12 Peet's Iced Coffee Drinks Ranked Worst To Best

Iced coffees begin to sound more and more enticing as the temperatures start to rise. I'm more of a hot coffee gal, but even I succumb to iced beverages, especially thanks to hot temps earlier in the year. When I tested a selection of 11 Peet's hot coffees just a week ago, I had some gnarly heat waves in my area, so cooling off with a chilly caffeinated drink sounded pretty satisfactory then. This time around, I tried 12 iced options, and well, they are pretty scrumptious no matter what time of year you drink them. 

I judged the coffees based on the taste and complexity of the drink, whether I could identify the key ingredients, and the drink's overall value for the price — these coffees ranged from $3.10 to $7.30. I preferred more complex drinks, but that's not to say simpler ones aren't good — the flavor merely had to stand out in order to beat some of the more intricate sippers. Come with me on this highly caffeinated journey to see which Peet's iced coffee drinks are the most interesting and flavorful.

The price is the most enticing part about this Peet's beverage, seeing as it's the cheapest iced drink that I tried during this taste test — by a couple of dollars at that. The iced espresso is like a punch to the taste buds; it's jarring and strong, but not in a pleasant way. I can't imagine even an espresso lover slowly sipping on this creation; it needs to be downed like a shot of liquor or defused with milk or cream to make it somewhat sippable. 

The latter would be my pick, just so I can enjoy the sipping ritual more, and I don't really like consuming caffeine so quickly either. The iced espresso notes that it has caramel and citrus notes, but I got a bit of herbal woodiness and a lot of bitterness. I wouldn't order this again unless I had plans to create something at home with it and I was out of espresso, but even that would be a last resort.

This was my first time having a latte with Peet's Coffee Popping Pearls, or their Popping Pearls in general. While they have a comparable shape to boba, that's where the similarity ends. Boba has a chewy texture, whereas Popping Pearls erupt to release a juicy, sweet flavor — here it provided a nondescript sweet burst. Those adorable little morsels made a seemingly simple coffee order the most expensive on this list. But surprisingly, the difference between a standard iced vanilla latte and this one is under $1, which goes to show how pricy a latte is these days. 

I'm a bit torn on the pricing, though; it's factually the highest-priced iced coffee I tried for this review. The Coffee Popping Pearls are interesting, but I can't justify purchasing this other than for its novelty. I'd rather go to a boba shop and get a similar drink for cheaper. The pearls weren't as satisfactory as boba either; I like the chewiness boba offers, and the pearls merely burst and release sweetness. They also leave the thin, exterior film on your tongue. Another writer who tried the same drink in their Peet's fall menu taste test had similar thoughts on the texture, but seemed to enjoy the drink as a whole. I vastly preferred this to the iced espresso, but I wouldn't want to buy it again.

A latte macchiato differs from an espresso macchiato, because the former has more milk, making it more like a cappuccino or latte. Except in a latte macchiato, the milk gets poured into the cup first and then gets topped off with the espresso. The layering is much more evident in the iced version than the hot one I had previously (which effectively tasted like a standard latte), since you can see it in the clear classic cup. 

The Peet's drink features ice, milk, foam, and espresso, according to the description. The foam brings a nice textural, fluffy addition to add intrigue to the beverage. Other than that, this drink was incredibly milky, even after mixing the layers. Yes, I know that effectively just makes it a latte, but still, it turned into an overly milky, uninteresting latte. I'm not sure if this is normal or if it's because they accidentally made a hot macchiato first and wanted to quickly remake the second. I like this over the Popping Pearls latte, but this is far too milky for my preference. I also preferred the hot latte macchiato to this iced one.

The name of this coffee says it all: Espresso, milk, vanilla syrup, as well as lavender syrup give a sweet and floral edge to a classic vanilla latte. I'm quite fond of floral drinks — orange blossom, rose, to name a couple — so I thought this would be a safe bet, and it was. It's a good, sweet, flowery drink, if that's something that calls to you. There's complexity in the flavor combination, which gives it an edge, so it's not solely floral. 

