I’m approaching my last semester of college, and despite changing universities, friend groups, and career paths, there has been one constant to survive it all: iced coffee. It has pulled me through endless semesters–exams, team projects, or late-night study sessions–and by the looks of every college campus ever, I would say I’m not the only one. Pop-ups and coffee shops are stationed everywhere! The thing is, you can’t just walk to the on-campus cafe and wait in a packed line for coffee these days; after learning how to make iced coffee at home, why would you want to? Here are some alternatives to a Dunkin or Starbucks run that I learned from TikTok so that you can save money and time this semester!
Quarantine Coffee FTW
TikTok is good, just as it is dangerous. Its ever-changing trends pulled us through the start of a pandemic. Almost a year has passed since the viral coffee trend hit our For You page, but whipped coffee is as relevant now as ever! It’s simple to make and only requires a few ingredients, making it perfect for college students. Just take a couple of tablespoons of hot water, instant coffee, and sugar, whisk it together, and pour it on top of a cup of ice and milk. Stir and voila! You have an Insta-worthy coffee to spruce up your feed and look like the coolest person on Zoom.
Midday Pick Me Up
Starbucks’ Bottled Frappuccinos have been in stores for years now, but it wasn’t until TikTok that I learned how to enjoy them properly. All these years, I poured them over ice and called it a day. However, you’re supposed to place the bottles in the freezer before drinking them! Doing so helps to achieve that blended frappuccino consistency as opposed to pouring it over ice. Add in a stainless steel straw, and you have a midday pick me up. Although these beverages are tasty, they don’t have the same wake-up power as your traditional coffee.
Iced Chai to Spice Up Your Life
For those who don’t know, Anna Sitar is essentially the Coffee Queen of TikTok. She has almost 8 million followers and over 545 million likes on her videos. Sitar has inspired millions to broaden their coffee-drinking horizons. While she gets most views from asking Starbucks employees to make unique combinations, she recently shared an at-home iced coffee recipe that all chai lovers will appreciate. Start off with your cold brew of choice–Stok Cold Brew is my personal favorite–add Oregon Chai to taste, splash some milk over top, and you’ve got an iced dirty chai! If you want to elevate the sweetness of the drink, add in a small amount of vanilla syrup. This has been my go-to all semester!
Classic Cold Brew
Maybe sweet coffee isn’t your thing, or perhaps you need something bold to power through the day. Black coffee is necessary sometimes! There are plenty of tutorials to walk you through making cold brew at home, but if you’re incompetent in the kitchen like me, it’s more practical to buy cold brew. Rather than spending your time dealing with various coffee devices and tools and coffee grounds, pour some store-bought Stok Cold Brew over ice! Thank you, Anna Sitar, for getting me hooked.
Now go on and be great with your iced coffee!