How to Make Cold Brew In A French Press (6 Easy Steps)

The French press is one of the most hyped coffee makers when it comes to hot brews as it delivers some strong, bold and rich coffee. But, what you might not know is that it can also make some amazing cold brews.

Hence, just because you are not in the mood for hot coffee or the weather calls for something cold, it does not mean you should take your French press out of service as it can still be handy for cold brews.

To make things even better you will not need any special skills or have to buy any additional equipment when using your French press to make cold brews as the process is quite straightforward.

How to Make Cold Brew in a French Press

Making cold brew in a French press follows the same process as you would when using hot water to make coffee in the French press. However, the difference is the steeping time given that hot French press coffee takes just 4 minutes while cold brew will require up to 24 hours.

Also, the two methods will differ in that one uses cold water and the other used hot water. But making cold brew French press coffee is still quite easy.

What You Will Need

• A French press
• 2/3 cups of roasted coffee beans
• 3 cups room temperature water
• Burr coffee grinder
• Kitchen scale
• Large spoon for stirring

Average Brew Time: 6 to 24 hours

Step By Step Directions

Step 1: Measure and Grind Beans

The first step in making cold brew French press is to measure your coffee beans and grind them. It is vital to make sure that you get the measurements right here because using either too much or too little will lead to over or under extraction.

Keep the ratio of coffee grounds to the water in mind when deciding how much beans to grind. You can have the ratio as little as 1:4 or as high as 1:8 depending on how strong and bold you want your cold-brewed coffee.

Also, when it comes to the grinding, you need to make sure that you get the grind size right. Here you should aim for an extra-course grind consistency which is coarser than what you would use when brewing French press coffee with hot water. But, the grind size should be easy to achieve with a good burr grinder.

Step 2: Add Coffee and Water

Next step is to add your ground coffee and water to the French press. Just like when making hot brewed French press, you should add the coffee to the bottom of the beaker and there is no special technique required here.

Once the coffee is in place now pour in the room temperature water slowly and in a circular motion and make sure you use enough water by keeping your preferred coffee to water ratio in mind.

Step 3: Mix Thoroughly

The third step is perhaps the simplest of all but it is still equally important, and you should hence not overlook it, and it will entail stirring the mixture thoroughly.

Using a large spoon stir your water and coffee grounds mixture thoroughly and ensure that all grounds are properly mixed in to ensure proper and consistent extraction. And make sure no grounds are left sticking on the walls of the beaker or floating at the top.

Step 4: Leave it to Steep

The fourth step is the longest in the brewing cycle and perhaps the most important as it is where the brewing happens. After stirring the coffee mix, you should then place back the plunger on the French press to act as a lid.

Once the plunger is in place, you will need to leave the coffee to steep which like with any other cold brewing method can take anywhere from 6 to 24 hours. And the amount of time it takes will depend on various factors such as the strength you are looking for and also the grind size you are using.

Generally, the longer you allow the coffee to steep the more the flavor oils will be extracted and hence the more flavorful the coffee.

While still at this step, you can choose to leave the coffee at room temperature on your kitchen counter or place it in the refrigerator as it steeps. This ultimately depends on your preferences, but keeping the coffee in the refrigerator always seems like a better idea.

Step 5: Plunge Slowly

After the long wait, the next step is plunging to separate the coffee from the grounds. Although plunging also looks quite simple, it will still require some keenness to ensure you do not end up with lots of grounds on your cup.

Push down the plunger slowly and steadily and aim to do it in about 30 seconds to ensure you do nor rush things and end up with a murky cup. Also, in case you still get too much coffee grounds on your coffee, you can still pass the brew through a paper filter for a cleaner cup.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy

The last step is to pour your French press cold brew coffee and enjoy. Different coffee lovers will have different methods of serving their cold brew coffee with some opting to drink it just as it is with no additives or sweeteners.

However, some coffee lovers prefer to use their cold brew coffee to make iced coffee. If you want to try it, you only need to add a few ice cubes to the cold brew coffee and a little water to dilute it. Also, you can add milk, creamer or sugar as it is all up to your preferences.

You also do not have to drink your French press cold brew cold as you can heat it in the microwave. Once your desired temperature is achieved, you can make your preferred hot coffee by adding milk or creamer.

Note: French press cold brew is also more flavorful and less acidic than hot brewed French press coffee and if made correctly can leave you with a very delightful brew.

Conclusion

A French press makes some of the richest and boldest coffee and this explains why it is one of the most popular coffee-making methods. But, besides making some nice cup of hot coffee, the French press can also be great for cold brewing.

Cold brewing coffee in a French is a fairly simple process, and the design of the appliance means that you will not need to get any extra things like lids to cover the coffee as it steeps.

To make your French press cold brew you will only need to measure your coffee beans, give them an extra coarse grind before adding them and water to the beaker and then allowing the mixture to steep for several hours and your coffee will be ready.

Lastly, like with many other coffee-making methods, you may need to experiment with different grind sizes and ingredient ratios to get the perfect French press cold brew recipe for you.