How to Make Cold Brew in a French Press (Easy Summer Recipe)
Spring has turned the corner into summer, and it's officially cold brew season. The good news: you don't need fancy gear. The French press (or plunger, as most of us call it here) sitting in your cupboard is already a brilliant cold brew maker. It's the most popular way to brew at home, and with one simple ratio it turns any Mule coffee into a smooth, sweet, ice-ready brew.
Why cold brew?
Brewing with cold water over many hours pulls out the sweetness and body of the coffee while leaving behind much of the bitterness you get from heat. The result is smooth, mellow and naturally sweet. It also keeps in the fridge, so one brew covers your iced coffees for days.
What you need
An 8-cup (1 litre) French press, such as the classic Bodum Chambord
60 g of Mule coffee, ground coarse
960 ml of cold, filtered water
A scale, a spoon and a clean bottle or jug
12 to 16 hours in the fridge
The ratio: 1:16
We brew our cold brew at 1:16: one gram of coffee for every 16 ml of water. It gives you a ready to drink cold brew, no diluting needed. Got a different size press? Use the table.
We leave a little headroom in each press because the grounds take up space and the plunger needs room to sit.
How to make cold brew in a French press
Grind coarse. Aim for the texture of sea salt. Buying ground? Choose "French press" or "cold brew" grind at checkout.
Add the coffee. Tip 60 g of ground coffee into your French press.
Pour and stir. Add 960 ml of cold, filtered water and stir gently until all the grounds are wet.
Steep in the fridge. Pop the lid on with the plunger pulled all the way up. Don't press yet. Leave it in the fridge for 12 to 16 hours.
Press slowly. Push the plunger down gently and evenly.
Decant straight away. Pour the cold brew into a clean bottle or jug. Left on the grounds, it keeps extracting and turns bitter.
Serve. Pour over ice, black or with milk. Keep it sealed in the fridge and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
Tip: Like it stronger over lots of ice or milk? Go to 1:12 by using 80 g of coffee with the same 960 ml of water.
This summer's cold brew pick: Strawberry
Our Strawberry limited drop is a Honey process coffee, co-fermented with fresh strawberries and wine yeast. Its jammy sweetness and bright red fruit come alive when brewed cold, making it the perfect coffee to work a little magic in your French press. Expect a glass that tastes like summer: juicy, wine-like and layered, with the round, syrupy body the Honey process is known for.