When I worked at Starbucks, I used to love drinking cold brew. Not only is it easy to pull together quickly, it has a unique balanced yet rich flavor and is refreshing on the palate. Cold brew is the ideal base for any coffee: you can easily add syrups, infusions, and milk to your liking.
Many of the best espresso machine these days have a cold brew setting, as do some of the best coffee makers. However, these appliances are expensive, big, and don't make cold brew as well as the original way: by hand.
So when I discovered I could make cold brew with my Espro P7 French press, I was delighted. Usually, you'd need a big jug and a cheese cloth to make cold brew, but the Espro P7's double filter means it's ideal for cold brew.
I immediately started experimenting to find the best taste and texture for me. Here's how I make cold brew in 5 easy steps. Remember, it's just a guide — what you like could be different.
What you'll need for easy cold brew
As cold brew is one of the simplest, if not the simplest way to brew coffee, you only need three things.
- Coarsely ground coffee (I like to use a chocolatier bean than a fruity bean for cold brew)
- A French press — I use the Espro P7
- Water
How I make French press cold brew
1. Grind coffee
If you have pre-ground coffee, skip this step. You can buy coffee and get it ground at cafes: ask them to grind it for cold brew.
First, I grind my coffee. As I mentioned earlier, I tend to use chocolatey beans rather than fruity beans for cold brew, as it makes a richer, deeper flavor. I grind my beans coarsely, much coarser than you would for hot coffee.
2. Weigh out coffee
This will depend on your preference, but most people say a 1:8 coffee:water ratio is best for cold brew. I tend to go for about a 1:10 as I don't like having to dilute my cold brew as much.
For my 32 ounce French press (I don't fill it all the way), that's about 90g of coffee. You'll need one of the best coffee scales — I used the Timemore Black Mirror Basic 2.
3. Measure out water
Next, I measure out my water. This is usually around 30 ounces, or just under a liter. I fill up my French press, give it a stir, and put the lid on.
4. Let brew for at least 12 hours
I let my cold brew steep for at least 12 hours, sometimes 24. Usually I put my cold brew on when I get home from work and drink it the following morning.
5. Strain the cold brew
Plunge on the French press very slowly and carefully. You may also need a cheese cloth, but I don't bother with this. It will keep in the fridge for about 5 days, but make sure it's in an airtight container.
I followed this method and it didn't work! Why?
If you're struggling to get your cold brew tasting good, you might be falling into a few of these common traps.
My cold brew tastes bad
There are a number of causes for nasty-tasting cold brew.
1. Your beans are stale — an easy fix! Get new beans.
2. Your beans weren't ground coarsely enough. Make sure to grind your beans coarsely (maybe even go as coarse as the texture of flaky salt to troubleshoot).
3. Your ratios are off. Make sure you're not putting in too much coffee to your water. Aim for 1:8 or 1:10. (So, for 17 fluid ounces, use 62g of coffee.)
4. You're not diluting the cold brew concentrate — cold brew is supposed to be mixed with water, ice, and milk!
5. You're steeping for too long — remember, 24 hours max.
I can't filter out the coffee grounds
If your French press isn't double-filtered like mine, it might be that the filter isn't good enough to sieve out the coffee grounds.
I would recommend getting a cheese cloth (2 for $6 on Amazon U.S.) to sort this out.
Cold brew doesn't have to be boring
Once you've got the hang of making cold brew, you can add infusions. Think vanilla pods, cinnamon sticks, cardamom. I love dirty chai lattes, so I can't wait to make chai infused cold brew next.
Cold brew is pretty expensive in cafes, so knowing how to make it can save you lots of money. Water is free, a French press is $10-$100, and coffee is around $8 a bag. I can't believe I used to pay so much money to get cold brew from coffee shops. I'm never going back now.
Let me know what you try in the comments! If you have any issues, let me know and I'll help you out.
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