Coffee drinks can be served by brewing either hot water or cold water with ground coffee beans. Some drinks also have milk, cream, flavors or sweeteners added to them. If you’re interested to know how to make iced coffee with french press, keep reading.

Cold brew is also known as Cold Press or Cold Water Extract. The process of making cold brew involves steeping of ground coffee beans in water for a prolonged period. The water can be either hot or cold. Soaking of coffee beans in water is done for an extended period of 12 hours. The ground coffee beans are steeped with a paper coffee filter, a sieve made from fine metal. This concentrate is diluted with water or milk and served with ice with some other ingredients like chocolate. In Kyoto style brew, coffee grounds are dripped through water at room temperature for many hours. This slow drip brew is also known as Dutch coffee in Eastern regions of Asia.

The Major Difference

The major difference between hot brew coffee and iced brew coffee is that the coffee beans never come in contact with the heated water. As a result, a slightly different chemical profile is created due to leaching flavor coming from the beans. This is an unconventional method that is different from the traditional brewing methods. Coffee beans contain caffeine, fatty acids, and oils which are soluble only at very high temperatures. Hence, cold brews often have lower caffeine levels and good for acidity related issues. It is approximately 60-70% less acidic than a conventional expresso or drip coffee, and you’ll realize it if you know the difference between french press and drip coffee. However, those who like to have a stronger coffee can always increase the coffee to water ratio as per their needs. This may compensate for lower caffeine content in iced brews.

The process of making an iced brew from French Press is very much similar to that of making a hot brew. There are 3 major differences between these processes:

1. Brewing takes a lot more time for cold brew i.e. 12 hours at least
2. Water used for cold brew is at room temperature instead of hot water
3. Coffee to Water ratio is much higher in the range of 7:1

As per some research findings, cold brews taste best when made with a French Press. So one doesn’t need to buy a new system for a cold brew. The same French press can be used for making both cold and hot brew. Here is a quick guide to making an iced brew with your French Press.

How to Make Iced Coffee with French Press?

Choice of Coffee Beans:

Take 2-3 cups of coffee beans and grind them. Fresh ground coffee has clearly a much better taste, aroma and overall experience than pre-ground coffee. The difference is so much evident that even the non-regular coffee drinkers are able to differentiate. Knowing the importance of freshly ground coffee, go for whole beans instead of pre-ground beans. If you don’t have the budget to buy burr grinder then you can grind it with a cheaper local blade grinder.

Coarse Grind:

Coffee should be ground uniformly with pieces large enough so that they do not pass through the mesh filter. However, the grinds should also not be too large so that you miss out on the aroma and awesomeness of the coffee. You need to understand that finer the grind, the stronger the coffee, so if you are a strong coffee lover, adjust your mesh and grind size accordingly.

Add Water and Stir:

Put the grinds in a French press and 3 cups of water at room temperature. Just ensure that coffee to water ratio is at least 7:1 if not more. Water should be spread uniformly all across so that there is no coffee grind untouched. Stir it well so that entire coffee is immersed in water and all the aromatic flavors and delicious compounds are well extracted. It is recommended to use chopsticks instead of a metal spoon for stirring. Metal can create micro cracks in the flask of French press and may even break it up completely. Also, ensure that French press filter does not get in contact with brew during steeping as it may overly cool the brew leading to loss of taste.

Brewing:

Keep the plunger on top of the French press. While keeping the plunger straight press it down real slow. Grounds will slip out of the sides if the plunger is not kept vertical. Just use gentle arm pressure to avoid any dust entering the grind.

• Keep the French press in the fridge and store it for 12 hours. Patience is the key when it comes to cold brew! Look at this site for more useful tips about food and coffee refrigeration, storage, and etc.
• Now just sit back, relax, and enjoy your delicious dark brew.

That’s it! Your delicious cold brew made from your French press is ready to serve. Once you are done, do not forget to clean up your French press well or else you will lose the taste in your next cup of coffee!