iced coffee afternoons (and mornings, and evenings...)

I love it when it's hot, I love long sunny days and the heat beating down on you..  But I also hate it when it's so hot outside that it's hot inside and you get woken at the crack of dawn because it's starting to get hot (the less said about birds, in particular magpies, the better) out - or when it's 4PM and you're desperately flagging because you got up so early, and you haven't even started your evening shift yet..

I am not one of those people that can drink hot drinks in the summer (who are you people? No, really, I am bewildered by you). And getting an iced coffee every-time I go out is not practical, or wallet/waistline friendly. So I've started the mission to perfect my favourite iced coffee. I think I'm getting there. It's pretty simple, to be honest, but I thought I'd share with you my favourite things to use.

YOU'LL NEED:

- Ice: And a lot of it. I have sensitive teeth so I use a straw, but the ice is what makes it so refreshing.

- Milk: Whatever is your preference.

- Ground coffee: My current favourite is the Taylor's Hot Lava Java.

- Cafetiere: Mine is a one-cup one from Bodum - as I'm the only person that drinks coffee, it works just fine.

- Syrup/Sweetener: I picked up a Caramel one in Lidl the other week, and it's absolutely ace.

STEPS:

1. Make sure you have ice ready. I'm always crap at remembering to make ice-cubes because we never have space in our freezer. I use those plastic bags because you can squish them into small spaces between your precious ice-cream.

2. Make your coffee. I make mine extra strong, because it loses a lot of taste when it cools down, and I like a strong coffee anyway. I normally make it 2-3 times stronger than I would make it for my regular coffee.

3. Let it brew - I let it cool down to room temperature, then either use it straight away, or chill it in the fridge.

4. Fill a glass with ice. I cram quite a lot in. Then add your milk. I usually fill it about two thirds of the way full with milk.

5. Pour coffee in over the top and stir to mix it. Add syrup if wanted - I find a teaspoon is enough for a regular glass size.

Like I said - it's ridiculously simple, I just never really thought about making my own, until recently. Plus, you'll save yourself a load of money, because a bag of coffee and some syrup last you for a lot longer than the equivalent spent at Starbucks or Costa.

I'm going to try making some cold-brew coffee next, because I've read that that is the way to go for iced-coffee as you get a stronger taste? If you have any tips or things to try in it - let me know!