I have to admit, I thought this would be a passing phase, but it seems iced coffee is here to stay. I’m not upset about it, though, especially when I can just pop in a K-Cup and enjoy one so quickly.
Iced coffee offers a broader range of flavors to play with since the cool temperatures prevent your taste buds from fully opening. I’ve recommended K-Cups that may be stronger than you’re used to or sweeter in an effort to expand your horizons.
The most versatile of which is the Bulletproof The Mentalist, Medium-Dark Roast. Even if you choose something more experimental, you can still grab a couple of quality packs of this to keep in the house for a rainy day.
Top Picks
See if there are any you would prefer over The Mentalist here, and keep cool next time your hanging out on a sunny afternoon.
- Medium-dark roast
- Smooth, full-bodied flavor
- Compatible with Keurig machines
- Medium Roast
- Sweet flavor with higher acidity
- Compatible with all K-Cup machines
- Dark Roast
- Medium body with deeper coffee flavor
- Compatible with Keurig machines
- Medium Roast
- Hint of hazelnut, minimal aftertaste
- Compatible with Keurig 2.0 machines
- Medium Roast
- Bold brew flavor with a little bitterness
- Compatible with Nespresso OriginalLine
- Dark Roast
- Aroma-infused with biscotti cookie flavor
- Compatible with Nespresso OriginalLine
1. Bulletproof The Mentalist – Best Overall
- Roast: Medium-dark
- Flavor: Smooth, full-bodied
- Origin: Guatemala and Colombia
- Compatibility: Keurig machines
Bulletproof is a great alternative to the Starbucks K-cup. The process is much more involved, and their focus is on sustainability as well as flavor. This one is top on the heap because of its versatility. Iced coffee flavors can be just as vast as hot coffee, so finding the one you like is the challenge.
Start with this one as it’s a perfect blend of medium and dark roast. It also doesn’t have any overpowering flavor notes that may turn you off iced coffee. Basically, if you don’t like iced coffee with this K-Cup, then you probably won’t like the others either.
This is a full-bodied roast that will stand up to the added ice. It still has delicious notes of cherry, almond, and caramel, so it can be enjoyed in the morning or afternoon. The box includes 24 pods and is available in larger quantities to save money.
2. Guatemalan Single Cup – Best For First-Time Iced Coffee Drinkers
- Roast: Medium
- Flavor: Sweet flavor with a medium body
- Origin: Guatemala
- Compatibility: All K-Cup machines
Another medium to dark roast that holds up well in a cold brew. This is a versatile coffee that can be used hot just as easily as cold. I recommend this and the Bulletproof as proper coffee to brew over ice because of its middle-of-the-road flavor profile.
Even though the package says medium, it drinks a little bit stronger, which is great when you add ice. The acidity creeps up on your palate a bit more than the Bulletproof option. This can be negated by adding a bit of milk or cream.
Sourced from Guatemala, this is Arabica bean dominant, which is also great for iced coffee lovers. Arabica tends to be smoother than Robusta, which would be better suited for beverages such as espresso.
Get these in convenient 96-count packages to save money and ensure you never run out.
3. Bulletproof French Kick Dark Roast – Best Dark Roast
- Roast: Dark
- Flavor: Sweet flavor with a medium body
- Origin: Guatemala and Colombia
- Compatibility: Keurig machines
Bulletproof has a wide range of coffee pods, but not all of them will work with cold coffee. This is a great one if you prefer a little extra flavor in your refreshment. Being a dark roast will give it more body right away. This provides flavorful coffee for those “hardcore” coffee drinkers out there.
When you brew this, it should be much darker and rich. It won’t produce weak-looking iced coffee that you see in all the Starbucks commercials. It features a smooth, medium-bodied flavor with a smoky chocolate aroma.
These are the same beans cultivated high in the Guatemalan and Colombian hills. They are Arabica dominant which creates the perfect brew when poured over ice. The delicate process used by Bulletproof sees that the beans are sustainably washed, mechanically dried, and tested for toxins.
4. Copper Moon Hawaiian Hazelnut Single Cups – Best Medium Roast
- Roast: Medium
- Flavor: Hint of hazelnut, minimal aftertaste
- Origin: Various
- Compatibility: Keurig 2.0 machines
Compared to regular coffee, the best part about iced coffee is that you can get a little more creative with flavors. Something about the refreshing temperature offers more variety and allows your taste buds to get a little more adventurous.
