RECIPES
QUICK ANSWER
Cold brew in a French press: 60g coarse coffee + 480ml cold water, steep 12 hours, press, dilute 1:1. Concentrate keeps 7 days.
Time: 5 min active + 12 hours steeping · Equipment: French press · Yield: 4 servings · Cost: ~EGP 7 per cup
✅ Tested by Amr Taha · Brew Tech Reviewer · The Corner Bundle
Smooth, low-acid, almost sweet. The drink that converts people who don’t like coffee into people who do.
Why this works
Cold water extracts only the soluble flavors — sweetness, chocolate, caramel — and leaves behind the bitter compounds that need heat. The result is a concentrate you can drink straight or dilute.
Ingredients
- 60g whole bean coffee, ground coarse
- 480ml cold filtered water
- Milk or water for dilution at serving (1:1 ratio)
- Ice
How to make french press cold brew
- Add coarse-ground coffee to the French press. Coarse only — fine grind = muddy cold brew.
- Pour cold water over the grounds. Stir to wet every ground. A few un-saturated grounds = uneven brew.
- Lid on, plunger up. Refrigerate for 12 hours. Less than 10 = thin and flat. More than 18 = over-extracted.
- Press slowly. Pour the concentrate into a sealed jar. It keeps in the fridge for 7 days.
- To serve: 1 part concentrate, 1 part milk or water, over ice. Adjust to your strength.
💡 Tip: Make a full press once a week on Sunday night. By Wednesday morning you’re glad you did, and by Saturday you’ll wish you’d made two.
Common questions
Can you make cold brew in a French press?
Yes — the French press is one of the easiest cold brew makers. Coarse grind, cold water, 12 hours in the fridge, press.
How long does cold brew last?
Stored in a sealed jar in the fridge, the concentrate keeps for 7 days without losing flavor. Past 10 days it starts to taste flat.
Cold brew vs iced coffee — what’s the difference?
Cold brew is brewed cold over 12 hours; iced coffee is brewed hot and cooled. Cold brew is smoother, sweeter, and lower in acid.
