Can You Freeze Espresso?

Last updated on September 21st, 2022 at 09:35 am

Oh, espresso. With the taste of rich coffee brewed to perfection. Any coffee lover knows that this little cup not only gives you energy but just tastes so good. 

It may be the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning or the pick-me-up you need halfway throughout the day. 

Espresso can come in a variety of options. You can drink it black. You can drink it in a latte. You can even bake with it. 

Espresso truly is enjoyed by so many people. Some may even want it to last forever. They may ask, can you freeze espresso to save it for later?

Espresso can be frozen but its flavors will start to break down during freezing. There are certain ways to freeze it so you can get the best results out of your frozen espresso. 

Waking up in the morning you headed straight to your espresso machine. Brewing some shots you added it into steamed milk with some sweetener and sipped away, planning on coming back for more later. 

After your first cup you decide to hold out on that second one because, hey, you might need a boost once noon rolls around. Not wanting to let it sit out, you asked if it could be frozen. 

And it can! But let’s do this the right way. 

Wait until the espresso shot has sat for a bit and cooled down. See that cream that has risen to the surface? Go ahead and scoop that off the top of the espresso shot. 

You are now left with just strong coffee and little to no oil. This is going to freeze more evenly. Now it’s time to freeze it. 

The best way to freeze espresso is to do it in icecube form. Take a used ice cube tray and pour the liquid into the rectangular spaces. Pop that ice cube tray into the freezer and freeze for however long you’d like. 

They typically freeze after about four hours in the frigid temperature so you can use them right away, leave them in the tray, or for more space in your freezer, transfer them over to a freezer bag or a plastic container. 

Can You Freeze Shots Of Espresso? 

It’s name means “to express”, espresso got its name from the way it was made. When you brew espresso, high pressure, near boiling water is forced through compacted finely ground coffee or espresso beans to extract their flavor into a tiny “shot” of liquid. 

If you love espresso, you may not want those extra shots to go to waste. Is there a way to save it for later? And how can you do it?

You can freeze shots of espresso in an ice cube tray to save for later. These cubes can be put in coffee for an iced drink or just thawed and drank as is.

Espresso is supposed to be drunk right away but if you are determined to save some for later you can. Frozen espresso isn’t going to taste the same as when it is freshly made however. 

You should also use these frozen espresso shots in the next 2 months. 

Once the freezing process begins, the flavor will start to break down. This is because of the cream in espresso. The cream may solidify in the cube in clumps. 

Coffee oils will also be present and once thawed wont taste good at all. 

Frozen espresso flavor will be pretty bitter and syrupy after it is frozen. To avoid this, remove the cream from the surface of the espresso when you freeze it. 

Espresso is used as a base for a lot of specialty coffees. If you are into making some of these drinks and don’t want the hassle of brewing it, freeze the leftover espresso shots so they can be thawed and the steamed milk, sweeteners and other additives added in to make your delicious mug of coffee.

Can You Save Leftover Espresso? 

There are espresso shots and then there are beans. Whatever type of espresso you have, can you save it for later? 

There are different ways to use your frozen espresso. Freezing it in an ice cube tray is probably the best way to do it. So, after you end up with little cubes of frozen espresso, how do you use it?

You can save espresso for later. This includes espresso shots as well as espresso beans.

Frozen espresso will go well in iced coffee. Just pop them into your coffee drink to have espresso flavored ice cubes. 

Sometimes iced coffee can get watery but if you have espresso cubes, they will melt and espresso flavors will be released into the drink. 

Like I said before, it could be more bitter and not taste as good as when the espresso was newly brewed but it will add some kick to your iced coffee. You can even just thaw and drink the espresso just like it is. 

If you have frozen it correctly and don’t mind it tasting different, save the espresso for later. If you have frozen it in ice cube form then it’s easy to just take one out to thaw. 

Let them thaw for a few minutes (it shouldn’t take long) and there you go, a couple shots of espresso that have not gone to waste. Espresso beans also freeze well when stored in their original packaging or by being placed in an airtight container.

Many people have frozen coffee beans or espresso beans before and truthfully it works great. As long as you seal the beans in an airtight container then they should stay good for multiple months in the freezer. 

Final Thoughts

You can freeze espresso to use later however it won’t taste as good as when it was fresh. You can use frozen espresso as ice cubes in iced coffee or even to thaw and drink as usual. Its taste will be slightly bitter after freezing but it can still be used. 

Freeze the espresso without the cream for best results. 

You can also freeze espresso beans if you are wanting to use them weeks or months later. Espresso is energizing and satisfying. If you don’t want to toss out your extra espresso or want to use it for specialty drinks later, freeze it!