Cold Brew in a French Press Brewing Guide

12-24 hours

Making a rich, delicious cup of cold brew is easier than it sounds—especially if you know the basic French press instructions. With a couple of tweaks, you’ll be able to make the cold brew of your dreams:

First things first: perfecting the measurements. Using a food-safe scale, measure out your desired amount of beans. The ratio depends largely on your personal taste preferences—start with a typical 1:5 ratio of coffee to water and experiment from there. If you prefer an extra-strong brew, add more coffee. For weaker brews, add more water.

Similar to other cold brew brewing mechanisms, a French press requires the coarsest available grind. If you grind your beans too fine, they will seep through to the liquid in your batch and ruin the final result. For full control of the grind size, use an at-home burr grinder set to the highest setting—or opt to have your roasters grind the beans for you!

Add the freshly ground coffee to the bottom of the French press. According to your desired ratio, cover the grounds with cold, filtered water, stirring to fully incorporate the mixture. Once the grounds have bloomed, fill the press the rest of the way with water.

Place the top back onto the French press with the plunger fully extended upwards. Take special care to avoid pressing the plunger down early, as the grounds and water must brew together for hours to achieve that signature taste. This is the main difference between using a French press for hot coffee and cold coffee!

As the name implies, the coffee is brewed cold. Place your full French press into the fridge for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, depending on your desired strength. 

Pro tip: If the press doesn’t fit in your fridge with the lid on, you can cover it with foil or plastic wrap. 

After the time is up, it’s time to plunge! Using the French press plunger, separate the grounds from the liquid. Pour this concentrate into a separate carafe or jar and thoroughly wash your press.

Don’t stop there! The coffee you’ve created is known as the cold brew “concentrate” and you have to cut it with water before drinking. Use a 1:1 concentrate-to-water ratio to finish off your cold brew mixture.

Pour over ice and enjoy! 

The bean you choose for your cold brew concoction depends on your personal preferences. Many people claim that medium or dark roasts are best for this method as they have full-bodied oils and stronger flavors, but you can choose any roast you want. Play around with a few different options to find one you love. 

When making cold brew, the minimum time for steeping is 12 hours, while the maximum is 24. In general, the longer you let the grounds sit with the water, the more complex flavors will emerge. If you find a 12-hour batch too weak, try adding a few hours to the timer until you find your perfect balance.

Pro tip: any batch brewed longer than 24 hours will taste bitter and over-extracted. Always set a reminder so you plunge the French press before it’s too late!

Yes, any form of cold brew is more caffeinated than the average iced coffee. This is due to the higher ratio of grounds to water as well as the extra-slow infusion process used to achieve a full-bodied cup. Unlike iced coffee, which is typically watered down immediately as it’s poured over ice, cold brew remains strong and highly caffeinated from beginning to end.  

Flavored beans make some of the best cold brews around! Whether you choose rich, nutty chocolate beans or extra-sweet and floral lavender lemon beans (or anything in between) is up to you. The long brew time helps bring these oil-roasted flavors forward in each cup. 

Undiluted cold brew concentrate can last up to 2 weeks if properly refrigerated, while diluted cold brew will last a few days. If you wait too long, your batch will start oxidizing, giving off a very stale taste. To elongate its lifespan, keep your brew in a secure, closed container. 

Water temperature is a popular debate in most brewing methods—but not for cold brew. As long as the water isn’t warm, the temperature doesn’t really matter to the outcome of your cold brew. Anything from room temperature to ice-cold water is okay as long as it’s filtered.