As a cold brew enthusiast, I like experimenting with making cold brew with different devices. That inspired me to write this guide on making cold brew in a French press.

I’ll explain how to make cold brew, the type of beans and grind you should use, how to serve it, how to store it, and how it compares to cold brew made in a cold brew maker.

Here in an overview:

Let’s get to it.

Key Takeaways

Use medium roasted coffee beans at a medium-coarse grind.
Use a 1:6 coffee-to-water ratio.
Store for 24 hours.
Transfer to an opaque, airtight container after brewing.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee in a French Press

The following sections will explain how to prepare cold brew coffee in a French press coffee maker. You’ll find out what types of beans to use, equipment and ingredients needed, and the steps to make your drink.

First, figure out what beans you’ll need.

Best Coffee Beans & Grind for French Press Cold Brew

Medium roasted beans work best for cold brew made in a French press because they offer a good balance of flavor, acidity, and body.

Medium roast beans are also less likely to over-extract in a French press than light roast beans. Over-extraction can make coffee taste bitter.

Also, ensure you use a medium-coarse grind. They should look gritty with larger particles.

Now that you have your beans ready, it’s time to brew.

Steps to Make French Press Cold Brew

What you’ll need:

French press
3 ½ cups filtered water
Coffee grinder or pre-ground beans
2 cups coffee grounds

The amount of water and coffee grounds you’ll add depends on your French press’ size. The measurements above refer to a 34 oz French press. You’ll want to use a 1:6 coffee-to-water ratio with French press cold brew.

Steps to make:

Grind coffee beans to a medium-coarse grind
Add water & coffee grounds.
Stir coffee grounds & water until mixed.
Remove plunger & cover French press container with foil or plastic wrap.
1. Removing the plunger will allow your device to fit in the fridge.
Store container in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Plunge your coffee beans & transfer concentrate to different container.
Dilute concentrate with water or milk & serve.

I recommend using a cheesecloth or other similar filter when transferring your concentrate from the French press to your container. Doing so will prevent any coffee grounds from getting in your drink. It’ll also help with cleanup since you’re pouring all the grounds into the cloth.

Don’t like this method of making cold brew? Learn how to make it with a normal cold brew maker. Or how to make nitro cold brew.

Don’t stop reading. You’ll need to know how to dilute and serve your drink.

How to Serve French Press Cold Brew

Dilute your cold brew concentrate with a ½ cup of water or milk per ½ cup of concentrate. Not diluting your drink may make it taste too strong. If you add ice to your cold brew, change the dilution ratio to ¼ cup of water or milk to every ½ cup of concentrate.

And don’t forget to add flavorings such as syrup, stevia, honey, or whatever else.

Once you’re finished serving, you’ll need to store your concentrate. Keep reading to learn how.

How Long Can You Store French Press Cold Brew For?

Cold brew made in a French press will last for up to 2 weeks when refrigerated at a temperature between 30 and 40 °F [1]. So long as you don’t add any other ingredients (e.g., sugar).

Adding sugar could reduce your cold brew’s lifespan to a few days. Whereas, adding lemon wedges could make it last only a couple of days.

After brewing your coffee, I recommend transferring your brew into an opaque, airtight container. Doing so will prevent oxygen and UV rays from sunlight from degrading your drink [2].

Once a couple of weeks pass, you may notice that your drink will look cloudy and have a more acidic taste. It may begin to grow mold as well. At this point, feed it to plants that love acidic soil or throw it out.

Congratulations. You made cold brew with a French press.

Conclusion

Make cold brew in a French press by adding a 1:6 coffee-to-water ratio to your device and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. From there, transfer your drink to a new container and dilute it when serving.

If you’re interested in other coffee recipes, check out our recommendations.