Can you make a flowing iced Americano in a coffee machine?

A quicksand iced Americano uses the same base as a standard iced Americano: espresso, ice, and water. The difference is technique. Three methods can create the flowing effect, using an espresso machine steam wand, a shaker, or a French press. Each needs its own ratio of coffee liquid, ice, and water to get the layered look and taste.

Bean choice matters as much as method. Single-origin soe coffee such as Huakui or Granja Geisha, along with several blends, works well for iced Americanos because the fruit and sweetness hold up over ice. Knowing how to make coffee in a coffee machine starts with solid extraction, then the right water ratio and a fast chill to keep the crema visible.

The Start of Winter in Guangdong is often just for show—after a brief cooldown, the heat quickly returns, so the demand for iced coffee naturally stays high. As a classic refreshing item in cafés, the iced Americano and its derivative specialty drinks also attract much attention. Among them, the "quicksand iced Americano" has recently been the most frequently asked-about style among customers at Front Street Coffee. Although Front Street Coffee does not sell this product, its preparation principle is in line with that of the iced Americano, with the only difference being the technique. This article will start with the principle behind the quicksand effect, then introduce in detail three different frothing methods—the espresso machine steam wand, the shaker, and the French press—and provide the specific ratios of coffee liquid, ice, and water required for each. It will also share espresso bean choices suitable for making iced Americanos, including Front Street Coffee Huakui SOE, Front Street Coffee Granja Geisha SOE, and several blends, to help everyone recreate this distinctive deliciousness at home.

The Start of Winter in Guangdong has always been merely a formality—the coolness does not last more than a few days before returning to the muggy state, so the sales popularity of iced coffee has not diminished at all. As a popular refreshing drink in cafés, the iced Americano and the specialty drinks derived from it are also well received. In particular, the "quicksand iced Americano" that Front Street Coffee has shared many times has been mentioned most frequently recently by guests and friends visiting Front Street Coffee stores.

Although Front Street Coffee does not sell this drink, it is very familiar with how to make it. After all, the required materials are exactly the same as those for an iced Americano; the difference lies only in the operational steps. So today Front Street Coffee will break down the preparation steps of the quicksand iced Americano in detail, making it convenient for everyone to recreate this unique flavor at home.

As is well known, making an iced Americano is not complicated—it is simply espresso paired with an appropriate proportion of water (solid or liquid). Whether it ultimately tastes good mainly depends on the quality of the coffee beans, the extraction quality of the espresso, and the water ratio. If you are after a distinctive taste, you can choose single-origin espresso beans, also known as SOE coffee. If you prefer floral-style Americanos, Front Street Coffee Huakui SOE and Front Street Coffee Granja Geisha SOE are the top choices; both beans can present a flavor profile of low bitterness, slight acidity, and refreshing character when made into an Americano.

If you are a beginner enthusiast, Front Street Coffee suggests choosing a comprehensive coffee blend specifically formulated for espresso when making iced Americanos. The reason is that the cost is lower, and the flavor stability of blended beans is better than that of single-origin beans. Everyone can make a purchase based on their own needs and taste preferences.

"Front Street Coffee Specialty Blend Coffee Beans" is suitable for home preparation, specialty coffee shops, community coffee shops, and small coffee shops. This recipe uses Colombian washed coffee beans and Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans, presenting flavors of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel.

"Front Street Coffee Commercial Blend Coffee Beans" is suitable for specialty coffee shops, community coffee shops, small coffee shops, and takeout/takeaway coffee shops. It is composed of Robusta washed coffee beans, Colombian washed coffee beans, and Brazilian semi-washed coffee, with flavor notes of nuts, cocoa, and caramel.

"The Espresso Beans Recommended by Many Baristas—Front Street Coffee Dark Cocoa Blend Coffee Beans" is suitable for small coffee shops, milk tea shops, takeout/takeaway coffee shops, and home use. It uses Yunnan washed small-bean coffee and Brazilian semi-washed coffee beans, showing soft fruit acidity, caramel, and nut flavors.

If you want the coffee's bitterness to be less prominent, you can choose Front Street Coffee Strawberry Candy Espresso. This is an espresso recipe designed for friends who love floral and fruity aromas. It blends selected single-origin coffees from three major producing regions—Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ethiopia—with aromas of roses, citrus, grapes, and dried blueberries. When made into an Americano, it can present a sweet, clear flavor like fruit gummies.

Where does the "quicksand" effect of the iced Americano come from?

