I'm Obsessed With These Greek Coffees After Drinking Them in Athens This Summer — I Had to Find the £28 Machine That Lets Me Recreate Them

There are countless amazing sites to see in the ancient Greek metropolis of Athens, from the numerous epic feats of carefully preserved architecture to the sparkling azure waters of the nearby Riviera. But there was one particular image that stood out to me. It wasn't the Parthenon or the ancient Agora. It wasn't even the beautiful cobbled streets of Plaka. No, my favorite sight in Athens was that of an ice-cold cappuccino freddo, piled high with a mountainous whip of perfectly frothed milk.

In Greece, as it turns out, iced coffees are part of the culture. And it's easy to understand why, with average summer temperatures creeping up into the 40s, a frappe, or caffe freddo, is practically an essential. And while there are multiple different versions of Greek iced coffees for you to choose between, the defining characteristic of these beverages is the thick, whipped layer of foam floating atop your caffeine kick.

Essential to the creation of this unique texture is the iconic frappe coffee gadget, which can be found displayed behind practically every counter in Greece. Without it, it's impossible to achieve that signature foam. So, when I landed back home, I was determined to get my hands on one of my own. What I didn't expect, though, was to find it the Artech Retro Milkshake Maker on Amazon for less than £30, so now I can relive my Greek fantasy from my own home, every day.

What Is a Greek Iced Coffee?

While iced coffees have only entered the British mainstream in the past decade, in Greece, these beverages have a far deeper history. And, much like many great things, they were first created by accident.

The story goes that back in 1957, a Nescafe employee named Dimitrios Vakondios found himself without any access to hot water for his instant coffee while working at the Thessaloniki International Fair. Determined to receive his caffeine hit still, Dimitrios instead decided to mix his coffee granules with cold water and ice, using a cocktail shaker to combine his ingredients. The result? A drink that would come to shape the culinary culture of his country.

The frothy, iced drink was said to be the major hit of the fair and has continued to win the hearts of many for several years to come. Nowadays, the drink is synonymous with Greek summers, and while much of the method remains unchanged, over time, the shaker has been replaced with these retro-style milkshake machines, making for a speedier, hands-free frappe-making process.

By the 1990s, the frappe began to give way to a new iced drink: the freddo espresso. An emerging specialty coffee scene in Greece popularized the use of espresso machines, rendering the once-beloved coffee granules a thing of the past. It didn't take long for frappes to be seen as an outdated, unsophisticated beverage, a lowly cousin to the more refined espresso-based drinks.

The preparation of the two is practically identical, with the only difference being the method of coffee preparation — swapping out the granules for a double shot of strong, brewed espresso. Or, for my favorite iteration of the drink, the cappuccino freddo, the coffee can then be topped with a thick layer of foamed milk.

However, no matter which style of iced coffee you choose, this machine will play a crucial role. Just imagine inviting your friends over for a refreshing espresso freddo — to me, that's the epitome of Greek chic.

While the Greeks typically choose between coffee granules or an espresso machine, there's no reason you couldn't use a classic coffee pod to achieve the same taste — just make sure you're using one of the best coffee pod machines, and, of course, this frappe machine.