how to make the best ice coffee you've ever had at home

I love iced coffee. I really do. I even drink it during the winter when it's freezing out just because I love it that much. But I also can't afford to drink iced coffee from Starbucks every day, so I've had to learn how to make it at home. After years, I've perfected how to do it. And now, I'm going to stop being greedy and share it with you.

[Side bar: Why is it that a tall iced anything costs more at Starbucks when you actually get less coffee because the ice is all up in the way?]

My main issue with Starbucks iced coffee is that it gets watery. I nurse my drinks*, so I need them to last an hour or more. With that in mind, I started making my iced coffee at home. Now, it's way cheaper and way more delicious.

You will need: your favorite creamer, an ice tray, coffee, and to remember to do this the night before. Simple, right? 

1. Brew your coffee like you always do.

2. Break out the ice tray!

There are twelve hearts in my ice tray, so I fill four with pure creamer, four with a creamer and coffee mix (roughly half and half), and the last four with just coffee. Your tray should look something like this now. (Except I apparently forgot to take a picture after I filled the last four hearts with coffee. Sorry!)

So cute, right? Bonus points if you knew immediately that my ice tray is from IKEA. 99 cents, yo!

Tip: If you're using plastic ice trays, it's best to let the coffee cool before you pour it in!

3. Be patient. 

Depending on the creaminess of your creamer, it will take a while to set. I know that I'm always sort of "on my way" to wanting iced coffee, so I always refill each little heart as I empty them. That way I've always got creamer and coffee cubes ready.

Just so you guys know, these won't float, but they will still be delicious!

4. Make your coffee!

Let's skip ahead to when your creamer cubes are ready. (Someone else come up with a better name for those already, please.) 

Brew your coffee the way you normally would.  When it's done, mix it with slightly more creamer than you would normally use (a tablespoon more is plenty). This helps create the creamy iced coffee flavor everyone loves. Let your coffee cool a little, then drop your earlier concoctions in.

Done! Now when they melt, your iced coffee won't get watery! THE ACTUAL BEST!

*Unrelated: Any How I Met Your Mother fans out there? All I could think of when writing this sentence was the scene when some girl is trying to steal Robyn and Lily's booth at McLaren's and Robyn says, "I hope these drinks aren't teething because they're about to get nursed!" The best.