Coffee Drink
Café Con Hielo: Spanish Iced Coffee, Recipe and Ordering Guide
Café con hielo means coffee with ice. In the Spanish service described here, hot coffee arrives with a separate glass of ice so you can combine them at the table. Our home portion is 30 g prepared espresso and 100 g (3.5 oz) ice, unsweetened unless you choose the sugar variation.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- About 65 mg (reference)30 g prepared espressoGeneric reference; beans, dose and extraction change the result.
- Calories
- About 3 kcalUnsweetened espresso and ice onlyAbout 18 kcal if you add the optional 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 drink; 30 g prepared espresso plus 100 g (3.5 oz) ice
- Made with
- Hot espresso served beside ice
- Sugar
- 0 g in the plain recipe. Generic espresso composition; the optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar contributes about 4 g total and added sugar.
- Preparation
- About 3 minutes, with the espresso equipment ready
Spanish service supported by Spain.info; nutrition uses generic USDA ingredients for the stated home portion. Checked 25 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Two vessels are the point: serve the hot coffee beside the ice, then pour and stir. Dissolve optional sugar while the coffee is hot.
- 2The unsweetened home portion is about 3 kcal and 0 g sugar. Adding 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar changes it to about 18 kcal and 4 g sugar.
- 3About 65 mg caffeine is a generic reference for 30 g prepared espresso. Melting ice dilutes the flavor; it does not remove caffeine.
On This Page11 Sections
How to Order Café Con Hielo
For black coffee with ice, ask for “un café solo con hielo.” The useful distinction is between coffee with a separate ice glass and a premixed milky iced drink. Specify milk or decaf if you want them; the words con hielo tell the café about the ice, not a fixed espresso size or sugar level.
Spain's official tourism portal describes sweetening the hot coffee and then pouring it into the ice glass supplied alongside. Sugar is optional in our home version. A practical phrase is sin azúcar if you want no added sugar.
Café Con Hielo Recipe
This is a small unsweetened espresso serving. The three-minute timing assumes the espresso equipment is ready. A vessel rated for hot and cold drinks matters more than using a particular glass shape; follow its manufacturer's instructions.
Recipe
Café con hielo
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 3 minutes; espresso equipment ready
Ingredients
- 30 g freshly prepared espresso
- 100 g (3.5 oz) ice cubes
Equipment
- Espresso brewer, scale, small heatproof cup, spoon, 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) hot/cold-safe vessel
Method
- Put 100 g (3.5 oz) ice in a 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) vessel rated for both hot and cold drinks. Set it on a stable tray.
- Prepare espresso by your usual method, stir it, and weigh 30 g into a small heatproof cup.
- Serve the coffee beside the ice. For the optional sweetened version, dissolve 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar in the hot coffee now.
- Pour the coffee steadily over the ice from a low height, keeping your hands clear of the stream.
- Stir gently and serve promptly. The ice will continue to melt and dilute the coffee.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 3 calories; total sugar 0 g. Serving: 30 g prepared espresso plus 100 g (3.5 oz) ice.
Recipe notes
Plain: about 3 kcal, 0 g sugar. Optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar: about 18 kcal. Caffeine estimate: 65 mg from the espresso.
Weigh the prepared coffee, not the dry grounds. Follow the espresso brewing guide, stir the finished coffee and weigh the 30 g beverage portion. Espresso crema makes a volume reading less reliable; the recipe glass leaves room for ice and pouring.
Flavor and Tasting Notes
The coffee you use determines the starting flavor. Cooling changes the drinking experience, and melting ice lowers concentration. Look at the roaster’s tasting notes for a chocolatey, citrusy or fruitier starting point.
Café con hielo is hot-brewed coffee chilled at service.
