What is a freddo espresso?
A freddo espresso is a Greek iced coffee made from a double espresso that is whipped with ice cubes and poured over fresh ice. For one glass you pull 60 ml of espresso from 18 g of freshly ground coffee and whip it with 3 to 4 ice cubes for 10 seconds. In those seconds the espresso cools down and its crema turns into a dense, pale layer of foam. Then you pour everything into a tall glass with fresh ice cubes. The result is a strong, cold coffee with a creamy top and no milk at all. If you want milk, order a freddo cappuccino, which is a freddo espresso topped with cold milk foam. Because the glass holds nothing but espresso and ice, every weakness of the coffee shows straight away. That is why the bean you choose matters so much in a freddo.
Where does the freddo espresso come from?
The freddo espresso comes from Greece. Its model is the frappé, created in Thessaloniki in 1957: instant coffee shaken with cold water into a thick foam. When espresso arrived in Greek cafés, the same shaking was applied to freshly pulled espresso. The most widely accepted account credits Yiannis Iosifides, founder of the coffee distributor Kafea Terra, which brought illy to Greece in 1988. The cold espresso was meant to make up for falling sales of hot espresso in the hot Greek summer and to take on the frappé. Today it is the standard there: according to an estimate by Coffee Island, one of the largest Greek coffee chains, freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino account for 70 to 80 percent of all cold coffee drinks in Greece. It is ordered by sweetness: sketos without sugar, metrios with about one to two teaspoons, glykos with more.
Sources: To Vima, 11.05.2026; Wikipedia: Frappé coffee.
Freddo, fredo or φρέντο: which spelling is right?
All three spellings mean the same drink. Freddo is the usual spelling on Greek menus in Latin letters, φρέντο is the Greek one, and fredo is a simplified form that many guides use. The word freddo means cold. So whether you search for fredo coffee, fredo espresso or freddo coffee, you end up with the same recipe. In a Greek café people usually just ask for ‘a freddo’ and mean a freddo espresso without milk. Then they add the sweetness: sketo means no sugar, metrio medium sweet and glyko sweet. In Greek the two drinks are written φρέντο εσπρέσο and φρέντο καπουτσίνο. The spelling makes no difference to the recipe, but it does matter when you search, because many recipes only appear under one form. On this page you find every form in one place, with the same amounts, times and steps.
What does caffè freddo mean?
Caffè freddo is Italian for cold coffee; freddo means cold. In Italy it is a general term for chilled coffee, while in Greece a freddo means a freddo espresso or a freddo cappuccino: freshly pulled espresso, whipped with ice and served over ice.
What is the difference between frappé and freddo espresso?
Freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino are based on freshly pulled espresso, while a frappé is made from instant coffee. That is the key difference, and it explains the taste: a freddo tastes of espresso, a frappé of soluble coffee, usually sweet and with plenty of foam. For a freddo espresso you whip the double espresso with ice, and the foam comes from the crema. A freddo cappuccino is the same freddo espresso with a cap of cold milk foam, made by whipping 100 ml of cold milk. For a frappé you whip instant coffee with a little water and sugar into foam and top it up with ice, cold water and milk if you like. So a freddo needs an espresso machine or a bean-to-cup machine and beans, while a frappé only needs powder and a mixer or shaker. The table shows the differences at a glance.
| Feature | Freddo espresso | Freddo cappuccino | Frappé |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee | double espresso, 60 ml | double espresso, 60 ml | instant coffee |
| Amount of coffee | 18 g, freshly ground | 18 g, freshly ground | powder as on the pack |
| Milk | none | 100 ml cold milk as foam | if you like |
| Foam | from the espresso crema | crema and milk foam | from the instant coffee |
| Method | whip for 10 seconds with 3 to 4 ice cubes | as freddo espresso, plus cold milk foam | whip powder, water and sugar, then top up |
| Time | 2 minutes | 3 minutes | depends on the recipe |
| Whole beans needed | yes | yes | no |
Which coffee beans work for freddo espresso?
