Why do my blended coffee drinks always turn out icy?!
Answers: I've tried to make blended coffee drinks several different ways. I love the flavor, but the drinks always are icy-- no matter how long I blend them for. I was thinking about freezing milk for the ice? I don't know! How does Starbucks make their frappuccinos not icy?
I like my coffee based drinks quite strong and rich in taste so I freeze some coffee concentrate (I use cold brewed coffee for that) and use the coffee cubes instead of ice.
The blender also makes a big difference. If you are after really good coffee based blended drinks you may want to get Margaritaville. It really makes a difference to your blended drinks.
This partly has to do wtih the quality of the blender...they have KILLER blenders at Starbucks. Freezing the milk in cubes will help because you aren't diluting the drink with the water based ice cubes...that's what I do for smoothies - I freeze the fruit so I don't have to add ice.
Also, if you are using skim milk your blended drinks won't be rich enough. Try 2%.
Starbucks uses water for their ice, so I shouldn't think that frozen milk would be necessary.
My first thought is your blender. Restaurants use high-quality blenders with lots of power. Inexpensive home blenders tend to be on the weaker side.
Assuming your blender is sufficiently powerful, it may simply be circulating the content of the drink poorly. Try stopping the blender a couple times to stir up the drink yourself to make sure everything gets its fair share of shredding.
If your freezer has a crushed setting, be sure to used crushed ice ahead of time--they're easier for the blender to break up.
There's a chance that your freezer might be colder than it needs to be (though I'd avoid raising its temperature too much).
As a last-resort, you could try to Jerry-rig a filter to get out the large pieces. That might be more work than it's worth, though.
If you do figure it out, be sure to avoid over-blending. A melted frappuccino can be as bad as an overly-icy one.
Try making the base thicker. At Starbucks, we are discouraged from making blended drinks with anything other than our frappuccino bases, like soy for example, because they will come out an icy consistency.
Hi Truth is...
Try these recipes out hope U find a winner.
http://www.recipezaar.com/50729
or how 'bout this one
http://www.recipecottage.com/drinks/frap...
Starbucks Frozen Frappuccino from The Recipe Link
http://www.recipelink.com/ch/2002/decemb...
or just go to Starbucks & watch how they prepare one. Also, feel free to inquire on how they go about making a frappuccino. The baristas are there to service your coffee needs. After all you are paying for it & consuming it so go ahead and ask away. :)
It has a lot to do with the blender, as well as with the concentration of the base drink. They aren't pouring fresh, watery coffee in there, they are using more of a syrup which gives a better liquid balance once the whipping starts.
