If you want to enjoy some delicious coffee, you should learn how to brew cold brew in French press. This drink emerges from steeping coffee in cold or room temperature water, and yields fantastic flavors and fragrance. Let’s find out more.


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Cold Brew in a French Press

You can choose one of several methods for brewing at home: automated coffee machines or cold brew in a French press. But the automated method is quite demanding and costly. The machine consumes energy and requires filters, which should be replaced from time to time. And well, you should buy the machine at the very least. But if you prefer the French press, you can escape all those expenses and enjoy a tasty drink!

How to make Cold Brew Coffee with French Press?

The brewing method is quite simple. Ground beans are pressed in cold water. The preparation time may take up to 12–24 hours. The more time you wait, the stronger coffee you get. But anyway, the flavor will be very delicious and rich.

So what should you have to get a concentrated product? You will need:

  • French press itself.
  • Сoarsely-ground coffee. Any type of coffee will be OK. It can be flavored or natural, light roasted or dark roasted. You can even take a decaffeinated one.
  • The fresh tasty water (filtered or bottled). It is important to have it at room temperature.
  • The container or bottle you are going to store your concentrate in after brewing.
  • The scale will be a nice addition to this set. It is better to measure the ingredients carefully if the taste of the brew really matters to you.

The ratio of ground coffee to a cup of water may differ and depends on personal preferences. The stronger coffee you want, the more concentrated it should be. You can start with 4 cups of water and 3/4 to 1 cup of ground coffee. Try this concentration and adjust it to your taste.

We suggest you follow the brief guide to brewing your coffee in a French press.

STEP 1: Measure coffee and add it to a French press

Measure coffee. In order to be accurate, put your French press on the scale. Make it show zero weight. Now put the ground coffee inside the French press and measure it again.

STEP 2: Add cold water

Pour fresh water at room temperature into the French Press, take a spoon, and give a stir to ensure that the grounds are intermixed with water.

STEP 3: Leave it alone

Now you should cover your French press and leave it for about 12 hours (or you can leave it for 24 hours). During this period of time, you should not disturb the drink. Also, there is no need to place it in the refrigerator. Just leave it on the table.

STEP 4: Poor and Filter

When the time is ripe, you should press the plunger of the French press down and filter your brew. Now you can pour the filtered cold brew into a clean container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

STEP 5: ENJOY!

Take a concentrated iced brew from the French press, add some water or ice, and enjoy your aromatic coffee!

Why should you prefer a cold brew French press?

There is a strong belief that the French press enhances the taste of coffee and makes it smoother. Why is that so? We are going to find the reasons:

  • When you use a drip machine, you have to apply paper filters that remove oils from coffee grounds, which lowers the quality of your coffee and makes the flavor poorer.
  • When you use a French press, you do not filter the ground coffee beans, but you steep them, waiting for them to release all their aromatic oils into the water. That is why your drink will taste better.
  • Minimum contact of the mixture with various mechanical components and additives results in pure, rich coffee without impurities.
  • There is no waste of useful substances and oils when you use a French press. You get saturated coffee.
  • A wide range of options is available as far as you can control the temperature of water and time of brewing to get the more or less concentrated and strong coffee.

How should you serve coffee made in a French press?

Well, now that you have a concentrated product in your fridge, you may experiment with various servings:

  • Take a beautiful glass, add ice, fill it in half with some fresh cold water, and add concentrated cold brew. Now mix the ingredients with a spoon.
  • If you like sweet beverages, add some liquid sugar or sweet syrup. We do not recommend using granulated sugar, but if there is no liquid alternative, you may add it, stirring carefully to melt it down.
  • You may create various cocktails by adding milk, ice cream, or even spirits like rum. Thus, you provide some variety and make coffee more interesting.

Iced coffee or cold brew coffee in the French press?

As we have said, you need three ingredients to make cold brew coffee using a French press. They are cold water, coffee grounds, and time. It is similar to iced coffee, right? There is actually a big difference. It is the temperature at which the coffee is brewed.

To make iced coffee, the grounds brew with hot water and then add ice. But the heat produces the bitter flavors of the drink. With cold brewing, there is no such bitterness, so the drink is sweeter and smoother.

Owly wisdom: cold brew in a French press?

We want to get that fresh coffee in the morning and benefit from the caffeine properties. You can feel much better just because of the flavor in your coffee, which is often associated with happiness, wellness, and satisfaction. You may forget about your breakfast, but you take the time to have a cup of your coffee.

When you opt for the iced brew French press, you save time. Yes, it should be steeped for over 12 hours, and that requires some patience. But then you will have a concentrated product in your fridge for about two weeks and be able to serve a cup of coffee in no time at any moment. Moreover, you do not have to buy an expensive coffee machine or an automated cold brew coffee maker.

Just make a cold brew in the French press and enjoy it! The method is simple and efficient. And it allows you to control the result to match your preference:

  • You can choose the strength of your drink by increasing or reducing the water portion when you serve your cold brew. Try various ratios to find your best concentration.
  • If the cold brew tastes sour, brew it longer to achieve a deeper extraction. Just add an hour and taste the result. If it is not satisfactory, continue adding time.
  • If the brew tastes too bitter, it probably extracted too much. Reduce the brewing time or change the ground coffee.

you see, there are so many benefits to using a French press to make the cold brew. Just try it and judge for yourself! This is a perfect way to introduce a little variety to your gastronomical predilections. Strike the right balance between flavors!

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