins your coffee.

So can brewed coffee be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze brewed coffee. For a long time, this was discouraged, as many people believed that freezing coffee is a bad idea for the same reasons that you shouldn’t refrigerate your coffee. However, this opinion is beginning to change, and more and more people are choosing to freeze their coffee.

Read on to discover the best ways to freeze brewed coffee so you can enjoy the taste of fresh coffee without having to go to the effort of preparing it. We all win!

Freeze brewed coffee

One of the most common reasons people choose to freeze coffee, which also happens to be the best way to freeze coffee (in our opinion), is to make coffee ice cubes .

They can be used to chill iced coffee drinks without diluting the drink with water cubes. It’s a great way to enjoy an iced coffee on a hot day.

Here’s how to make coffee ice cubes:

• Prepare your favorite coffee the way you prefer.
• Pour the coffee into an ice tray.
• Cover the ice tray with a lid (it is better to use an ice tray that has a sealable lid, as this prevents other odors and flavors from seeping into your coffee cubes).
• Let the coffee cubes freeze until solid, about 5 hours, or leave them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

There are some wonderful variations you can use to create different coffee ice cubes, here are a few:

Mocha Ice Cubes - Using a measuring cup, combine coffee, milk, and chocolate milk in your preferred ratio. Whisk the liquid until combined and then put it in the ice cube tray and freeze it.

Caramel Macchiato Ice Cubes - Using a measuring cup, combine the coffee, caramel and milk. Whisk the liquid until it’s all combined and pour it into the ice cube tray and freeze.

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cubes - Using a measuring cup, combine the coffee and condensed milk. Whisk the liquid until combined and pour into the ice cube tray and freeze.

Another option for freezing your coffee would be to pour the cooled brew into an airtight container, close it tightly, and put it in the freezer.

If you’re concerned about space, you can let the coffee cool, then carefully pour it into a freezer-safe plastic bag. This can be placed in the freezer, and more coffee bags can be placed on it.

This coffee can be reheated for later enjoyment, or used in a number of desserts and other beverages, including smoothies and coffee slushies.

Be sure to label the container or plastic freezer bag with the date the coffee was brewed and frozen so you know when to use it.

Coffee can stay in the freezer for up to 2 months.  Afterwards it can be eaten, but it will lose much of its flavor and quality.

It is also important to properly store your coffee in the freezer, making sure it is protected from other odors and flavors in the freezer. No one wants to drink a cup of coffee that has picked up some flavor from the chicken curry next to the one in the freezer.

Defrost frozen coffee

How you defrost frozen coffee will depend on how you intend to use it. When it comes to coffee cubes, you don’t want to defrost your coffee, but just drop the cubes into whatever beverage you want to enjoy it with.

You can choose to let the frozen coffee thaw in the fridge overnight to enjoy the next day.  In this way, the coffee will have enough time to defrost naturally, but without reaching a temperature higher than what your fridge offers.

If you want to use the frozen coffee soon, and don’t want to wait for it to thaw overnight, you can microwave it in a safe container and set the microwave to defrost. Once the coffee turns to liquid, you can use the microwave heating function to heat the coffee and enjoy it.

There are quite a few ways to defrost your coffee, but it all depends on how you want to use it, and how soon you want to use it.

Did you know that you can reheat bulletproof coffee? Read this article we have written to find out how.

Things to do with frozen coffee

If you have some frozen coffee in your freezer but aren’t sure what to use it for, here are some great ideas on how you can put your coffee to good use, without it going to waste.

Cooking with coffee

Your coffee grounds can be the secret to an amazing steak. You can choose a nice piece of steak and use the coffee to marinate it. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can even cook your morning oats in some coffee grounds.

Coffee can also be used as a substitute for other acidic ingredients, such as vinegar. You can use the coffee to make chili or a caffeinated barbecue sauce.

bake with coffee

When baking, you can use coffee as a substitute for water. Instead of using water, try using coffee in a cake or brownie mix. It will give you a deep rich flavor that water can’t get . You can also use the coffee in frosting and cookie and cupcake icing.

There are many dessert recipes that call for a shot of coffee, and having a few stored in the freezer makes it so much easier.

coffee milkshake

In the morning, you can have your cup of coffee along with your healthy smoothie. Mix together a few coffee ice cubes, bananas, and a cup of yogurt or milk for a tasty treat . For extra flavor, you can even add a bit of cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, or vanilla.

Watering plants

Acidic plants like orchids and azaleas can use the growth boost coffee offers.  You can water these plants with diluted coffee every one to two weeks for additional nutrition. However, if the leaves start to turn yellow or brown, it could be a sign that the soil is too acidic.

Related questions

Can I refrigerate the brewed coffee?

Refrigerating brewed coffee is not recommended, but you can try it if you feel like it. Be sure to store the coffee in a tight-fitting, airtight container. This way you make sure that the coffee does not pick up other flavors from the objects in the refrigerator.

You should only keep the brewed coffee in the fridge for up to a week before throwing it away.

Can I keep the coffee grounds in the fridge?

Whether or not you should keep your coffee grounds in the fridge is a huge topic of debate in the coffee community.

To be on the safe side, you should not store your coffee grounds in the fridge, but rather in the pantry.

Although coffee grounds should be stored in a cool place, leaving them in the fridge or freezer could create too much moisture in the package, which could completely destroy the quality of your coffee grounds.

Can you put the hot coffee in the fridge to make iced coffee?

Making iced coffee is pretty easy. You can prepare it in advance for your convenience. Prepare the coffee in the morning or the night before and pour the contents into a jug and leave it in the fridge.

You can also choose to pour the leftover coffee into ice cubes, and then use these frozen coffee cubes in a drink, both to add flavor to the coffee and to chill the drink without diluting it with water.

Freeze brewed coffee

It is perfectly possible to freeze brewed coffee, and how you do it will depend on how you plan to use it later. Possibly the best way to freeze coffee is to pour it into an ice cube tray . These cubes can be used to make iced coffee or added to a specialty drink for a rich coffee flavor.

The coffee must be well sealed in the freezer, to prevent it from picking up odors and flavors from other foods that are also stored in the freezer.

You can be very creative with the use of frozen coffee.