We covered terms like "ratio", "concentrate", and "dilution" in our blog, “Cold Brew: 5 Things You Should Know”. Long story short, most cold brew is not made ready to drink - or if you do drink it, you will be drinking a very caffeinated, very strong cup of coffee. Instead, you’re using a smaller portion of water to do the brewing, and then “cutting” the concentrate when you’re ready to drink it. In our recipe, we use a 1:8 coffee to water ratio.
THE SIZE OF YOUR FRENCH PRESS
French Presses also come in a wide variety of volume options. We’ve seen some as small as 400ml, and then others that are gargantuan whoppers, weighing in at 1.5 to 2 liters! Our current pick for a French Press, theYama 6 Cup, is a little over 800ml. With that kind of diversity, it can be hard to know where to start.
Don't forget to get our best cold brew coffee tips in:
This recipe covers how to get the most cups out of a smaller (1 liter and under) French Press by using a tight ratio, which can also be used to produce a week’s worth of concentrate in a larger press. You can also see how to brew a smooth, easy extraction in a larger French Press in our sidebar below.
Overall, however, cold brew is a forgiving process and you should feel confident that you’ll get something great. We used our Haya Cold Brew Blend because we know it’s been roasted and blended to create a classic cold brew, but experimenting with single origins is always recommended!
Note: Cold brewing takes a while. Our recipe requires 16-20 hours of ambient temperature brewing. Be sure to start your brew with a plan, so you don’t miss the window for finishing up the next day!
Sidebar: More help with ratios and dilution
Helpfully, one milliliter is equal in mass to one gram, when weighing your water.
To vary the size of your brew:
Using our ratio (1:8): you’ll need 12.5 grams of coffee for every 100 mills (grams) of water.
Just remember, this ratio produces a concentrate, which should be refrigerated after brewing, and cut with water or ice before serving. This will let you maximize your time and effort, whether you’re brewing with a small, single serving French press, or brewing a week’s worth of concentrate in a 1,700 mill beast.
To brew a mellow, ready-to-serve cold brew:For a larger press (because you’re not worried about maximizing servings through a concentrated brew), we recommend a ratio of 1:12, or 8.4 grams of coffee for every 100 mills (grams) of water you’re adding.
Repeat the outlined directions with this ratio, ignoring our advice to dilute the brew afterwards, and you’re ready to sip!
MAKE IT EASY: BOTTLED COLD BREW CONCENTRATE
Want to skip the 15+ hour wait for delicious cold brew? New cold brew concentrates, like ours, have made the process incredibly easy. You can make huge batches at once (up to 1 gallon at a time), or make delicious iced coffee cup by cup.
The French Press is a remarkable cold coffee brewer. The extra body it yields pairs wonderfully with the rich chocolates and caramels that cold brew coffee is known for.
This recipe covers how to get the most cups out of a smaller (1 liter and under) French Press by using a tight ratio, which can also be used to produce a week’s worth of concentrate in a larger press.
WHY BREW IT THIS WAY:
You’ll be able to get more cups out of this method, eliminating the need to brew daily.
Allows you to pour equal amounts water or ice to “cut” the concentrate before drinking. Example: You pour 100ml of concentrate with 100ml water & ice to get to the strength of a regular cup of coffee.
Author:
Kaldi's Coffee
Ingredients
75g coffee, ground coarse. If selecting a grind from our web store, choose "French Press"
Put coarsely ground coffee grounds into French Press
Tare your scale
Using ambient (room) temperature water, pour in enough water to cover the grounds and stop
Stir the grounds with a spoon, or simply swirl, to get everything evenly wet
Pour in remaining water up to 600ml
Cover brewer and put in a place away from sunlight
After 16-20 hours, remove cover and break any remaining “crust” from the brewer
Slowly, very slowly, plunge the filter down until it sits just above the rested coffee bed
Enjoy! We recommend diluting with an equal amount of water to get something close to the strength of normal drip coffee, but you can experiment and dilute to suit your tastes!
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
Cold brewing takes a while. Our recipe requires 16-20 hours of ambient temperature brewing. Be sure to start your brew with a plan, so you don’t miss the window for finishing up the next day!
You should expect around 450 mL of drinkable cold brew coffee concentrate.
Diluting this with equal amounts of water gets you 2 or 3 full servings of cold brew coffee. Ice will get you a little further, as well.
Results should be strong and rich, nicely chocolate-y but still with a mellow acidity; should be diluted at a 1:1 ratio for a smooth and drinkable cup, or over a full glass of ice with a dash of water. It’s always worth making a note and adjusting your cut for your own personal taste!
For lighter single origin roasts, we recommend adding a few hours to this recipe (20+).
