Making Cold Brew Coffee With A French Press Only Takes One Additional Step
BY AUTUMN SWIERS
Buying store-bought cold brew can become an expensive habit. It's actually quite easy to make cold brew coffee at home with a French press if you add just one extra step.
Cold brew is coffee that has been steeped in cold rather than hot water, for a longer period of time around 12 to 24 hours. This creates a potent coffee concentrate.
Since the method for making cold brew is technically the same as regular coffee, French presses are good to use. Just let the coffee steep for longer, ideally while in the fridge.
However, since the metal mesh filter of a French press isn’t fine enough for a smooth mouthfeel, you’ll have to strain your cold brew a second time through a paper filter.
If you’d rather skip the paper filters, you can use coffee that is more coarsely ground, which the French press can filter, or use coffee specifically made for cold brew.
With a finer grind, you won’t have to steep the brew as long, but you’ll definitely want to strain your coffee twice. Once finished, cold brew lasts in the fridge for a week.