When the heat of summer hits, even the most dedicated cappuccino lovers switch to iced coffee to keep cool. However, making the perfect iced coffee at home can be tricky as pouring hot coffee over ice usually results in a watered-down drink. A viral TikTok hack suggests placing a metal spoon in your cup of ice before adding hot coffee to prevent rapid ice melting. The spoon helps transfer the coffee's heat away more effectively, maintaining the drink's cool temperature. Intrigued by this seemingly simple solution, I decided to test it myself and found it surprisingly effective. The ice still melts somewhat, but much less than usual. The science behind this involves conduction, where the hot coffee molecules transfer energy to the cooler spoon and ice, thereby cooling the coffee faster. Despite its effectiveness, chilling your coffee beforehand remains the best way to ensure a robust and refreshing iced coffee. For an even better experience, consider using coffee or creamer ice cubes.
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