Coffee Drink
Café Del Tiempo: Valencia’s Coffee with Ice and How to Order
Café del tiempo is a Valencian way to order hot coffee with a separate glass of ice. Lemon may accompany it, and the coffee can be black or made with milk. You choose the extras, then pour at the table.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- About 65 mg (reference)Generic USDA reference for 30 g prepared espressoActual caffeine varies with the beans and extraction.
- Calories
- About 3 kcalPlain espresso and ice onlyOptional 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar brings this portion to about 18 kcal. Milk and citrus are excluded.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 plain drink; 30 g prepared espresso plus 100 g (3.5 oz) ice
- Made with
- Hot coffee with separate ice
- Sugar
- 0 g in the plain recipe. Optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar contributes about 4 g total and added sugar.
- Preparation
- About 3 minutes; espresso equipment ready
Local service: PANEA and Ca Poldo menu. Nutrition: generic USDA prepared espresso and granulated sugar references. Checked 25 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Specify the base: café solo del tiempo is black; cortado del tiempo includes a little milk. Lemon is worth asking about.
- 2This plain home portion uses 30 g prepared espresso and 100 g (3.5 oz) ice: about 3 kcal and 0 g sugar. Optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar makes it about 18 kcal.
- 3The defined espresso portion supplies about 65 mg reference caffeine.
On This Page12 Sections
What to Order in Valencia
Start with the coffee you want, then specify the ice, milk and lemon. In the Valencian service described by PANEA, fresh hot coffee comes beside a glass of ice and a lemon slice. You combine them at the table.
The Ca Poldo menu in Alcàcer lists café, cortado, café con leche, bombón and americano versions del tiempo. Specify the base you want.
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| If you want… | A useful order | Clarify if needed |
|---|---|---|
| Black coffee with ice | Café solo del tiempo | Whether lemon is included |
| Coffee with a little milk and ice | Cortado del tiempo | Milk choice; ask for lemon separately if you want it |
| A milkier coffee with ice | Café con leche del tiempo | Serving size and milk choice |
| No added sugar | Sin azúcar | Sweetener packets may still arrive alongside |
| No lemon | Sin limón | Useful when you want only coffee and ice |
Café Del Tiempo vs. Café Con Hielo
The names overlap. Café del tiempo is associated with Valencian ordering, while café con hielo is a widely understood way to ask for coffee with ice in Spain. Spain's official tourism portal describes the same basic action: sweeten the hot coffee if desired, then pour it into the ice glass supplied alongside.
Lemon is a useful local detail to ask about, not a reliable rule that separates every del tiempo from every con hielo. Both begin with hot coffee, unlike cold brew. This page's recipe deliberately uses the same 30 g prepared-espresso portion as our con hielo example so the serving names do not create an artificial strength difference.
Café Del Tiempo Recipe
This plain home serving is a starting point for the separate-ice custom. Optional lemon and sugar are listed separately; milk belongs to a different order. Use a vessel rated for both hot and cold drinks and follow its maker's instructions.
Optional: 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar and a small washed lemon slice or strip of peel.
Recipe
Café del tiempo
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- 3 minutes; espresso equipment ready
Ingredients
- 30 g freshly prepared espresso
- 100 g (3.5 oz) ice cubes
Equipment
- Espresso brewer, scale, 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) hot/cold-safe vessel on a stable tray.
- Prepare espresso by your usual method, stir, and weigh 30 g into a small heatproof cup.
- If sweetening, dissolve the optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar in the hot coffee. Set optional washed lemon beside the ice.
- Serve the coffee beside the ice. Pour steadily from a low height, keeping hands clear of the stream.
- Stir gently and drink promptly. Add lemon only if wanted.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 3 calories; total sugar 0 g. Serving: 30 g prepared espresso plus 100 g (3.5 oz) ice.
Recipe notes
Optional: 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar and washed lemon. Plain: 3 kcal, 0 g sugar; with sugar: 18 kcal.
Use the espresso brewing guide to prepare the coffee, then weigh the portion for this serving.
Lemon, Sugar and the First Pour
A lemon slice brings some juice as well as peel; a twist mainly adds aroma. Neither is the same as the measured lemon juice mixed into Mazagran. Start with the citrus alongside if you are unsure, then decide how much to use. It is fine to leave it out.
Dissolve granulated sugar before pouring over ice. It can dissolve in cold coffee, but it does so more slowly. If the drink is already cold, a little prepared syrup is easier to mix; its concentration and amount change the sugar calculation.
Pour from a low height over a stable surface, then stir gently. The coffee is hot even though the receiving glass contains ice. Ice melt adds water: the liquid grows less concentrated, while the original caffeine remains in the drink unless some coffee is left behind or spilled.
Café Del Tiempo Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
The plain serving has about 3 kcal, 0 g sugar and 65 mg reference caffeine, based on 30 g prepared espresso plus 100 g (3.5 oz) ice. It excludes milk, sugar and lemon; the caffeine reference is not a measurement of your shot.
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| Version of this home serving | Estimated calories | Total sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Plain espresso and ice | About 3 kcal | 0 g |
| With 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar | About 18 kcal | About 4 g |
Serving calculation and optional sugar
USDA FDC 171891 gives generic prepared espresso 9 kcal, 0 g total sugar and 212 mg caffeine per 100 g. At 30 g, that produces 2.7 kcal and a 63.6 mg caffeine reference, displayed as about 3 kcal and 65 mg.
The sweetened calculation is 2.7 + 4 × 3.87 = 18.18 kcal; sugar contributes 4 × 0.998 = 3.992 g using USDA FDC 169655. Calculate larger portions from their actual coffee, milk and sweetener amounts.
Flavor and Tasting Notes
Expect the coffee you chose, cooled and progressively diluted by ice. Lemon can add citrus aroma and acidity; milk softens the coffee's concentration and changes its texture. If you like the espresso plain but not with lemon, omit the citrus before changing the beans.
Café Del Tiempo Troubleshooting
| Problem | First adjustment |
|---|---|
| Too watery after standing | Combine the two vessels when you are ready to drink; avoid leaving the finished cup sitting. |
| Undissolved sugar | Stir it into the hot coffee before the pour. |
| Citrus dominates | Use less lemon, a little peel, or none. |
| Coffee tastes harsh before ice | Adjust the espresso first; adding lemon is not a substitute for a balanced extraction. |
| You wanted a milk drink | Order cortado or café con leche del tiempo explicitly. |
History and Culture
PANEA describes del tiempo as an established Valencian custom, while the Alcàcer menu shows how the phrase appears across several contemporary orders. These sources support local usage.
Practical Detail
Keep the coffee and ice separate until the final pour. This lets you choose sugar and citrus first. For a larger drink with deliberately measured water, see iced Americano. For shaken espresso strained away from its ice, compare shakerato.
Common Questions
Does café del tiempo mean room-temperature coffee?
Is it always a cortado?
Must it contain lemon?
Does ice reduce the caffeine?
Can I use decaf?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
5 references
External links open in a new tab
Ordering and service
- PANEADisfrutar del café del tiempoValencian service: fresh coffee beside ice and a lemon slice. Used for service, not its wider origin narrative.(opens in a new tab)
- Ca PoldoCa Poldo / Forn Sant Josep drinks menuReal Alcàcer menu lists several coffee bases del tiempo.(opens in a new tab)
- Spain.infoBebidas refrescantes para el veranoOfficial tourism description of sweetening hot coffee before pouring into separate ice.(opens in a new tab)