French Press Cold Brew Coffee
on Mar 05, 2021, Updated Dec 12, 2023
Make Homemade French Press Cold Brew Coffee in just 5 minutes of active working time. Homemade cold brew is extra-smooth, extra-strong, less acidic, and much cheaper than the store-bought equivalent. You only need a French press, cold water, and ground coffee.
You may like some more coffee recipes: Nutella Coffee, South Indian Filter Coffee, Beaten Coffee, and Gingerbread Latte.
A dear friend of ours gifted us a French Press. I had never used one before, so I watched multiple videos on YouTube on how to use it. None of the videos gave full information. Some missed the French press size, and some the correct ratio of coffee powder to water.
After a few trials and errors and reading more, I could successfully make a perfect French press cold-brew coffee. It was one the finest coffees I have drank. To date, it is my favorite method to brew coffee.
In this post, I have tried to share everything I learned about using the French press correctly. I hope it helps you, too!
About French Press Cold Brew
French Press Cold Brew Coffee is cold-brewed coffee made using a French press. It is stronger, smoother, and less acidic than coffee made by other brewing methods.
It is one of the easiest ways to brew coffee. The good news for cold brew lovers is that you can now make your own cold brew, just like your favorite coffee shop, at home using this method.
Although you can buy cold brew coffee made in a French press in most coffee shops, making it at home is more economical. You can customize the drink according to your taste, and you know exactly what ingredients are going in your cold brew.
To make homemade cold brew French press coffee, you only need coarsely ground coffee, water, and a French press.
You can drink it black (very strong, though) or with milk or water, or use this perfect cold-brew coffee concentrate to make Vietnamese Coffee, Iced Caramel Macchiato, or other iced coffee drinks.
Add hot water or milk to make a hot cup of cold-brewed coffee. You can also use it to make Vanilla Coffee Overnight Oats.
I made this recipe in my 12 oz press, but you can easily double or triple it with a bigger press.
Ingredients
Coffee – Use any coarse ground coffee powder to make a cold brew. Do not use a medium or fine grind; otherwise, the coffee will turn cloudy and have a muddled flavor.
Use high-quality coffee for the best taste.
You can twist the classic cold brew by using flavored coffee.
Water – You will need cold or room-temperature water. Use filtered water if your tap water is chlorinated. The proportion of coffee to water is very important, so keep that in mind. I have explained it in the post below.
French Press – To make this cold brew, you will need a French press coffee maker. I use a Bodum original 12 oz press. It was given to me by a friend, but you can order it on Amazon.
Once you have cold brew coffee concentrate ready, you can drink it with water or creamer. You can use whole milk, toned milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk. Choose whichever you want, and go with it.
To give your coffee a fun twist, you can add caramel sauce or chocolate sauce. Vanilla extract, lavender syrup, and hazelnut syrup are also great additions.
How To Make Cold Brew French Press Coffee
Place ½ cup of coarsely ground coffee at the base of your French press (I used a 12 oz press).
Pour 2 cups of cold filtered water or room temperature water over the coffee and stir gently using a spoon.
Note – The coffee-to-water ratio is critical. It should be approximately 1:8 by volume or 1:16 by weight.
Cover the press with a cling wrap and keep it on the kitchen counter for 8-24 hours, depending on how strong you want the coffee. I prefer 12 hours of brewing time.
Note – Why keep the press on the counter and not refrigerate it, you may ask? Things are more soluble at higher temperatures than at lower temperatures. If you refrigerate your brew, you are effectively limiting solubility or extraction. But if it’s very hot where you live, you can refrigerate it after 3-4 hours of brewing.
Once the coffee is brewed, remove the plastic wrap and place the lid on the French press.
Push down the French press plunger gently.
Note: Do not push the plunger all the way down. Doing so will agitate the coffee grounds, releasing a bitter taste.
Strain cold brew concentrate into a large glass jar or pitcher. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Tip – If some coffee granules are floating in the ready coffee and you are not okay with them, strain the brew using a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, coffee filter (paper filter), or a nut bag.
To serve, dilute ½ cup cold brew with ½ cup water or milk.
If serving with ice cubes, use the ice with ½ cup cold brew concentrate with ¼ cup water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Well, it’s named “cold brew” because of the brewing method, but you can also use the brewed coffee to make hot coffee. Just top the concentrate with some hot boiling water or hot milk and mix, and your hot coffee is ready.
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French Press Cold Brew Coffee Recipe
Equipment
- French Press I used a 12 oz press to make 2 cups of brewed coffee
Ingredients
- ½ cup coarsely ground coffee
- 2 cups cold or room-temperature water (use filtered water if your tap water is chlorinated.)
Instructions
- Place coffee at the base of your French press.
- Pour water over the coffee and stir gently using a spoon.
- Note – The coffee-to-water ratio is critical. It should be approximately 1:8 by volume or 1:16 by weight.
- Cover the press with a cling wrap and keep it on the kitchen counter for 8-24 hours, depending on how strong you want the coffee. I prefer 12 hours of brewing time.
- Once the coffee is brewed, remove the plastic wrap and place the lid on the French press.
- Push down the French press plunger gently.
- Note – Do not push the plunger all the way down. That will agitate the coffee grounds, and they will release a bitter taste.
- Strain cold brew concentrate into a large glass jar or pitcher. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
- Tip – If some coffee granules are floating in the ready coffee and you are not okay with them, then strain the brew using a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, coffee filter, or a nut bag.
- To serve, dilute ½ cup cold brew with ½ cup water or milk.
- If serving with ice cubes, use the ice with ½ cup cold brew concentrate with ¼ cup water.
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