Or, more commonly known as an 'ice cap'. I am hopelessly addicted. These are summertime drinks made from coffee, ice and thick cream. While I don't know the number, I think each one has a million calories. A couple of years ago, when I was training for a marathon and able to consume what seemed like unlimited calories, I used to have one of these everyday at lunchtime. Our office complex is blessed with a Tim Hortons coffee shop in the concourse. Last year, I did not let myself have even one of these - like with any addiction, one and I am back in its grip. Today, I came very close - my guard was almost down, lulled by the sunshine and fresh air, I went to the Tim Hortons counter and managed to get the words 'I'll have a medium ...' when the clerk (evil woman) filled in the rest of the sentence with 'ice cap?'. Without thinking I said 'yes, an ice cap'. Then I caught myself. No - a regular coffee. I had the regular coffee - and it was good. All I can think of though is an ice cap. Lord, give me strength - it's going to be a long, hot summer.
Note : Tim Horton's nuitritional literature says a 10 oz Ice Cap has 250 calories. You can get one made with milk for 150 calories (although I say why bother)
Yes, the ice cap is a menace. And it is, no doubt, designed to be as addictive as crack cocaine. You can be sure that somebody in the chemistry department at Tim Hortons (or is it Wendy's, and why does one have an apostrophe and not the other?) has worked long and hard to boost the ice cap ingredients with fats and sugars and all manner of goop to make you drool. It's disgusting, when you think about it.
But good. Really good.
Posted by: Ross Laird | June 11, 2004 at 08:25 PM
My sister is addicted to those as well I think, at least she was the last time I was up there...
I stick with the mocha myself... mmm, Timmy's, I'll be there soon :D
Posted by: Dale | June 16, 2004 at 05:45 PM
i have been drinking and enjoying iced cappucino since the ice melted and winter ended.tonite,july10th i purchased an "ice cap"at the guelph line store except that it wasn't iced.
i mentioned that fact to the waiter and he said that that was as iced as it got and that it was the same as the one before it.i asked for a refund yet he rang up the three tarts,one muffin ,one iced tea AND the iced cap.I left the drink on the counter paid and left the store
his only remark to my e-mail threat was"enjoy your tart!It was not the first iced cap of the day but i will check EVERY DRINK before i pay for it in the future.please talk to the staff.
Posted by: bill bryant | July 12, 2004 at 02:07 AM
I'm also addicted, but who cares what's in it? It's so good and refreshing... I just don't care.
Posted by: Mr. Something | August 07, 2004 at 11:12 PM
omg i'm in heaven when i drink an ice cap from tim hortons in 1 day i drank 4 i was on cloud nine to say the least. they are very addicting my hubby who don't even drink coffeee loves them also. i agree they are like a drug addiction. i have made a oath that if i ever win the lotto i'm having a ice cap machine installed in my house. boy if i were born candaian i'd be in ice cap rehab by now i'm just thankful they have come to western ny. now i have to go buy one see you later....
Posted by: ICE CAP ADDICT | January 31, 2005 at 06:47 AM
I am also addicted to Tim Hortons! Sometimes, however, they don't get the mixture of sugar and cream right. I always order 'double double' and there sometimes is not enough sugar in it.
The bagel with cream cheese is good too but sometimes the cream cheese is runny and tastes too sour. I don't know if they are giving me the light cream cheese by accident or it has been sitting out too long.
Posted by: Rochestra | May 14, 2005 at 08:28 AM
OMG!!! ICE CAPS ARE THE BOMBBBBBBBB!!!!!!! I LUV DEMM!!!!!! BA MY FRIEND WHO WORKS AT TIMMY"S SAYS U CAN MAKE IT AT HOME BY TAKING CAP MIX AND 2 IC CUBES AND SOME THICK CREAM. YOU MAKE DA CAPPACINO FIRST DEN YA CRUSH DA ICE AND PUT IN THE CREAM AND CAPPACINO AND BLENNDDD AND DEN ENJOY UR LITTLE TASTE OF HEAVENNN!!!!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ICE CAPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!
:P
Posted by: ICECAPLUVA | May 27, 2005 at 06:38 PM
So does anyone know what is in it or how to make it? because if u do we can make our own for MUCH cheaper so dont tell me u dont care whats in it, because that would mean you dont care about money
Posted by: Nolan | October 13, 2005 at 08:47 PM
Ok so you say u make it with thick cream? what kind of cream egzactly, and do u mean the powder cap mix or what, be spesifac here
Posted by: nolan | October 13, 2005 at 08:50 PM
I work at a Tim Hortons. I'll clarify a few of the questions.