Whole coffee beans with an espresso roast, ground fresh just before brewing, work best for freddo espresso. The reason is the ice: some of it melts while you whip and in the glass, and it dilutes the coffee, so the espresso must be strong enough to taste through ice and water. The crema matters just as much. It is the raw material of the foam, because whipping it with ice turns it into the dense cap that floats on top of the glass. A thin crema that breaks up quickly gives you a flat freddo. Whole beans beat ground coffee here, because ground coffee loses its aroma much faster and then forms less crema. Espresso beans, by the way, are not a separate variety: they are coffee beans roasted for brewing under pressure, usually a little darker than beans for filter coffee.
FREDDO Espresso comes only as whole beans, in a 1 kg bag with an aroma valve, for portafilter machines, bean-to-cup machines and moka pots.
Which coffee blend works for espresso?
Espresso roasts work best, either pure Arabica or Arabica with Robusta. Arabica brings aroma and fine acidity, Robusta more body, more crema and more caffeine. For freddo espresso a strong, stable crema matters most, because it turns into the foam when you whip it.
How many grams of coffee and millilitres does one glass need?
One glass of freddo espresso needs 18 g of freshly ground coffee for a double espresso of 60 ml. Add 3 to 4 ice cubes for whipping and fresh ice cubes for the glass. For a freddo cappuccino add 100 ml of cold milk, whipped into a thick foam. These amounts are the basis of every recipe on this site. The hot classics use the same 18 g: cappuccino with 120 ml of milk steamed to about 60 °C, and americano with 120 to 150 ml of hot water. A single espresso needs 7 to 9 g, which gives about 30 ml in 25 to 30 seconds. A latte macchiato gets by with 9 g of coffee and 200 ml of milk. A kitchen scale helps at the start, because a measuring spoon holds different amounts depending on the grind. The table sums it up per glass.
| Drink | Coffee | Espresso or water | Milk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freddo espresso | 18 g | double espresso, 60 ml | none |
| Freddo cappuccino | 18 g | double espresso, 60 ml | 100 ml, cold |
| Espresso | 7 to 9 g | about 30 ml | none |
| Cappuccino | 18 g | double espresso | 120 ml, about 60 °C |
| Americano | 18 g | double espresso, 120 to 150 ml water | none |
| Latte macchiato | 9 g | one espresso | 200 ml |
How do I make a freddo espresso step by step?
A freddo espresso takes three steps and about two minutes: pull a double espresso, whip it with ice, pour it over fresh ice. Before you start, set out a tall glass with fresh ice cubes and grind 18 g of beans fine, as for any espresso. Then pull the double espresso, 60 ml, straight into the jug of the frappé mixer or into a shaker. If you like it sweet, add the sugar now to the hot espresso, because only there does it dissolve completely. Next add 3 to 4 ice cubes and whip everything for 10 seconds. Finally pour it over the fresh ice cubes in the glass, and the foam settles on top. For a freddo cappuccino, whip 100 ml of cold milk into a thick foam afterwards and spoon it on as a cap.
- Grind 18 g of FREDDO Espresso fine and set out a tall glass with fresh ice cubes.
- Pull a double espresso (60 ml) into the jug of the frappé mixer.
- Add sugar to the hot espresso if you like and stir briefly.
- Add 3 to 4 ice cubes and whip for 10 seconds.
- Pour over the fresh ice cubes in the glass and serve right away.
Can I make freddo espresso without a frappé mixer?
Yes, you can make a freddo espresso without a frappé mixer, most easily with a shaker. Put the hot double espresso, sugar if you like and 3 to 4 ice cubes inside, close the shaker tightly and shake it hard for about 10 seconds, until it feels cold on the outside and foam forms inside. If the shaker has a strainer, it holds back the half-melted ice cubes when you pour over fresh ice. If you have no shaker, a jar with a tight screw lid works just as well. An electric milk frother with a whisk also works if you whip espresso and ice in a tall cup. The frappé mixer is simply the more convenient option, because it whips more evenly and finely and leaves both hands free. For a freddo cappuccino you can froth the cold milk in the shaker or with the milk frother as well.
