We’re all guilty of it. Spending $4 or $5 a day on a specialty coffee. Sure, once in a while it’s OK, but when you need your caffeine fix DAILY, that $5 really adds up. You’d be surprised at how much money you can save by making coffee at home!
It all started when my boyfriend was working nights. There is a Starbucks down the street, and every day he would go and buy his Iced Americano to keep him from falling asleep. An Americano is espresso with water, and iced is (obviously) with ice. Now, I drink my coffee with sugar and half and half, but before I tainted his mind (and taste buds), he used to order it black. When he offered me a sip, I kind of hesitated, knowing I’m not a black coffee fan, but I tried anyway. To my surprise, maybe because it was iced, but it was actually good. Because of the help of the water and ice, it wasn’t too bitter or strong. But I knew I could jazz it up with sugar and half and half. Enter the creation of Mambo’s Iced.
It was our thing we’d always order from Starbucks. But the way we liked it, it was very particular and way too obnoxious to say in person, we’d have to order on the app. Grande Iced Americano, Extra Ice, Extra Shot (if it was a sleepy Monday), 2 Pumps of Classic, Light Splash of Half & Half. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!
Since my boyfriend started making these at home, the only time I’ve ordered one at Starbucks is if I was already out and grabbing coffee on the go. This recipe is SO EASY and tasty. It helps if you have a Nespresso machine, but you can absolutely make it with a traditional espresso machine. Obviously you can switch it up to your liking. Adding or not using as much sugar, using regular milk or almond milk instead of half and half, or even using cream if that’s all you have, or even add a dollop of whipped cream 🙂 . Another fun idea would be to use flavored espressos, which would really turn it up a notch!
Mambo’s Iced
Ingredients
- 2 Single espresso pods *We love the purple Altissio pods
- 2 tsp Sugar
- Splash of Half & Half
- ½ cup water
- Cup of ice
Instructions
- Pour the sugar into a mug, and brew both Nespresso pods.Dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, add your ice into a tall glass. Pour the water into the espresso, and mix. Then, pour that coffee over the ice. Top with a splash of half and half and enjoy!
