I'm a barista - here are the mistakes you need to avoid to make a great iced coffee in the heatwave

As heatwaves suffocate the country, Americans are turning more than ever to iced coffee.

But if you're the type of person who's unwilling to drop over $6 on Starbucks and makes their coffee at home, baristas say there are a number of ways to level up your java game.

If you're noticing that your caffeinated beverage routinely tastes too weak, watery or warm, you're probably using too much water, according to Lavazza corporate trainer Kathleen McCarthy.

McCarthy told HuffPost that you need to account for the ice melting during the brewing process. 

Her suggestion is to brew your coffee with more grounds relative to the water so your drink remains strong as the ice melts.

Laila Ghambari is a highly-skilled barista who won the 2014 US Coffee Championships. Now, she works as a coffee business consultant

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The exact ratio you go with depends on how powerful you want your coffee to be, but McCarthy said an iced coffee with a 1:12 grounds-to-water ratio or even a double strength 1:8 is ideal.

Too little water though, and you'll get a sour-tasting cup.

All of this advice is for naught, however, if you commit this coffee cardinal sin: pouring hot coffee over ice.

Never do this if you want a weak coffee, McCarthy said.

'If your hot brew is poured directly over ice, that simply adds more water to your ratio when the ice melts,' she explained.

Instead, brew your coffee as you normally would and then let it cool off in the fridge. This still requires you to account for that grounds-to-water ratio when you eventually pour it over the ice.

You shouldn't just throw an open cup of coffee into your fridge to chill though, according to Laila Ghambari, a highly-skilled barista who won the 2014 US Coffee Championships.

'Even if you have fish sitting in your refrigerator, it will permeate and get into your coffee,' Ghambari said, recommending a sealed container instead.

Even if you're storing the coffee correctly, McCarthy said you should use it soon after it cools. Leaving it in the fridge too long will let the brew 'acquire stale flavors.' 

If you're the prep-the-night-before type, pouring your hot coffee into ice cube trays and letting them freeze might be right up your alley.

This method will allow your drink to stay cold the next day without the worry of it getting watered down. 

Most baristas prefer a different method called a flash brew, which involves using a lot less hot water. You can use an Aeropress - which costs about $31 on Amazon - for the best results, but McCarthy said a drip machine works fine too. 

Essentially, you may brew with two thirds of the water you usually use and replace the remaining third with ice, McCarthy said. 

Feel free to brew directly into a glass filled with ice or add the ice later.

'This is my preferred method because it doesn’t require any advanced prep and thought like cold brew does, and unlike a standard brewed hot coffee poured over ice, it won’t be diluted or weak,' McCarthy said. 

For cold brew coffee, most people in the coffee business, including Kathleen McCarthy and Ghambari, prefer using the flash brew method for more consistent, tasty results

Baristas who spoke to HuffPost recommended people treat making their ideal iced coffee as an experiment that you'll eventually get right

Ghambari, who also works as a coffee business consultant, said flash brews lock in 'the aromatics and results in a much more flavorful coffee.'

Finally, you might want to switch up your brew method based on your taste buds.

The pour-over technique yields a final result that clearer and lighter, which is usually best for lighter roasts and more acidic, fruity flavors, McCarthy said.

The French press is for those who enjoy a coffee with a more full, strong flavor profile. This method is best for darker roasts with chocolatey flavors, however, it can be diluted with milk and ice.

But when it comes down to it, the perfect cup of coffee, hot or iced, is subjective.   

Yoshawn Smith, the 2023 Barista League Champion, told HuffPost that people shouldn't be stressed when making iced coffee and should treat it as a trial and error process.

“Experiment a little bit and find that perfect method for you,' she said. 'Taste and smell are subjective, and with that being said, enjoy your iced coffee any way you like to. It’s yours, no one can tell you how to enjoy it but yourself.'