First, we use 18% cream from Neilson Dairy. It's actually quite disgusting to install these creamer bags, because you can feel how fatty they are (not to mention the smell, anyone else who works there shares my pain)
Second, the Icde Cap is made with 1 part icdecap concentrate to 3 parts water. As to what is in the iced-cap concentrate, I couldn't say. I just know its brown, comes in bags and is mixed in a bucket with water. The machine does all the freezing.
The reason why some of you get wattery icde caps is because of the fact the machines can only hold so much frozen iced-cap in the line. After about 3 or 4 mediums, the machine starts to get runny because it hasn't had time to freeze. This is why if you ask for one and we say the machine is down, it's likely because it is not frozen.
The reason why Tim Hortons is without an apostrophe is because of the fact that Tim's wife thretened to sue Ron Joyce (CEO) if he did not change the name, after the comapny was given to Ron (Tim's buddy). He then changed it from Tim Horton's to Tim Hortons. Ever since Wendy's bought us out, the quality has gone down hill. I mean, its always fresh, yet everything is frozen. Everything from the mini cakes to bagels, donuts, timbits, chili and cookies (which are then put onto trays to bake.
To the person comlaining about runny icedcaps saying "please talk to the staff", this is not our fault that the machines are not freezing quickly enough to meet the demands of our customers. Let's just say, if you see the guy infront of you in line ordering 10 icedcaps, yours will without a doubt be runny! In the summer, we get numerous complaints that people have driven aroudn to find a Timmies whose iced caps aren't runny. It's because the machines take about 10-15 minutes to freeze the cap. mix.
The Cream Cheese which is used is from some Lactonian company (can't remember the name exactly). I'd be surprised if it was expired considering it lasts for a few months, yet a new shipment is brought in every week. It would be over exagerating to say there is 1/2 a box of cream cheese left before the truck comes in
Do everyone a favor. If you are ordering more than 4 coffees, or a dozen donuts and you want to choose which ones, just get out of the car and come to the front. Help us serve you better so that you can see our selection!
Posted by: Sean | October 20, 2005 at 05:35 PM
I work at a Tim Hortons. I'll clarify a few of the questions.
First, we use 18% cream from Neilson Dairy. It's actually quite disgusting to install these creamer bags, because you can feel how fatty they are (not to mention the smell, anyone else who works there shares my pain)
Second, the Icde Cap is made with 1 part icdecap concentrate to 3 parts water. As to what is in the iced-cap concentrate, I couldn't say. I just know its brown, comes in bags and is mixed in a bucket with water. The machine does all the freezing.
The reason why some of you get wattery icde caps is because of the fact the machines can only hold so much frozen iced-cap in the line. After about 3 or 4 mediums, the machine starts to get runny because it hasn't had time to freeze. This is why if you ask for one and we say the machine is down, it's likely because it is not frozen.
The reason why Tim Hortons is without an apostrophe is because of the fact that Tim's wife thretened to sue Ron Joyce (CEO) if he did not change the name, after the comapny was given to Ron (Tim's buddy). He then changed it from Tim Horton's to Tim Hortons. Ever since Wendy's bought us out, the quality has gone down hill. I mean, its always fresh, yet everything is frozen. Everything from the mini cakes to bagels, donuts, timbits, chili and cookies (which are then put onto trays to bake.
To the person comlaining about runny icedcaps saying "please talk to the staff", this is not our fault that the machines are not freezing quickly enough to meet the demands of our customers. Let's just say, if you see the guy infront of you in line ordering 10 icedcaps, yours will without a doubt be runny! In the summer, we get numerous complaints that people have driven aroudn to find a Timmies whose iced caps aren't runny. It's because the machines take about 10-15 minutes to freeze the cap. mix.
The Cream Cheese which is used is from some Lactonian company (can't remember the name exactly). I'd be surprised if it was expired considering it lasts for a few months, yet a new shipment is brought in every week. It would be over exagerating to say there is 1/2 a box of cream cheese left before the truck comes in
Do everyone a favor. If you are ordering more than 4 coffees, or a dozen donuts and you want to choose which ones, just get out of the car and come to the front. Help us serve you better so that you can see our selection!
Posted by: Sean | October 20, 2005 at 05:37 PM
I recently visited your Tim hortons location in Lockport. While i was there I ordered a large coffee. The lady whom which serviced me seemed to be in quite a rush and very, very unplesant. I usually go to Tim hortons because of the friendly service. Once I recieved my coffee I had asked the lady (whose name was Krista) if she could throw out my juice container so i could make room to put my hot coffee into my cup holder. She then got very rude and rottenly replied very fast "they don't like us to do that around here". "they've done it for me before" I had said. "not today" she said. Then rudely slamed the drive thru window in my face. The Ladys name was Krista, and I believe that you will lose a lot more faithful customers like myself if something does not change with her. I recently went to the new Starbucks and the girl was very pleasent and friendly, and more than happy to throw out my old container for me. It was a much better experience-since I didn't have to hold my hot coffee all the way home.
