The Best Iced Coffee at the Grocery Store (No Brewing Needed)

Summer is a hardship for my bank account. Instead of brewing coffee at home, I spend $7 on an iced coffee from one of the 700,000 hippie L.A. coffee shops at my disposal, because my brain has convinced itself that it simply can’t operate on the day-to-day without one. It would be so great if cheaper, store-bought coffee could scratch that itch…but to be honest with you, reader, ready-to-drink grocery store iced coffee has never hit the same. Most of what’s available would make a barista cry. So I was excited to go into this taste test and find some genuinely solid options worth taking up my fridge space (which these giant containers definitely do.) 

How we sourced the iced coffee for our taste test

We grabbed all the refrigerated, ready-to-drink cartons of iced coffee we could find from major grocery stores. To be honest, there aren’t that many iced coffees out there to begin with—it’s much easier to find cold brew coffee than plain old iced coffee. Most of the options are flavored and taste a lot like canned lattes (but in big, refill-worthy plastic bottles), but we made sure to include at least one plain ol’ bean water option for the coffee purists. 

What we looked for in the best iced coffee

The best store bought iced coffee needs to have a bold, fresh flavor. (Yeah, emphasis on fresh.) It shouldn’t taste burnt, too acidic, sour, or remotely stale.  If it doesn’t make you want to chug it straight from the carton at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday, it’s not making the cut. So without further ado, let’s take a look at our recs for the best bottled iced coffee (er, carton-ed iced coffee, too).

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Best Vanilla

Coffee Mate French Vanilla Iced Coffee

Walmart

Instacart

With both their creamers and flavored coffee beverages, Coffee Mate has a unique ability to make their drinks taste like liquid fudge. It’s a little thick, comfortingly sweet, and leans into the indulgence. The French vanilla is so heavy and potent, it cuts all the bitterness out of the coffee and lets the flavor finish on almost a chocolatey note. What I’m saying is this tastes like a dessert, and hey, some people really want that from an iced coffee. It’s not the best iced coffee for bean purists (honestly, there’s only one on this list I’d recommend for true coffee freaks, and that’s our #1), but I can’t deny that it’s tasty. Plus, if you like Coffee Mate’s iconic vanilla creamer, you’ll definitely love this. 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Unsweetened

Starbucks Dark Roast Iced Coffee

Walmart

Amazon

Hey, don’t be mad—I can already feel you getting mad. Just hear me out: I really think the store-bought jug of Starbucks iced coffee is a notch above what they serve at the drive-thru. This dark roast has a surprisingly smooth flavor that isn’t too burnt or stale. (If you’re into something a little lighter, the medium roast is solid, too, but the blonde roast leaned a bit too acidic and watery for our taste.) It’s a far cry from the best iced coffee you’ll ever have, but for now, it might just be the best bottled iced coffee that comes unsweetened.

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Flavored

International Delight Caramel Macchiato Iced Coffee

Walmart

Amazon

“Ariana, didn’t you write the ranking for International Delight coffee creamers and award Caramel Macchiato first place? Are you sure you’re not…biased with this one?” Very astute of you, reader. Maybe I am biased. Maybe my extremely fond memories of that cozy, rich caramel creamer has clouded my judgment a little. I’ll concede I prefer the versatility of the actual creamer over this carton of iced coffee (I have control issues), but it retains a lot of the same flavor nuanced we originally loved. It’s a little nutty, buttery, deeply sweet, and still slightly bitter thanks to the coffee, which you can still actually taste. It’s the warmest, coziest iced coffee I’ve ever tried. 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Cafe Bustelo Sweetened Iced Coffee

Walmart

Instacart

Cafe Bustelo, I don’t know what this taste test would have been without you. Look, I stand by my current line-up and think they all deserve a little recognition. But the best store bought iced coffee should rival something from a quality coffee shop, and I wasn’t finding that anywhere…until this. This Latin-style iced coffee has a beautifully balanced sweetness and bright acidity. Add a little condensed milk, and it’s the perfect base for a cortadito. While I’m leaving room for the perfect 10/10 product to sweep us off our feet in the next taste test, Cafe Bustelo definitely makes the best grocery store iced coffee we’ve tried to date. All bean freaks should try it! 

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Other store bought iced coffees we tried: International Delight Iced Coffee Mocha, Starbucks Iced Coffee Medium Roast, International Delight Iced Coffee Vanilla, Coffeemate Iced Coffee French Vanilla, Starbucks Iced Coffee Blonde Roast, Dunkin’ Iced Coffee Caramel, Dunkin’ Original Iced Coffee Bottle