That said, this drink is one of the sweetest out of all the ones I tried on this taste test. I'd prefer less sweetness and, shockingly, a bit less floral lavender; it seems to overwhelm the vanilla, which shrinks in comparison to the bold lavender. Alone, this is a tasty beverage, and it doesn't suffer from as much milkiness as the latte macchiato, which gives it a step up in the ranking. But when pitted against some of the upcoming drinks, it pales in comparison.

An iced mocha is perfect for anyone seeking rich coffee and chocolate notes. It's like an adult version of chocolate milk, thanks to the espresso, house-made chocolate sauce, milk, foam, and a hefty whipped cream over the top. Peet's rendition stands out because of the chocolate sauce it makes, which backs up the price as one of the higher ends of the spectrum. The iced mocha has a rich cocoa taste; it's the dominating profile, and it's unexpectedly not all that sweet. 

There might be a time and place for that, but at the same time, it isn't too interesting — it tastes kind of like you added cocoa powder and a smidge of sugar to your coffee. I also think there is a bit too much whipped cream; you can see the cream and perhaps foam extends beyond that first line of the cup (effectively giving me less coffee), whereas other drinks go well above the line. The chocolate sauce certainly mixes up the flavor of a standard latte and seems more balanced than the lavender vanilla latte, but it isn't too bewitching either — at least in comparison to the next item that brings a bit more flavor to the coffee table. 

I enjoy ube coffees and drinks, so honestly, the iced vanilla latte with ube Dream Top was kind of a let-down. I recently had a ube latte with matcha foam at Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival 2026, and it blew me away with its nutty charm. Peet's version is much subtler, and I don't want a nuanced ube. I want to enjoy the nutty flavor and aroma. In this drink, we just get a whiff of ube since it's part of the Dream Top, aka a flavored cold foam. 

Typically, cold foams start to settle and incorporate themselves into a drink to bring their flavor. While that was the case with the ube Dream Top, again, it seemed mild and under the radar. It mainly tasted like you made an iced vanilla latte and added a mere droplet of ube. Nothing is wrong with the actual flavor, but it doesn't hit the ube mark for me. The flavor isn't potent enough, and the price is kind of high, but it still offers more dimension than the iced mocha — at least for me.

An iced caramel latte is a classic flavored coffee drink with a layered sweetness. Caramel flavoring tends to be slightly more complex than a simple syrup or vanilla, but considerably more flavorsome than a basic unflavored latte. And yet, surprisingly, it's somewhat subtle compared to several of the other drinks on this list with stronger, more pronounced flavors. 

I rarely get caramel lattes (I prefer plain), so this was a pleasant sipper for me. I enjoy the balance of caramel and sweetness; it isn't cloying, but brings a flavorful uplift to coffee that's more noticeable than a vanilla syrup. The flavor tends to come in toward the end of the sip, right after swallowing, so it isn't too in-your-face. It doesn't necessarily stand out compared to the upcoming drinks, but I'd gladly get over any of the previously mentioned iced coffees. Adding caramel is a top way to provide flavor to coffee, and Peet's does that successfully here; I found it more balanced and compelling than the ube foam topper. Although, I think a bit of salt may bring further dimension to the drink.

While the caramel iced latte was perfectly pleasant, we've reached the part of the list where I'd be most inspired to repurchase — and hey, five repurchasable drinks is quite a high mark for me. For context, I tried a few black drinks from Peet's (both hot and iced), and this Baridi cold brew is the best of the crew. It's steeped for 12 hours, which results in a coffee that's delightfully smooth and easy to sip on. 

There's truly no need for cream, milk, or added sweeteners, but you can include them if you'd like to bring further dimension. The other black drinks were often so strong and bitter that they were hard to consume (and definitely not enjoyable). The hot drinks mellowed enough for palatability after cooling off, while the iced espresso only mellowed once the ice melted a bit, effectively creating an Americano. Here, I relished it from the first sip and was extremely happy to find a palatable black drink at Peet's. If you're partial to black beverages, then you have to give this cold brew a try. It's balanced, creamy, and not acidic at all. 

If you're not an oat milk fan, you might want to stray from this sipper, but I thought it was a delight. The oat is apparent, not in that it tastes like oatmeal, but rather it actually tastes like oat milk — if that makes sense. I like the luscious texture, which makes it similar to the luxurious mouthfeel of whole milk, but without the dairy. The honey brings forth a welcome sweetness, but it's not cloying as other sweeteners or syrups might be. 