What Ice Melt Changes
Ice is both a coolant and a source of water. The following calculated dilution examples show how meltwater changes a 30 g espresso portion:
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| Water melted from the ice | Liquid coffee plus meltwater | Concentration relative to the starting espresso |
|---|---|---|
| 0 g (0 US fl oz) | 30 g | Starting concentration |
| 30 g (1 US fl oz) | 60 g (2.1 oz) | One-half |
| 60 g (2 US fl oz) | 90 g (3.2 oz) | One-third |
The table assumes simple mixing with no spilled coffee or change in dissolved material. It does not predict how much ice will melt in your glass. Total caffeine stays approximately the same if you drink all the liquid, while its concentration per sip falls. Ice size, temperature and how long the drink sits affect the result.
Café Con Hielo Troubleshooting
| Problem | Practical adjustment |
|---|---|
| It becomes watery before you finish | Use cold, solid ice and drink promptly; increase the coffee portion if you want more coffee. |
| Sugar grains remain | Dissolve the optional sugar in the hot coffee before pouring. |
| The pour splashes | Keep the glass stable and pour steadily from a low height, with hands away from the stream. |
| The glass seems unsuitable for hot coffee | Use a vessel designed for hot/cold service; do not assume any thin drinking glass tolerates the temperature change. |
| The drink is too small | Order a larger coffee portion or choose an iced Americano. |
Café Con Hielo, Iced Espresso and Café Del Tiempo
| Name | Useful distinction |
|---|---|
| Café con hielo | Hot coffee and ice served separately in the service described here |
| Iced espresso | Espresso served over ice; the café may combine it before serving |
| Café del tiempo | A closely related Spanish order; ask about the local ice and citrus presentation |
| Shakerato | Espresso shaken with ice, then strained and served without it |
For a milky variation, request café con leche con hielo and check how the café serves it. Lemon peel is an optional variation, not a required ingredient of this plain coffee-and-ice recipe. Adding condensed milk makes a sweeter drink and changes both calories and sugar.
History and Culture
The literal name is a useful guide: café is coffee and hielo is ice. Spain's tourism advice documents the separate coffee-and-ice service.
Nespresso's café con hielo recipe uses a decaffeinated capsule brewed to 25 ml (0.85 US fl oz), 3 g (¾ US tsp) sugar and its specified ice cubes.
Café Con Hielo Calories, Sugar and Caffeine
The plain 30 g espresso serving is about 3 kcal, 0 g sugar and 65 mg reference caffeine. Ice adds no calories; the table shows what optional sugar changes.
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| Granulated sugar added | Estimated whole-drink calories | Total sugar |
|---|---|---|
| None, plain recipe | About 3 kcal | 0 g |
| 4 g (1 US tsp), optional variation | About 18 kcal | About 4 g |
| 8 g (2 US tsp) | About 34 kcal | About 8 g |
Serving calculation and sources
USDA prepared espresso (FDC 171891) gives 9 kcal and 0 g sugar per 100 g. The 30 g portion contributes 30 × 0.09 = 2.7 kcal, rounded to 3.
The sugar arithmetic uses USDA FDC 169655: 387 kcal and 99.8 g total sugar per 100 g. For the 4 g option, 2.7 + (4 × 3.87) = 18.18 kcal.
The generic espresso record's caffeine value, 212 mg per 100 g, gives 30 × 2.12 = 63.6 mg, displayed as about 65 mg. Decaf can reduce caffeine but is not necessarily caffeine-free; use product-specific information when available.
Common Questions
What Is Café Con Hielo?
It is coffee with ice. The Spanish service explained here brings hot coffee alongside an ice glass for you to combine. It need not contain milk, lemon or sugar.
How Is Café Con Hielo Different from Café Del Tiempo?
They are closely related coffee-and-ice orders. Ask whether citrus is included; local serving customs differ.
Is It the Same as an Iced Latte?
No milk is included in our recipe. If you want a milky iced drink, specify milk when ordering or follow an iced latte recipe.
Does Adding Ice Make the Coffee Caffeine-Free?
No. Water from melting ice changes concentration, not the caffeine already in the coffee.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
4 references
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