This is an excellent example with its unique nutty flavor. When brewed hot, it seems to only suit really cold days, but when it’s poured over ice, it becomes a year-round drink that suits any afternoon.
Made with 100% Arabica beans, my favorite part is how smooth it is. There is very little bitter aftertaste, so if that’s what you’re into, skip this one.
While this doesn’t have much to do with Hawaii since Copper Moon is located in Indiana, it paints a nice picture of sipping this coffee blend on the beach while watching the waves roll in.
5. Bulletproof The Original Espresso Pods – Strongest Flavor
- Roast: Medium
- Flavor: Bold brew flavor with a little bitterness
- Origin: Guatemala
- Compatibility: Nespresso OriginalLine
If you prefer that bold coffee flavor but are worried that an ice-only coffee will produce too much bitterness, this blend may surprise you. We all know you can’t get real espresso without the appropriate pressure, but with this pod, you can get pretty damn close.
Espresso pods’ biggest complaint is that they are not as strong as properly pulled espresso shots. That’s perfect for creating a well-balanced iced coffee.
It’s made with 100% Arabica beans to create a smooth foundation for the flavor profile. Then the robust coffee flavor shines through, and you’re treated to a mouthful of decadent deliciousness. It will never be as good as an authentic espresso, so the name is a bit misleading, but its intentions are good, and it makes a great iced coffee.
One of this coffee’s other rewarding features is that the pods themselves are made with renewable plant-sourced bioplastics. They are fully compostable and will never take up space in a landfill, so you can enjoy them and feel good about doing your part.
6. Gourmesso Biscottino Cookie – Most Sweet
- Roast: Dark
- Flavor: Aroma-infused with biscotti cookie flavor
- Origin: South America and Asia
- Compatibility: Nespresso OriginalLine
Getting back to more fun flavors, this unique blend of Robusta and Arabica coffee has a sweet and light taste that can only be described as desert.
You may not want to drink this every day because it feels like you’re cheating on your diet, but I assure you the flavor comes from aroma injection and not from any unhealthy sugars and sweeteners.
The biscotti flavor was born to be shared with coffee. A hint of sweetness is just what the doctor ordered when indulging in your favorite blend of coffee beans. This K-Cup packs all that flavor into one pod and tastes fantastic when poured over ice.
Gourmesso has a lot of fun flavors like; chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon, to name a few. But I like this one the most because it sticks to coffee tradition and isn’t too heavy on the sweetness compared to the others.
Buyer’s Guide
Here are a few handy tips to get you started with iced coffee.
Roast
There are many theories on what kind of roast makes the best iced coffee, but I tend to lean towards the medium side of things. Due to the temperature, I would much rather my iced coffee be too weak instead of too strong.
Many prescribe to the theory that a darker roast makes a better cold cup of coffee because the ice eventually melts and dilutes all the bitter coffee taste. This is sometimes true as well, so the more ice-cold coffee you drink, the more precise you can get with your preparation.
Soon enough, you will have a system down pat that uses your favorite roast to produce the best-iced coffee experience for you.
Origin
I always recommend sticking as closely to Arabica as possible to combat the bold brew flavor that Robusta beans impart. When coffee gets chilled, the bitterness has a way of over-taking the flavor profile, so Arabica beans help keep the bitterness at bay.
I have recommended coffee pods above that contain Robusta because many people like the taste and enjoy stronger blend features. Robusta also works great with flavored coffees such as the Gourmesso Biscottino Cookie. The sweet flavor added via aromatics is enough to balance out the addition of Robusta beans.
Flavor Profile
There is a wide range of options when you ice down your coffee selections. Adding ice and lowering the temperature will numb your taste buds slightly, so if there were any coffee you didn’t quite like, you might like it iced.
Ice also allows you to go a bit sweeter than you may typically get when you start your day with a hot cup of coffee. Try some funky flavors and let your hair down when you shop for the best K-Cups for iced coffee.
The Verdict
I always struggle recommending flavorful coffee because I know everyone’s preferred options are vast. That variety is even greater in the world of coffee pods for iced coffee. I suggested the Bulletproof The Mentalist, Medium-Dark Roast as the best since it lands right in the middle of the flavor spectrum.
If you’ve never had iced coffee, it’s a great place to start, but you don’t have to. Let your curiosity take over when chilling your coffee, and have some fun with it. If you find other K-Cups that would be better on ice, then let me know; I’m always open to trying new coffee.
- Related Read: Best Coffee For Cold Brew
