A French press is appealing for being a good option for brewing coffee, what with it being more precise when extracting from your coffee grounds. But you don’t always have to use a French press for hot coffee. You can also use it when getting cold brew coffee ready.
But you must still watch for how well the French press can work for you. Although it can be used for brewing cold brew coffee, it will take much longer for you to do this than if you just wanted to make regular coffee. You have to be aware of how you are going to get the coffee you want prepared the right way.
Use the Proper Water
You need the appropriate water for making cold brew coffee. Room temperature water is needed as it provides a good base without worrying about the water shocking the beans or disrupting the quality of the coffee.
Is a Filter Needed?
You are not required to use a filter when using your French press here, but it helps to have a filter ready just to be safe. With a filter, the coffee will be strained well enough to where the grounds will not spread in. This in turn adds a relaxing tone that keeps the coffee comfortable and easy to prepare.
How Well Should the Coffee Be Ground?
Aim to use coarsely ground coffee for the best results here. This provides you with sturdy beans to work with while being less likely to move through a filter. The coffee needs to be prepared well enough to create a good structure that is easy to handle.
Measure the Water and Coffee
You should get the water and coffee measured at this point. Aim for a mix of one part coffee for every four or five parts water. That is, one cup of coffee can be used with four or five cups water.
Add the Water Carefully
As you add the water into the French press, you need to do this in a gentle manner. Allow the water to pour over the grounds in a slow motion. Try to use a circular motion if possible. Whatever you do, avoid stirring the water. You can use the back part of a metal spoon to press any grounds floating near the top of the press.
Allow It to Sit For 12 Hours
You will have to get the coffee to sit at room temperature for around twelve hours. This is frustrating, but it takes longer for water to extract the flavors from the coffee beans when the water is at room temperature. Heat clearly makes the extraction process faster, but the key is to ensure that the water has enough time to go through and handle the beans well enough and to let the natural oils and flavors come from the beans.
Start Decanting
You can start the decanting process when the cold brew is finished. Push the plunger on the top of your French press down by just a bit. Only a few inches will be good enough. Keep the unit stable as you get ready to handle what you are pouring out of it. Do not push the plunger all the way down or else the grounds will become too pressurized, thus causing some of their acids to be released.
All the grounds have to get to the bottom part of the French press. This is part of why it helps to use coarsely ground coffee at this point. The coffee grounds will be much easier to press down. Also, it is easier for a filter to keep them from moving up or for grounds to go through a netting around the spout on your French press.
Get the Pour Ready
The coffee maker should have its full filter and shield ready for use as it keeps the grounds out from the final product you pour out. As this is secured, you can pour out the coffee all the way. Do this slowly to get the most out of your coffee.
This process for getting your coffee ready should not be too hard to use. You will need plenty of time to get your coffee through a French press, but the cold brewing process will provide you with rich and flavorful cold coffee.