Coffee on ice is twice as nice when summer’s heat starts to brew

(ARA) It’s official — summer

is here. With warmer

weather comes a change in

our dining habits as more

Americans enjoy fresh

fruits and vegetables, dine

alfresco, and take pleasure

in barbeques with friends

and family. A similar

change occurs with our daily

coffee intake. While

Americans still enjoy their

morning coffee when the

mercury rises, the tendency

for many is to prefer it

on the rocks.

When hazy, hot and

humid days take over,

more and more people

chose a tall, cool glass of

iced coffee. According to

the National Coffee Association,

more than 2 million

people enjoy iced coffee

daily, an additional 6 million

drink it weekly, and

forty-one million indulge

in an iced coffee pick-meup

occasionally.

“The benefit of iced coffee is that it’s easy to prepare and store

at home,” says Ellen Walker, Product Development Manager for Dunkin’

Donuts. “While it’s very similar to brewing hot coffee, there are

some simple brewing and storage tips to keep in mind to ensure a perfect pot

everyday, morning, noon or night.”

• For a full-flavored pot of iced coffee, double the amount of ground

coffee you would normally use to brew hot coffee. For an added flavor kick,

use Dunkin’ Donuts vanilla or hazelnut ground coffee.

•After brewing, add ice until the mixture doubles in volume, then add

milk, cream or sugar to taste.

•Brew your coffee in the evening and store it in an airtight container

in the refrigerator for quick and easy access in the morning.

•Like hot coffee, always start with the highest-quality fresh coffee beans.

Look for a label that says � percent Arabica” beans.

•Keep coffee beans at room temperature. If coffee beans are stored in

the refrigerator or freezer, they absorb food odors and condensation and the

flavor of the coffee won’t be up to par.

•Grind your coffee just before brewing; pre-grinding may cause your coffee

to go stale. The grind level should match your coffee brewer or individual taste;

finer ground coffee yields a stronger flavor, while course grind will yield

a weaker flavor.

•Store unused ground coffee in an airtight container that is not see-through,

in a cool dry place, away from heat or sunlight, and not in the refrigerator

or freezer.

•Clean your coffee brewer and carafe of any residue or oils from previous

brewing.

•Always use fresh, cold water for brewing coffee.

When you’re out of the house and craving a revitalizing drink, try one

of Dunkin’ Donuts new iced lattes in regular and decaf, hazelnut, French

vanilla and cinnamon, as well as caramel or mocha swirl; or their delicious

iced coffees, available in regular, decaf, vanilla, hazelnut and Kahlua. For

more facts on iced coffee, visit dunkindonuts.com.