The Basics: Cold Brew Coffee

I love coffee, but am often disappointed by how bitter or burnt coffee bought from shops can taste (I won’t name a certain chain that almost always tastes a bit burnt). Lately, I’ve also discovered my preference for iced coffee since it’s a refreshing pick-me-up, especially during the warm summer months. So lately, I’ve been making my own cold brew coffee at home with a French press. The result is smooth, not bitter, and absolutely delicious. Add in some ice, milk, and maybe a dash of agave nectar, and you have a smooth, delicious cup of iced coffee. And the process is simple and requires almost no effort. It’s almost impossible to mess up, and can keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Important notes before you start

Time: It’s important to start your cold brew coffee the night before (or even the day before!). That’s because cold brew coffee requires time—not heat—to extract the flavor. So you need to let your ground coffee to sit and steep in cold water over time, allowing the flavors to develop. For the most flavor, I recommend that you let the coffee sit for at least 12 hours at room temperature or 24 hours in the fridge. But even 12 hours in the refrigerator will suffice if you don’t have the time or patience!

Coffee selection: I recommend using good quality coffee as the flavor and tasting notes are more apparent in cold brew than a typical hot brewed coffee. For best flavor, I recommend buying whole beans and grinding them yourself. You’ll want to keep the grind fairly coarse. Otherwise, too fine of a grind will lead to over-extracted, bitter cups of coffee.  Note: I’ve definitely made cold brew coffee with pre-ground coffee beans and it still turned out great, but it’s definitely better with beans that you grind yourself.

Making the cold brew coffee

I have an 34oz French press (this Bodum Brazil French Press), but you can adjust based on the size of your press. Alternatively, you can just use a pitcher or large bottle to steep the coffee. Typically, I use about ¾-1 cup of ground coffee to 4 cups of cold water. So about a 4 to 1 ratio of water to coffee. Clearly, the more coffee you use, the stronger the final result. Cold brew coffee tends to be stronger as a result of the longer steeping time, so I don’t recommend going above a 4:1 ratio.

Simply add the ground coffee beans to the bottom of the French press, then add 4 cups of water. Stir gently until all of the coffee is evenly mixed through the water. Add the stopper back to the French press, keeping the handle in an upright position (not pressed down). Then you can keep on the counter to steep, or place in the refrigerator.

After minimum 12 hours, your cold brew coffee is ready! Prepare a cup with ice cubes. If using a french press, press down on the press handle to remove the coffee beans and pour out the coffee. Alternatively, you can use a fine mesh strainer to remove the coffee grounds. Add in milk and sweetener (optional), stir, and you’re ready to go! I prefer using agave nectar over sugar since its liquid nature helps it incorporate into the coffee mixture better, but feel free to omit or substitute with another sweetener.

Take a nice long sip and enjoy!