Which mistakes spoil a freddo espresso?
The three most common mistakes are a watery glass, a lukewarm coffee and sugar that goes in too late. A freddo gets watery when you tip the ice cubes from whipping into the glass: they are already half melted and keep releasing water. So always pour over fresh ice cubes and hold back the melted ones. It stays lukewarm when there is too little ice in the mixer or when you whip for less than 10 seconds. The ice in the glass then melts quickly and the coffee turns thin. The third mistake concerns sugar: in cold coffee it barely dissolves and sinks to the bottom as grains. So add it to the hot espresso before whipping. In a freddo cappuccino the foam collapses when the milk is not properly cold.
How should I store coffee beans?
Store coffee beans in their original bag with an aroma valve, tightly closed, in a cool, dry and dark place. The valve lets gases escape from the roasted beans without letting air in. Oxygen, light, heat and moisture are the four things that spoil aroma and crema fastest. A cupboard away from the cooker, the oven, the dishwasher and spices is ideal. The fridge, on the other hand, is usually not a good choice, because moisture condenses on the cold beans when you take them out and coffee picks up smells. Only grind as much as you need right now, which is 18 g for a freddo espresso. Give a bean-to-cup machine with a bean hopper only as much as you will use within a few days and leave the rest in the bag. The best-before date is on the bag.
How many glasses of freddo does 1 kg of coffee beans make?
A 1 kg bag of coffee beans makes 55 full freddo espressos by calculation, if you use 18 g per double espresso. The maths is simple: 1000 g divided by 18 g is 55.6, so 55 full servings. At €29 per bag, the coffee costs you about €0.52 per double espresso, without milk, sugar and shipping. The same calculation applies to freddo cappuccino, cappuccino and americano, because they also use 18 g. For latte macchiato at 9 g a bag makes 111 glasses, for a single espresso at 7 to 9 g between 111 and 142 cups. If you drink one freddo a day, a bag lasts almost 8 weeks, at two a day almost 4 weeks. That is what the subscription every 4, 6 or 8 weeks is for, 10% cheaper from 2 bags per delivery. Shipping is free from 2 bags.
Frequently asked questions about freddo espresso
What is the difference between freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino?
A freddo espresso is just double espresso and ice, while a freddo cappuccino adds a cap of cold milk foam. Both start the same way: 60 ml of espresso from 18 g of coffee, whipped with 3 to 4 ice cubes for 10 seconds and poured over fresh ice. For the cappuccino, whip 100 ml of cold milk.
Is a freddo espresso the same as a frappé?
No, a freddo espresso is made from freshly pulled espresso, a frappé from instant coffee. Both are whipped with ice and have foam, but a freddo tastes of espresso and needs whole or freshly ground beans and an espresso machine. For a frappé, powder, water, sugar and a mixer or shaker are enough.
Which coffee beans are best for freddo espresso?
Whole coffee beans with an espresso roast that you grind fresh work best. The espresso has to be strong enough to taste through the ice and form a firm crema, because whipping turns the crema into the foam. Pre-ground coffee loses its aroma faster and usually gives a flatter foam.
How much coffee do I need for a freddo espresso?
You need 18 g of freshly ground coffee for a double espresso of 60 ml. Add 3 to 4 ice cubes for whipping and fresh ice cubes for the glass. For a freddo cappuccino, allow another 100 ml of cold milk. With a kitchen scale you hit the right amount every time.
Can I make freddo espresso without a frappé mixer?
Yes, a shaker is enough. Put the hot double espresso in with 3 to 4 ice cubes, close it and shake hard for about 10 seconds until the coffee is cold and foamy. Then pour it over fresh ice cubes. A jar with a tight lid or a milk frother works as well.
How many freddo espressos does 1 kg of coffee beans make?
By calculation, 55 freddo espressos if you use 18 g per double espresso: 1000 g divided by 18 g gives 55 full servings. At €29 per bag, the coffee costs about €0.52 per glass. If you drink one freddo a day, a bag lasts almost 8 weeks.
