According to all the memes, no one has a dependency on iced coffee quite like the queers do. Whether it’s December or July, you can pry an iced coffee out of a queer’s cold — VERY COLD — hands. I have been known to don a pair of fingerless gloves just to have a better grip on the freezing cold plastic cup from my favorite coffee place that holds the sweet, cold elixir I consider my emotional support beverage.

Supporting an iced coffee habit gets pricey, so maybe you want to start making your own at home. Honestly, it’s a smart choice to make, and there are plenty of ways to make your favorite cold caffeinated beverage in the privacy of your own home. Of course, you can use a regular coffee maker and just throw ice in the cup to make an iced coffee. But since the drink has grown in popularity, there are coffee makers equipped to make iced coffee more specifically.

While iced coffee is one option, cold brew is also a tasty alternative cold coffee. The biggest difference between the two is that like its name suggests, cold brew is brewed with cold water, so it’s a different process than regular iced coffee. It takes longer and requires a different kind of maker. No matter how you like your cold coffee, there are more ways than ever to make it yourself!

Makers

1. Instant Cold Brew Glass Coffee Maker, 32-Oz ($60)
2. Mr. Coffee® Iced™ Coffee Maker with Reusable Tumbler and Filter ($29)
3. OXO Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker ($28)
4. Hamilton Beach 12 Cup Programmable Hot & Iced Coffee Maker ($50)

While there are a million different kinds of coffee makers out there, finding an iced coffee/cold brew maker is a little bit more of a process. These things can get pricey (makers from KitchenAid and Keurig are over $100), but there are some solid affordable options out there now that cold coffee has grown in popularity.

Iced coffee is a much faster process than making cold brew. You can have an iced coffee that is ready in less than 10 minutes. The iced coffee makers aren’t that different from a standard coffee maker. In fact, the Hamilton Beach maker does both (and its programmable!).

A standard cold brew maker needs at least 12 hours to properly brew and steep a batch of cold brew. Usually, a cold brew maker is going to hold more than a standard coffee maker, so you don’t have to make a fresh batch every day; depending on how much you drink at a time, you may only have to make it twice a week. The Instant cold brew maker is from the same company that makes the Instant Pot, which means that you’ll get that same cold brew taste in much less time, which is great!

Coffee

1. Kauai Coffee Cold Brew ($18)
2. Grounds & Hounds Coffee Sunny Spot Cold Brew Blend ($16)
3. Stone Street French Vanilla Cold Brew ($17)
4. Bizzy Cold Brew Organic Espresso Blend ($15)

There’s a difference between regular iced coffee and cold brew. If you’re making your own cold brew, one thing that’s important to remember is that cold brew grounds and regular coffee grounds are different. Cold brew grounds are coarser because usually you’re steeping them in cold water. They have to work harder to brew, so they’re rougher. I personally really like the Hawaiian cold brew blends from Kauai Coffee, but you’ll likely have to do some trial and error to see what tastes right to you.

If you’re just going to make regular iced coffee, you technically can use any kind of ground coffee you prefer. The basic bitch in me loves a Dunkin iced coffee, so that’s the kind I’m buying for home use. My wife is slightly fancier than me, so she likes Peet’s coffee. To each their own. But let it be known, brands like Dunkin do make specific iced coffee grounds if you’re so inclined to want them.

Cups

1. “Powered By Iced Coffee” Tumbler ($19+)
2. “Fueled By Iced Coffee and Anxiety” Mug ($24)
3. Hydrapeak Traveler 25oz Stainless Steel Insulated Tumbler With Lid And Straw ($20)
4. Owala 24oz Stainless Steel Straw Tumbler ($28)

Iced coffee tastes best in a cup that keeps up the “iced” in the name. Since I really got into drinking iced coffee and cold brew, I have amassed quite a collection of tumblers with straws and lids. Because I have so many, I have become a bit of a connoisseur; a regular plastic tumbler isn’t going to keep your drink cold for very long. A mug doesn’t have enough room for ice, so I wouldn’t use it unless you’re drinking cold brew out of it.

A double vacuum insulated tumbler is really the best way to keep your iced coffee nice and cold. Usually they come in any size starting at 8 ounces. I tend to get one that’s around 20 ounces — you want to make sure you have room for ice. I have reusable ice cubes because I hate watery drinks. You can also fill an ice cube tray with coffee and make coffee ice cubes to keep your drink extra potent.

Accessories

1. Dreo Electric Milk Frother for Coffee ($40)
2. Milk Frother Electric,4 in 1 ($30)
3. Coffee Lover 50 ml 5-pack Variety Pack ($11)
4. “More Espresso Less Depresso” Sticker ($4)

One of the fun parts of getting your iced coffee somewhere else is that you can make it fun and fancy with things like foams and syrups. But fear not! You can do those things at home thanks to these accessories.

The Dreo milk frother is good for both hot and cold milk foam, but more importantly, it works with dairy based milks and plant based milks. And we all know, you can’t separate a queer from their plant based milk (Shoutout to oatmilk for always having my back!).

If you’re like me, you think the taste of coffee is absolutely disgusting. You can hide that with coffee creamer (many also come in plant based milks now), or if you like using non-flavored milk, or if you’re one of those people who drink black coffee, use a syrup! Torani is arguably one of the most famous syrup makers, and this coffee lover variety pack includes Brown Sugar Cinnamon, White Chocolate, and three classic flavors: Hazelnut, Caramel, and Vanilla.

Looking to jazz up your favorite insulated cup? Might I suggest this funny sticker? When I searched Redbubble for lesbian stickers, this was one of the first things to pop up. Make of that what you will.

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