The "quicksand" in the quicksand iced Americano refers to the visual presentation formed after the coffee is frothed and foamed, appearing like fine sand sliding down layer by layer.

The principle is actually very simple, just like frothing milk foam: air is injected into the liquid, and under the surface tension of proteins, the air is wrapped into individual bubbles. Then, through the mutual bonding between proteins in the coffee, a dense foam structure is formed and mixed into the liquid.

At first, the coffee liquid and bubbles are almost completely merged. As the lighter-colored bubbles continue to rise due to buoyancy, the darker coffee liquid begins to sink downward, producing the quicksand-like effect we see.

In addition to the outstanding visual effect, because of the foam, the entire iced Americano also has a very dense mouthfeel. So it is not just a pretty "vase"—its performance as a drink is equally impressive.

How should the quicksand iced Americano be made?

From the above principle, it can be seen that there are many ways to make a quicksand iced Americano. The core operation is simply injecting air into the coffee to form a dense foam.

Therefore, in addition to frothing with the steam wand commonly used in stores, we can also use a French press, shaker, frother, and other methods to beat gas into the coffee to make a quicksand iced Americano. The required materials, as Front Street Coffee said, are the same as for an iced Americano: espresso, ice, and water—that simple!

Even if you do not have a coffee machine at home and cannot make espresso, it does not matter. Whether it is strong coffee brewed with a moka pot or pour-over coffee, both have the conditions to produce foam. So there is no need to be limited to espresso; using other coffee as a substitute also works.

Alright, enough idle talk—let's begin making our quicksand iced Americano! The material used in this Front Street Coffee experiment is regular espresso, and the extraction plan is 20g of grounds, extracting 40ml of coffee liquid within 29 seconds.

The ice and room-temperature water will vary depending on the method used, so we will not go into detail here for now. First, Front Street Coffee introduces the first method: frothing using the espresso machine's steam wand.

1. Coffee machine version of the quicksand iced Americano

Making a quicksand iced Americano with an espresso machine steam wand can be called the most classic method. The steps are very simple—just froth the coffee the same way you would froth milk. To do this, we first need to put the materials into a milk pitcher. The material parameters used here by Front Street Coffee are: 40ml coffee liquid, 70g ice, and 50ml room-temperature water. Then prepare a transparent glass and add 100g of ice for later use.

Next, operate in the same way as frothing milk foam: first introduce air and create foam, then bury the steam wand downward and adjust the tilt angle of the milk pitcher so that the coffee forms a vortex, thereby cutting large bubbles and making the foam fine. During the process, you can clearly hear the sound of ice hitting the milk pitcher, which can serve as a good reference point. When the ice melts and the collision sound disappears, it means the coffee frothing can end.

After frothing is complete, immediately pour the coffee liquid into the prepared cup, and then you can see the coffee liquid slowly falling like quicksand.

2. Shaker version of the quicksand iced Americano

This one is much simpler. Because we do not need to use steam that would heat it to generate bubbles, there is no need to worry about the coffee warming up and deliberately handle the materials separately—just pour everything directly into the shaker. Also, because there is no need to cool it, the ratio of ice to water is adjusted. The materials required for this preparation are: 40ml espresso, 120g ice, and 100ml room-temperature water. Pour them all into the shaker, then start shaking!

Shake until the shaker is full of foam and the sound changes from crisp to low, then stop. After pouring out, a shaker version of the quicksand iced Americano is complete.

3. French press version of the quicksand iced Americano

The almighty French press! Besides being used to make coffee, it can also froth milk foam, and it is even up to the task of making a quicksand iced Americano. The most crucial point is that it is so! cheap!! So Front Street Coffee needs to give it a few more shots!!

In terms of preparation, it is the same as the shaker—just pour all the materials in and start frothing directly. So we still use 40ml coffee liquid, 120g ice, and 100ml room-temperature water, poured in all at once!

Then pump the filter mesh to start frothing!

Froth until, when pressing down, you can clearly feel the texture of the foam mass, then stop. Then pour it into the prepared cup, and you can enjoy the "quicksand" feast brought by the foam.

Because Front Street Coffee still uses espresso made from Warm Sun Blend, the three cups of quicksand iced Americano still present wonderful notes of whiskey aroma, butter cookies, and sweet-tart berries in terms of flavor. But unlike a regular iced Americano, the coffee produces foam after frothing, so you can feel a dense mouthfeel when drinking it. Occasionally changing the taste is also quite a good choice.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.