The honey cold brew oat latte is an ideal pick when you want an exciting coffee drink that still tastes like coffee. It's on the plainer side as far as no exciting flavors, but it's done well, and that hits the mark for me. The oat and honey elements make this iced coffee a little more complex than the plain cold brew, giving it more weight in my ranking criteria. 

I tried the hot Havana cappuccino, and it was one of my top drinks, so I figured an iced version was worth trying. This creation features sweetened condensed milk, espresso, milk, milk foam, and a bit of cinnamon to top it all off. I'm happy to report that it still holds up in its iced form. The foam is evident, and the sweetened condensed milk creates a sweet, but not overwhelming, addition to the drink. I know the ingredient technically has a toasty caramelized taste, but it doesn't come across too heavily when paired with espresso, milk, and cinnamon. I'm not sure what sweetened condensed milk brand Peet's uses, so this may be a factor. However, it makes it a fantastic coffee base that I'd like to include in my home coffee-making. 

This is simply an excellent coffee drink for anyone who wants something different than a vanilla latte, but doesn't want anything too overpowering — my next two drinks have potent flavorings, which was a big part of my ranking criteria, but you can't go wrong with the Havana. For reference, I tasted 12 iced coffees split across two visits. This was the best of the six I ordered, and the only one I actually finished on that visit.

If you prefer lighter flavors in your iced coffees, stick with my No. 3, 4, or 5 picks — they're all excellent. But since intricacy was a big factor in my ranking order, I have to give second place to the Coconut Black Tie. It is a marvelous drink, made with cold brew iced coffee, coconut syrup, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half float. This coffee has distinct layers that make it alluring to look at, but difficult to drink without mixing — a thorough mix is needed, though, or else you get a big, thick glob of sweetened condensed milk since it sinks to the bottom. 

After a thorough swirl, the flavors are better incorporated, and you get a sweet, luscious, coconut concoction. But the cold brew base is smooth, making a terrific choice for the other rich ingredients. I like the sweetened condensed milk and coconut syrup combo; it's not something I frequently see at coffee shops, so this Peet's drink gets high marks for the overall flavor and complexity. Interestingly, it's cheaper than several other drinks on this list, likely because it uses cold brew instead of espresso. Still, I'd happily pay the fee to drink it again.

Ding, ding, ding, we have a high-ranking winner here. I ranked the hot version of the pistachio rose latte as my ultimate top pick, and it's clearly just as strong in its iced form. The pistachio comes through, but instead of using a pistachio syrup that can often be overpowering, Peet's opts for Táche Pistachio Milk. This nut milk contributes to the higher price of the iced latte, which somewhat justifies the cost. For reference, 32 ounces of the Táche brand pistachio milk costs more than what you would get for double the amount of oat milk (64 ounces). 

The nuttiness is authentic and nuanced compared to the strength I've noticed in syrups, which makes it feel comforting. Think of it like this: Almond milk offers a mild nutty taste compared to almond (orgeat) syrup, which is way more dominant. The pistachio pairs wonderfully with the rose-flavored syrup to create an iced beverage that's rose-heavy with a complex pistachio note. I'd say it delivers what it's supposed to, it's delicious, and the value seems reasonable given the products used.

I visited my nearest Peet's coffee shop two times to enjoy these beverages; that means I tried six coffees each visit. I took photos, sips, and notes of each one, then worked my way through the six drinks a couple of times to form my opinions. I ordered a medium size of everything, except for the iced espresso, which came in a small cup. I didn't make any modifications and ordered everything as-is, but I would encourage you to order beverages to your preference (milk type, less syrup, etc.). As I said at the start, I ranked these based on the complexity of the flavor and how well I could discern the included ingredients. Value serves its purpose, too, as I thought some drinks were a better deal for the price. 

The price of the iced coffees ranged from $3.10 up to $7.30; I didn't mention specific prices because this may vary by location or change (Peet's actually just upped its prices a couple of weeks ago), but I deliver general insights where applicable or when the price was a factor on the drink's overall placement. A simple or expensive creation could rank high if it was delicious and better than other drinks, but generally, the more intricate coffees ranked higher. Lower-ranking drinks faced issues with flavor, such as bitterness or sweetness.