Yker Valerio
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
a year
How to make cold brew coffee in a French press?
Shruti Gupta
Coffee experts@Era of We
a year
So you're in the mood for something nice and refreshing. While lattes and cappuccinos could be your favorite, it's time to switch it up a little on a hot summer day. Let's go for a cold brew!
Did you know cold brew actually has more flavor when compared to a traditionally brewed hot cup of coffee as it has reduced acidity up to 67%. Less acid means more flavor of the delicate notes. The same coffee that you may drink hot might actually taste more chocolatey and smoother when served as a cold brew.
At this point, I'm sure I've convinced you, and you're tempted to make a cold brew. But all you have is a French Press. That's perfect because it's all you need to make a cold brew.
What you’ll need:
1. Coffee (coarsely ground)
2. Water
3. A French Press
4. Milk/cream
5. Sugar
6. Ice
Measurements included are for a standard 8 cup French Press:
1. Add 4 Oz of coarse ground coffee to the French press.
2. Gently pour about 3 cups of room temperature or cold water all over the grounds.
3. Stir and ensure the grounds are wet.
4. This needs to brew for about 14-16 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator (quite a long wait, I know, but it'll be worth it.)
5. Strain and press out any leftover liquid. Now you can store the cold brew in the refrigerator.
What you have now is chilled concentrated cold brew. To serve, mix the concentrate with water in a 1:1 ratio.
How to serve a chilled cold brew
1. Pour water and coffee concentrate in a 1:1 ratio.
2. . Add some ice.
3. Add some milk/cream, sugar, stir and serve!
Vasileia Fanarioti
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
a year
Hi Yker,
The process of making cold brew coffee in a French press is very simple. All you need is some ground coffee, cold water, and a French press.
1. Add ground coffee to the bottom of the French press. Pour in enough cold water to cover the grounds, then stir well.
2. Place the lid on top of the French press, but do not plunge the plunger yet. Let the coffee steep for 12-24 hours.
3. Once the desired steeping time has passed, slowly plunge the plunger all the way down to extract the coffee from the grounds. Serve over ice and enjoy!
There are several advantages to using a French press to make cold brew coffee. The first is that it's easy, inexpensive, and quick. There are no complexities here!
Second, the final product yields more concentrated coffee than other methods, meaning you can cut back on how much coffee you use while still getting that wonderfully caffeinated taste. Thirdly, there are practically zero clean-up costs. Once you've done your steeping for 12-24 hours, all of the equipment can be thrown right into the dishwasher.
I would also advise you to grind your own coffee! Ground coffee has a much shorter shelf life than whole beans, which means that pre-ground coffee may be stale. You can either grind your own at the supermarket or use already ground espresso instead.
Also, try changing up your ratios of water to grounds to see what you like best. Finally, drink your cold brew black or with just some ice if you plan on having more than one cup!
Finally, there are several mistakes new users make when they start making cold brew in a French press. First of all, many people mistakenly think that just because it's called cold brew, that the coffee must be served cold. This is false! The steeping process happens at room temperature in the French press.
Some people also think you need to allow 24 hours for the steeping process to occur, when in fact 12 is usually long enough. Finally, some believe they should stir their grounds before pressing down with the plunger after steeping is complete.
Again, this isn't necessary; once your desired time has passed simply slowly plunge down and enjoy that caffeinated goodness! Enjoy!
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