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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Beverages » French Press Cold Brew

    Published: Mar 5, 2021 | Last Updated On: Mar 5, 2021 by Neha Mathur

    French Press Cold Brew

    154 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Did you know that making French Press Cold Brew at home is super-easy? Homemade cold brew is extra–smooth, extra-strong, less acidic, and much cheaper than the store-bought equivalent. All you need is a French press, cold water, and ground coffee.

    Want to try more interesting and refreshing coffee recipes? Here are some: Dalgona Coffee, Nutella Coffee, Vietnamese Coffee, Filter Coffee, Beaten Coffee, and Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew.

    French Press Cold Brew served in a glass.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make French Press Cold Brew
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You might also like
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    French Press Cold Brew is just cold-brewed coffee made using a French press. Coffee made by this method is stronger, smoother, and less acidic than coffee made by other brewing methods.

    You can buy cold brew coffee made in a French press in most coffee shops, but making it at home is more economical and you can customize the drink according to your taste. Plus you know exactly what ingredients are going in your cold brew.

    You just need coarsely ground coffee, water, and a French press. Yes, that’s it!

    Drink it black or with milk, or use this cold brew coffee concentrate to make Vietnamese Coffee, Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew, or Iced Caramel Macchiato.

    Ingredients

    French Press Cold Brew Ingredients.

    Coffee – Use any coarsely ground coffee to make cold brew. Do not use medium or fine grind. Otherwise the coffee will turn cloudy and have a muddled flavors.

    You can try using flavored coffee to make this cold brew, giving it a twist.

    Water – The proportion of coffee to water is important, so keep that in mind. I explain this below.

    Creamer – Once you have cold brew coffee concentrate ready, you can drink it by adding water or adding creamer. Whole milk, toned milk, almond milk, cashew milk … just choose whichever you want and go with it.

    French Press – You will obviously need a French press to make this cold brew. I ordered mine online from Amazon.com.

    Others – You can add caramel sauce or chocolate sauce to your coffee to give it a fun twist.

    How to Make French Press Cold Brew

    Place ½ cup of coarsely ground coffee at the base of your French press.

    Coffee added to the French Press.

    Pour 4 cups of cold water over the coffee and stir gently using a spoon or a stir. The coffee-to-water ratio is very important. It should be approximately 1:8 by volume or 1:16 by weight.

    Water poured over the coffee.

    Cover press with the lid, but do not press the plunger yet. Keep the press on the kitchen counter for 14-16 hours.

    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. On the other hand, if it’s very hot where you live, you can refrigerate it after 3-4 hours.

    Lid pressed tightly.

    Once the coffee has steeped, push down the plunger gently. Do not push the plunger all the way down. That will agitate the coffee grounds and they will release a bitter taste.

    Glass filled with ice.

    Strain the coffee over ice using a fine mesh strainer.

    Cold brew concentrate poured over ice.

    Add milk or water as desired. Serve chilled.

    Ready French press cold brew coffee.
    Close up shot of french press cold brew in a glass.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How can you make cold brew with coffee beans?

    If you have coffee beans, you have to grind them using a grinder. Just do one pulse—that will give you coarsely ground coffee. Do not ground the beans to a fine powder, because this cold brew requires coarsely ground coffee only.

    How do you make hot coffee using cold brew?

    Well, it’s named “cold brew” because of the method of brewing, but you can use the brewed coffee to make hot coffee, as well. Just top the concentrate with some hot boiling water or hot milk and mix, and your hot coffee is ready.

    How long should I brew the coffee?

    It’s best to brew this coffee for a minimum of 8 hours and maximum of 24 hours.

    How do you make cold brew coffee stronger?

    The longer you set the coffee to brew, the stronger it gets. If you like your cold brew to be very strong, let it brew for 24 hours.

    How much concentrate should we add per cup?

    The easy ratio of coffee to other liquids is 1:1. But you can customize it according to taste. If you like strong coffee, add more concentrate, and if you like lighter coffee, increase the quantity of water or milk.

    Storage Suggestions

    You can store cold brew concentrate for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Just be sure to store freshly brewed concentrate instead of diluted brew. Then when you want to make coffee, just pour cold brew over ice, add water or milk, and enjoy it fresh.

    You might also like

    • Lemon Tea
    • Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat)
    • Mango Iced Tea
    • Turmeric Coffee

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Make this DIY French Press Cold Brew at home. It's smooth, less acidic, and much cheaper than the store-bought stuff. All you need is a French Press, cold water, and ground coffee.

    French Press Cold Brew Recipe

    Make this DIY bold brew coffee in a French press at home. It's smooth, less acidic, and much cheaper than the store-bought cold brew. All you need is a French press, cold water, and ground coffee.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Beverage
    Cuisine: Continental
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 0.5kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup coarsely ground coffee
    • 4 cups water
    US Customary or Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place coarsely ground coffee at the base of your Fresh press.
    • Pour cold water over the coffee and mix gently using a spoon or a stir.
    • Cover the press with the lid, but do not press the plunger yet. Keep the press out on the kitchen counter for 14-16 hours.
    • Once the coffee has steeped, push down the plunger gently. Do not push the plunger all the way down. That will agitate the coffee grounds and they will release a biter taste.
    • Strain the coffee over ice using a fine mesh strainer.
    • Add milk or water as required. Serve chilled.

    Notes

    Use this cold brew coffee concentrate to make Vietnamese Coffee, Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew, or Iced Caramel Macchiato.
    Do not make it using instant coffee or finely ground coffee (coarsely ground coffee is needed).
    You can add caramel sauce or chocolate sauce to your coffee to give it a fun twist.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 0.5kcal | Sodium: 6mg | Calcium: 4mg
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    Neha Mathur, Founder & Recipe Expert at Whisk Affair

    Hi! I'm Neha, Blogger & Recipe Expert behind Whisk Affair. I've nurtured Whisk Affair since 2012 by trying & testing every recipe published. Be sure that it will turn out good each time! Read More about me…

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