You’ve got yourself a Grande iced coffee at Starbucks, but you can’t finish it?
Don’t put it in the trash just yet.
I researched how long iced coffee lasts in the fridge so you can save your delicacy for later.
The answer is not simple, so I will tell you all about different factors that affect iced coffee’s life span and how to utilize leftover coffee.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
How Long Does Starbucks Iced Coffee Last in Fridge?
When it comes to the opened iced coffee, it is pretty simple: you don’t want it sitting around for too long.
The best thing to do is to put it into the fridge.
Low temperatures allow your unfinished coffee to survive for another 8 to 12 hours.
The exact time depends on whether it’s a regular coffee or there’s milk, syrup, cold foam, heavy creme, or other ingredients in it.
After 12 hours, it is better not to try your luck.
Un-opened bottled ice coffee is a different story.
It will stay good for a longer period of time.
The average shelf life of Starbucks bottled coffee is for about 9 months.
Just be sure to check the expiration date on the bottle.
Until the seal is not broken you don’t need to keep it in the fridge.
However, if you want to enjoy your iced coffee the way it is meant to be, it’s better to cool it down.
If you want to make homemade iced coffee, I recommend cold brew coffee.
It can last longer than hot brewed coffee such as espresso or drip coffee. Cold brew coffee concentrate can last from 7 to 10 days in a fridge.
Factors That Affect the Iced Coffee Lifespan
The crucial factor responsible for your iced coffee’s lifespan is milk.
In contact with air, milk quickly gets spoiled. It’s because milk is full of bacteria that can overgrow in the wrong surrounding.
You can probably recognize the rancid smell and acidic flavor of spoiled milk.
This brings us to the quality of the ingredients used for making coffee.
Obviously, if you use low-quality or stale ingredients, the lifespan of that brew will be much shorter as they will go bad sooner.
Luckily, Starbucks puts effort into using the best possible ingredients. They use high-quality Arabica coffee beans and quality, fresh milk. Even the water they use is filtrated three times.
But, that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t store your cold coffee properly.
If you have opened a bottle of iced coffee, you should keep it in a refrigerator. At room temperatures, your coffee will get spoiled quickly.
Your coffee will be fine in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
Is Expired Iced Coffee Safe?
Technically, you shouldn’t consume anything after its expiration date.
But, if you have unopened bottled Starbucks coffee that you kept in a fridge, it should be just fine even a few days after its expiration date.
It’s a totally different situation with a regular cup of coffee. Since it is in contact with air, milk will spoil sooner.
I don’t recommend drinking old coffee if you suspect that it has gone bad. You surely want to avoid any stomach problems.
Tips for Using Ice Coffee Leftovers in Your Kitchen
So, you have some coffee leftovers.
You don’t want to drink it, but it doesn’t seem like it’s gone bad. Should you throw it away?
I don’t like throwing away food and beverage leftovers. So, I found some really cool ways to use the coffee leftovers that are still good to go.
Coffee ice cubes
Coffee ice cubes are a really cool way to utilize coffee leftovers.
Just pour it into an ice tray and put it in the freezer.
You can add them into the plain milk and make an interesting version of iced coffee.
And if you don’t want to dilute your coffee with regular ice cubes, just add these and make your coffee even stronger.
Give your breakfast a caffeine boost
If you’re making a sweet breakfast and have some iced coffee leftovers, don’t hesitate!
You can add coffee to your pancake mixture. Also, you can soak chia seeds or oatmeal in coffee.
My personal favorite is smoothy infused with coffee. Use banana as a base, add a dash of cinnamon, and you will have an amazing, caffeine-boosted smoothy.
You can also use coffee leftovers for making sweets, like cookies or tiramisu.
Coffee marinade
Coffee can go so well with almost any type of meat.
If you want to complement your stakes, fried chicken, or pork, try to make a marinade with coffee. I promise you won’t regret it.
You can mix it with about any ingredients you typically use for marinating meat before you cook it. Stir it with garlic, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, mustard, chili, or whatever you prefer.
You will be surprised how well coffee’s rich and sweet taste goes with meat.
FAQ
If you still have doubts about your ice coffee’s lifespan, I will give answers to some frequently asked questions right away.
Does Starbucks iced coffee need to be refrigerated?
My final answer to this question is yes.
It won’t get spoiled as soon as on room temperature. It will still last for up to 12 hours if it’s open. At room temperature, it will go bad much sooner.
Not to mention that it tastes much better when it’s cold. It is called ice coffee for a good reason.
How long does Starbucks iced latte last in the fridge?
The answer is pretty much the same as for the iced coffee.
If you keep it in the fridge, your iced latte should be fine for about a day.
After that, the bacteria in the milk will go crazy, and you’ll risk stomach problems.
Can you freeze Starbucks iced coffee?
Yes, you can freeze iced coffee.
Just keep in mind that freezing it can compromise the taste and freshness of the coffee.
But, as I said before, you can use them as ice cubes and add them to your fresh cup of coffee.
Conclusion
Bottom line: you can keep your Starbucks ice coffee for about 12 hours in the fridge.
It will still be fine and tasty.
But after that, I suggest you not to drink it if you don’t want to risk any stomach problems.
When it comes to un-opened bottled Starbucks coffee, it can last much longer. Look for the expiration date on the bottle, and drink it before that date.
And if you want to try out other iced drinks from Starbucks, here are some of the best cold drinks from their menu!
