This Iced Latte Hack Is Everything

The warm weather is here! But most of us aren't Alice Cooper, so although school may be out for summer soon, work is not. However, there's still a silver lining to this playbook — it's iced coffee season! And there's even better news, too: This DIY iced latte hack from BuzzFeed lets you be your own barista. Who needs a coffee shop when you've got this little trick up your sleeve?

I know I'm not the only one who wishes there was just an endless supply of pumpkin spice lattes and peppermint mochas constantly being poured into my mouth. However, for the sake of not wanting to look like the Wicked Witch of the West who just jumped into a swimming pool, I try to avoid drinking anything hot in the summer. And, honestly, you don't have to twist my arm to embrace the delicious season of iced coffees and Frappuccinos. Unfortunately, though, good iced coffee isn't cheap; in fact, I've been known to spend more of my paycheck on caffeine than on food and shoes combined. I'd actually much rather save the time and dollars and make these iced cups of perfection myself — but unfortunately, my attempts thus far have basically consisted of me putting ice cubes in my hot coffee, watching them melt, and being extremely disappointed.

This, though? This is the at-home iced coffee hack I've been waiting for. Here's the general gist in five pictures; scroll down to watch the full video. It's definitely worth it.

Step 1: Make Coffee

You can make one cup or an entire pot of perfect coffee depending on how much you plan on guzzling. It's also pretty easy to cold-brew your coffee at home, which will cut down the bitterness. Just make sure you give yourself some extra time if you go the cold brew route.

Step 2: Pour Coffee Into Ice Trays

Instead of putting ice in your coffee, you make the coffee into ice. Brilliant. Just. Brilliant.

Step 3: Freeze

This might be the only downside to this hack — waiting for your coffee to freeze. However, if you did choose to cold brew your coffee, the cube-making process will be quicker (since it doesn't have to cool down before freezing and all).

Step 4: Add Liquid

I would just say add milk, but this is the part where you get to be really creative. You can add milk, flavored syrups, extracts, and spices to totally revamp your iced coffee game.

Step 5: Stir and Enjoy

Stir your delicious creation to until your coffee cubes begin to melt and enjoy your beautiful barista creation. The best part? It'll stay cold without getting watered down, thanks to the ice cubes being made of actual coffee.

Watch the whole video below to see the process in action:

Images: dennisandluba/Flickr; BuzzFeedBlue/YouTube (5)