French Press Coffee

Do you like drinking cold coffee? On a hot summer day, a hot cup of coffee may seem out of place. I have to admit that I prefer freshly-brewed, hot coffee, even in warm weather. I decided to give cold brewing a try in my French press though. It was a fun experiment.

To create a cold brew, I ground the normal amount of beans and placed them in the French press. Then I poured in cold water. Stirred. Lastly, I let is brew on the counter…for 12 hours. After that, I poured myself a cup and put the rest in the refrigerator. Since it takes so long to brew, it’s wise to start brewing in the evening so it’s ready for you in the morning.

What kind of coffee does this method produce? It is an even thicker brew, with 3x the caffeine. I felt the caffeine jolt instantly. People say it tastes less bitter, and I agree with that assessment. Since hot water isn’t used, the brew is less acidic and less bitter. Overall, it’s a smoother, stronger cup of coffee.

The New York Times wrote an article a few years ago on iced coffee that inpired a lot of people. If you do a search for cold brewed coffee or cold brewed coffee french press, you can read about some other people’s experiences.

The most popular cold brewing product is the Toddy Coffee Brewing System. Some coffee houses are beginning to use it, including ours. It’s easy to use and produces a large amount of coffee at one time.

If you’re a little more adventurous, you may want to check out the Cold Drip Coffee Maker from Coffee Snob. It looks more like what you would see in a science lab.