Cold Brew in a French Press

French press and items needed for cold brew

Cold Brew Concentrate in a French Press

Important! Concentrate must be diluted before consuming. But it’s the way to go if you want to get more drinks out of a single brew.

Water added to French press for cold brew

Ratio options:

  • 1:5 (Strong)

  • 1:6 (regular)

  • 1:7 (light)

Step 1: Weigh out the coffee into the beaker.

Step 2: Add the room temperature or cold water.

Step 3: Stir briefly to wet all the grounds.

Step 4: Place the plunger into the beaker above the waterline without plunging.

Cold brew concentrate in a French press with a 12 hour timer

Step 5: Place the French press on the counter for 12 hours. 

Step 6: At 12 hours plunge slowly.

Step 7: Pour the concentrate into a jar for storage. It will store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge (as long as nothing gets added to it).

Step 8: Dilute the concentrate in a minimum of a 1:1 ratio before drinking


Cold Brew in a French Press

Ratio options:

Cold brew in French press stirred with spoon
  • 1:10 (strong) 

  • 1:12 (regular)

  • 1:14 (light)

Step 1: Weigh out the coffee into the beaker.

Step 2: Add the room temperature or cold water.

Step 3: Stir briefly to wet all the grounds.

Cold brew poured into jar

Step 4: Place the plunger into the beaker, just above the waterline without plunging.

Step 5: Place the French Press on the counter for 24 hours. 

Step 6: At 24 hours plunge slowly.

Step 7: Pour the coffee into a jar for storage. It will store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge (as long as nothing gets added to it).

Step 8: Dilute to taste if needed.


Here are some tips I picked up from my experience:

  1. Grind size should preferably be medium-coarse to coarse for optimal filtering in the French press.

  2. If you have a smaller French press, make the concentrate which will double your yield when you dilute it.

  3. Free up your French press by brewing in a jar but decanting and pressing using the French press at the end of the brew.

  4. It’s not that complicated as some recipes make it out to be. There’s a low risk of failure if you brew it on a counter for a suitable time period.

  5. The ratios used are based on my taste, and it’s best for you to experiment and settle on your own preferred ratio. The brew can be adjusted at the time of brewing or the final drink can be adjusted by diluting the coffee before drinking (this applies to both the concentrate and the brew).

Shabs

Shabs is a French press and espresso enthusiast. She spends her time decoding coffee brewing and is intent on sharing all of her new found knowledge with you so that every cup of coffee you make at home is satisfyingly good.

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Learning to Cold Brew in a French Press and Loving It

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Making French Press Coffee at Home – Starter Guide