You've Tried Coffee Ice Cubes, But There's A Better (Creamier) Fix For Watery Cold Brew

There are few annoyances worse than deciding whether to drink those last sips of watery, ice-laden cold brew or toss them. While freezing leftover coffee into ice cubes prevents diluted drinks, it's not a perfect solution; the slowly melting cubes could make your morning java too strong and bitter. Fortunately, the simple fix for this problem is just as easy, and can actually make your cold brew better the longer it sits. We are, of course, talking about milk ice cubes.

Unlike coffee cubes, milk cubes make your cold brew creamier over time while still keeping it at the perfect chilled temperature. The best part is this hack is extremely simple, and you can freeze any kind of milk: skim, whole, and pretty much any kind of plant milk you can name. Just fill an ice cube tray with milk, let it freeze, and pop a few cubes into your drink before going about your day.

One of the only pitfalls to watch out for when using milk ice cubes is that the fat separates from the rest of the milk as it freezes. This can give your perfectly brewed iced coffee a grainy texture as the milk cubes thaw. It's still safe to drink, but if the texture bothers you, you can use a small handheld milk frother to blitz away the grains. Another solution involves sticking to lower fat milks since the separation is less noticeable.

If you love lots of ice in your chilled cup of joe, there is a risk that your drink could become overly milky (similar to the conundrum of using coffee ice cubes). One solution is to reduce the number of ice cubes you use so there's less milk by volume in your drink. However, this may not keep your beverage cold for long enough — you might experiment with freezing an equal number of milk and coffee ice cubes and combining them in your cold brew. With the right ratio of ice cubes, you may double the life of your beverage while keeping the flavors balanced.

Additionally, if your drink becomes grainy and you find frothing too cumbersome, you can switch to coffee smoothies for the ultimate two-in-one morning beverage. Milk ice cubes are great for smoothies because they add a rich, creamy texture without any danger of becoming grainy as the smoothie melts. With the right additional ingredients, such as nut butters and frozen fruit, it's easy to transform your cold brew into a filling, portable breakfast. This is also an opportunity to have a little fun with flavorings in your milk cubes for a drink that slowly changes flavor as you sip. For instance, you might start with a bold, plain cold brew that becomes a tasty vanilla latte over time simply by adding vanilla simple syrup to milk ice cubes.