Posted by: alicia calderone | October 28, 2005 at 06:14 PM
To Alicia: I also work at Tim Hortons and would like to clarify something. We are not allowed to take people's garbage for hygienic reasons. We have no way of knowing where that garbage has been and try to keep our hands as clean as possible. Don't get me wrong, I strongly disagree with the way Krista treated you. But I would just like to say that if a Tim's employee tells you politely that they cannot take your garbage, please don't argue with them. We don't make the rules and don't get paid enough to put up with customers arguments.
Posted by: Jenny | November 05, 2005 at 11:40 AM
I just found your blog while looking for a recipe for the Tim Hortons iced cappuccinos . Since I didn't find any recipes for them, I decided to try my own. Just two hours later, I am back to offer the fruits of my labor for my fellow 'addicts':
Ingredients:
1 Folgers Coffee Single (like a tea bag, but coffee)
2 tbsp. Folgers instant coffee
1 packet Swiss Miss French Vanilla mix
8 packets of Equal (or similar) sweetener
2 1/2 cups ice
Whipped cream (I used the aerosol kind)
Ok, here goes:
First, in a small sauce pan, add 12 ounces of water and the Folgers coffee bag. I brewed mine on medium for about 15 minutes until it was very dark. You know, expresso-like.
Add the Equal packets and stir until dissolved. Add the Swiss Miss packet and stir until dissolved. Add the instant coffee and … come on, you can figure it out …
Remove from heat, pour into a heat and cold-proof container and place in the refrigerator to cool. I used the freezer because I was impatient, I pulled it out a couple of times and stirred to further accelerate the cooling process. All told, maybe 20 minutes elapsed before I decided to forge on …
In a blender, add 1 ½ cups of ice and pre-blend until your blender can’t handle it any more. Then add ½ the cooled mixture and blend. Ok, it’s a bit dark, right? So was my first try. Then I added another ½ cup of ice and a shot of milk (about an ounce or two) and blended again. Much closer, but still a bit strong, so I added another ½ cup of ice and another shot of milk, plus about 1” of whipped cream on top in the blender. Blend really, really well.
IMHO, close enough to save me $2.89 at least once a day. Not to mention the closes Tim Hortons is 15 minutes up the highway.
Give it a try, and report back on what you think. Just don’t bash it too bad if you substitute items and then claim it’s nasty. Like Folgers –vs- Maxwell House .
One other thing – this will give us ‘addicts’ the ability to control the caffeine levels – something we couldn’t do the ‘over-the-counter’ ice caps. The Folgers coffee singles and instant coffee are both available in decaffeinated versions.
Posted by: John | November 27, 2005 at 07:55 PM
ok I have only tried an ice cap once and I want another one but my mom wont go 2 tim hortans. so all I do is get one of those ice cream makers, add coffee milk and other stuff, turn the ice crem maker on and u no how it makes it cold, well just stop the ice cream maker be4 it turns into hard ice cream (its like slushie kind of) well im just a kid so I dont no how 2 make um.
Posted by: MEGAN | December 28, 2005 at 10:01 AM
I too have become addicted to the ice caps. I wish I never ever drank one as like with the rest of their products, they make them great and then when they figure everyone is addicted they begin to rip you off more than they already are by giving you less. I feel like I'm taking a gamble every time I go there. Most of the time you now get them almost tasteless, 3/4 full or runny. Not too mention that when you complain they treat you like crap like you are being the jerk. I don't know if this bothers others, but when I pay $2.56 for a medium sized drink I expect it to be of the same good quality every time. I'm too the point that I don't want to give them my business anymore. Let them keep their 5 cents worth of coffee and cream. Ever notice how when they brought out their danishes they use to actually have some filling in them? I'm sure they'll say they took it almost all out for our, the consumers, own good. I actually had a manager tell me that they don't fill up their ice caps anymore as people were complaining they were too full. Yeah right. I wasn't complaining and when I asked the to at least fill it to the top of the cup itself it was a big problem. I feel they treat their loyal customers like dirt.
Posted by: Colleen Edwards | January 24, 2006 at 12:28 AM
Lol the ice cappachino is so discusting, I recomend no one get them inless they know how there machines work. They fill them with dirty ass buckets and the machines half the time are gunked up or effed up, one of the two. You can never gaurentee that the icecap will be at the same consitincy because half the employees are too lazy to keep the machine filled.
Working at tim hortons is one of the worce occupations iv ever had. They dont even preform breaks for there workers or any form of equality... Yea i agree with you. They do treat there coustemers like trash. Next time your at tim hortons, Try and here what there saying about you when the windows closed.
Posted by: I Work For Tims | March 09, 2006 at 03:02 PM
Hi, My son loves the chili that is sold at Timmys. Does anyone know the recipe? I would appreciate it.
