Coffee frappé (blended)
Section: Blended · blend · espresso
Applies to: a cold blended coffee drink of espresso, a little sweetener, cold milk, and ice, blended to a velvet-smooth, spoon-resistant body.
Target: under 90 seconds from pulling the shot to serve; consumed within about 10 minutes of blending.
Operating procedure
- Pull a fresh double espresso to reference: 18 g in, about 36 g out, 25–30 s, and cool it or use it straight over the ice.
- Portion the sweetener (sugar or syrup) by weight or pump count to the recipe spec, not by eye.
- Pull cold milk from the correct, freshly dated container into a measuring jug.
- Portion the ice by weight on a scale so every drink blends to the same body and dilution.
- Chill the serving glass and have any whipped cream ready if the recipe calls for it.
- Rinse and sanitize the blender jar and blade before the first drink of the run.
- Load liquids first: pour the cold milk into the blender jar, then add the espresso.
- Liquid first keeps the blade clear and stops the ice from binding around it and stalling the motor.
- Add the sweetener next, measured to the recipe spec.
- Sugar or syrup measured on a scale or by pump count — an eyeballed pour is the top cause of an inconsistent drink.
- Add the weighed ice last, on top of the liquids.
- Ice portioned by weight against the recipe (roughly 150–200 g for a single serve) sets a repeatable body and dilution.
- Blend in short pulses first to break the ice, then run continuous on high until the sound smooths out and the whirlpool closes.
- Blend until no ice shards remain and the mixture pours like a thick shake — a closed whirlpool means the ice is fully broken down.
- Check the body: it should hold a soft peak and resist a spoon, not run thin or stay slushy.
- Too thin — add a little ice and re-pulse; too stiff — add a splash of cold milk. Adjust before pouring, never after.
- Pour into the chilled glass, top with whipped cream if specified, and serve immediately with a wide straw.
- A blended frappé begins separating and melting within minutes — serve straight away rather than holding it.
- Texture is velvet-smooth with no ice shards, and holds a soft peak that resists a spoon.
- Coffee flavor reads clearly and the sweetness matches the recipe — not watery, not cloying.
- Served immediately with no visible separation or a melted watery layer at the bottom.
Weigh the ice — it is the single biggest lever on body and dilution. A frappé is best blended to order and served straight away; a batch left standing separates and turns watery within minutes and cannot be rescued by re-blending.
No caffeine figure is published for this drink: its record carries no tokenised ingredient list to derive from.