Thaks from Marg
Posted by: margaret | March 26, 2006 at 08:53 AM
I don't know what you are talkin bout. i worked for tims and u musta had bad management or somethin cuz i got 30 mins off (paid) for every 5 hours i worked and there was weekly draws for stuff like ipods. and they could afford it cuz it was always full o' people. As for the ice caps, they are twice as good when runny and ther was nothin wrong with the machine
Posted by: oats | April 04, 2006 at 11:23 PM
hi, i waz wondering how old is a good age to start drinking cappuccinos because my son wants me to go to tims and buy one for him but he is only 11, do u think it will hurt him? is it stronger than coffee?
Posted by: meme | April 06, 2006 at 04:26 PM
Hello...
I've worked in the service industry for way too many years to mention(cause then you'd all know I'm almost 40..haha). The arguement that the machine can't work fast enough only works once with me. If a company has a product that sells well enough that they are constantly telling customers " it's not our fault, the machine can only make so many etc" then here's a suggestion...GET ANOTHER MACHINE!!
I went to the tim horton drive thru close to me a few mornings ago, they open it at 6am, it was 6:10, the girl working the window said...I can serve you, but I don't have change. I said...pardon? She said... I DON'T HAVE ANY CHANGE! so, knowing I had change enough, I said...ok, I'll have an iced cap, her reply was....they're not ready yet, we just opened. (this happens about one a week at this location)
News Flash sister, if you're open, you should your product available, not just those that you remembered to start up ( this happens alot there). Being as I was in the drive thru, I had no choice to keep going through, even though I wasn't buying anything. . when I got to the window, she tried to charge me for the ice cap... I said...umm,, I thought you didn't have them? Her reply....oh yeah...we don't...sorry.
my reply....umm...are you really open? she said...well, DUH, I'm here, right? "giggle giggle" I said...well, DUH, that's right, you are, yet you have no change, and no product, so I thought maybe I was early and you weren't open yet?
no, we're open, it's just the supervisor, she's not here and she has the money..."giggle giggle" I think it's great that they decided to open even though the supervisor was late...but why not try to come up with a small float as well? goodness me!
Here's the thing..
I get that working at Tim Horton's may not be everyone's career choice, but if you're going to accept a job of ANY sort and be paid for it, you should do the job to the best of your ability. If you're unhappy, or feel you're being mistreated, there's a very simple solution.. find another job. It takes much more energy to constantly complain about how much it "sucks" to work there and how overworked you are than to put out some resumes and find a new place to work.
Not liking your job is not an excuse to do a half ass job...no matter what the job is.
For every job out there that some may find "below" them, or not to their liking, there are 100's of people who would gladly take the job to support themselves.
Personally, it takes alot for me to now hire a teenager, or young adult because the majority (but certainly NOT all of them) seem to feel like it's their God given right to have a job and treat customers like crap. I hate to admit that, because I know it's wrong to think like that, but given the problems I've seen from poor customer service, I'd much rather hire someone who will treat ANY job like it's important and be respectful of the industry which they have choosen to work in.
Posted by: capaddict | April 07, 2006 at 01:31 PM
I am a baker at a Tim Hortons and I just want to say that I disagree with the fact that cutomers complain about the donuts not being big enough or the danishes not being filled enough those things are out of the employees hands we are taught as employees to treat the customers with respect but we are human beings and no one deserves to be treated badly but we as employees put up with alot of complaining and rudeness from cutomers. In life its a rule of thumb what goes around comes around so as a cutomer if you want to be treated nicely and fairly...try acting that way yurself instead of acting like it your god given right to be rude to us just because we're young or just because you paid 1.55 for your coffee.
Posted by: Timmys Girl | April 17, 2006 at 02:13 PM
Customer Service is important if you're being paid to do a job. I do understand, however, ungrateful customers and how much that can get to you after awhile. Still, that is no excuse. I agree with another person who wrote that if you don't like your job, get one that you will like and be grateful that you can work.
Am curious about caffeine content in the Ice Cap cuz they are delicious and quite the picker-upper.
Posted by: ruth | April 18, 2006 at 02:21 PM
I just found this forum while doing a google search for iced cap recipies...
Well, here's my situation, I used to be ADDICTED to them, seriously, and now I've recently moved to Australia. No Time Hortons here. I plan to go back in a couple years, but for now, I'll have to manage with making my own, or finding somewhere that makes them...lol.
Posted by: Rick | April 29, 2006 at 06:17 AM
Ice Caps are like the best thing in the summer. But thats not the only thing good from Tim Hortons! Everythign is good about them!! from cream bagels to dobuts to ice caps :D
yay! TIMMYS!!!
Posted by: dmhp | May 06, 2006 at 05:45 PM