Homemade & Yummy

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French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam

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French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam is so delicious. Caffeinated and cold, perfect for hot summer days. Once you make cold brew coffee at home, you will wonder why you have been spending so much at the coffee shops. The best part is you don’t need any fancy equipment.

With the help of a french press and some good quality coffee beans, you can easily make a flavourful cold brew coffee concentrate. Once you master it (and it is so easy), you will be saving money making your own homemade iced coffee.

French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam ready to drink.

Are you a coffee fanatic? WE ARE! No, I really mean it. I think I have tried just about ALL the gourmet coffee drinks out there. I should have been buying stocks in Starbucks.

I am glad we have figured out a way to enjoy these delicious drinks at home. We have lots of great coffee recipes. Boozy Bourbon Iced Coffee, (I think I just might try it with this cold brew concentrate) is a summer favourite. Of course, no fall season is complete without the famous Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Coffee beans and grinds ready to make cold brew.

This french press cold brew coffee recipe was the next on our list of delicious homemade coffee drinks. If you have never made cold brew at home, you are in for a surprise. Not only is it delicious, it is SO easy to make. Really smooth and LOTS of caffeine, this cold brew coffee is sure to please. The cold foam is a must!

After reading several articles on the best way to make cold brew coffee, I decided on the french press cold brew method. Since we already had a french press that was not being used, this seemed like the most logical choice to me. You can of course just use a mason jar if you like. Follow the same steps. Read below on how to strain the grinds.

Collage of steps required to make French Press Cold Brew

How To Make French Press Cold Brew

Honestly, in just a few simple steps, you are on your way to the best cold brew concentrate made right at home. French Press Cold Brew coffee is so easy, I think it is almost impossible to mess up.

  • Place your coarsely ground coffee beans in the french press
  • Add cold water (leaving room for the lid)
  • Gently stir to moisten the coffee grounds
  • Put on the lid (DO NOT PLUNGE)
  • Let sit on the counter for 24 hours (if you can’t wait that long, at least wait 12)
  • Slowly press the plunger down
  • Pour cold brew concentrate into a glass bottle
  • Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks (ours never lasts that long)

We have an 8 cup french press. For this cold brew recipe, we used 6 cups of water, along with the grinds of 120 grams of coffee beans (measured before grinding). This produces about 1 liter of cold brew concentrate. It really is surprising the amount of water the grinds absorb! You will quickly find the water to coffee ratio that works best for you. The type of coffee you choose will also make a difference in the strength of the cold brew concentrate, and the amount of beans you will want to use.

Cold Brew Coffee Essentials

There are a few key points on how to cold brew coffee (no matter which method you choose):

  • Quality of the coffee
  • The grind of the coffee
  • Water to coffee ratio
  • Brew time

It is really important to use good quality coffee beans to produce the best cold brew concentrate possible. We used a nice dark espresso. You can experiment and find which coffee variety works best for you. Some people prefer a milder flavour so they don’t have to water it down as much when they make their cold brew drink. The darker the coffee, the stronger the coffee concentrate. You don’t have to use the MOST expensive beans (because you need a lot), but don’t use the cheapest either.

Images of the french press cold brew coffee concentrate.

The grind of the coffee is VERY important, you don’t want the coffee to be bitter. Large, coarse grinds (similar to raw sugar) is what you are looking for. Depending on your grinder, you may need to grind in batches until you get the amount you need. If your grinds are too fine, you will end up with cloudy coffee concentrate.

Now, for the ratio of coffee to water, this is where it certainly comes down to personal preference. Weigh your beans BEFORE you grind them. A good place to start is 1 cup beans to 4 cups water. Depending on the coffee beans you choose, how long you steep, and how strong you like your finished cold brew drink, there is lots of room to experiment here. Don’t worry, there is no WRONG way. Let your taste buds guide you to making the YOUR cold brew the way YOU like it.

Cold foam to top the cold brew (round one)

Don’t rush the brew time. Let stand at room temperature minimum of 12 hours. It takes time for the proper extraction to happen. Delicious things take time (and patience), but it is so worth it.

Once the brewing process is complete, it is time to strain the grinds. If you have used a french press to make the cold brew, then you SLOWLY plunge. If you have used a mason jar, you can use cheesecloth or a very fine mesh sieve to filter the grinds.

Store the cold brew coffee concentrate in a glass bottle. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (like that is going to happen).

How to Make A Cold Brew Coffee Drink

It’s as simple as 1-2-3. I cannot believe it took me so long to make cold brew at home.

  • Pour some cold brew concentrate into a glass
  • Add ice (and additional cold water if you want a milder tasting brew).
  • Sweeten with your choice of sweetener (honey, agave, raw sugar or flavourings)
  • Add milk or cream if desired (cold foam is amazing)
  • ENJOY!

How To Make Cold Foam To Top Your Cold Brew

This is the BEST part, like the icing on a cake. You know that wonderful steamy froth you get on hot lattes? This is a cold version. Once I had this at Starbucks, I was on a mission to make it a home. It happened! All you need is non-fat milk and a handheld frother (check below for a link).  Starbucks uses a blender (I carefully watched to see how they did it). Not ALL milk is created equal. It took a bit of trial and error to find out which milk worked best.

Cold foam to top the cold brew (round two)

My first attempt using 1% milk produced a very weak froth that disappeared almost before I finished adding it to the drink. This would not do, I had to experiment more.

My second attempt using a different brand of milk, this time skim, produced a nice, thick foam that peaked nicely on top of the cold brew. I was even able to sprinkle raw sugar on top! Perfection achieved!

Close up of cold foam on top of the glass of french press cold brew

Now you know how to master making French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam. Easy right? You might not want to let your friends know. They will be visiting you instead of Starbucks. Instead of a lemonade stand, put up a cold brew stand. You will be the hit of the neighbourhood. Have fun making and drinking this cold brew coffee recipe.

What is your favourite iced coffee drink?

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French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam ready to drink.

French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam

Course: Coffee Drink
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: making cold brew
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 20 kcal
Author: Homemade & Yummy

French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam is the perfect caffeinated, cold summer drink. Once you master the EASY to make cold brew concentrate, you will wonder what took you so long to make iced coffee at home.

Print

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces cold brew concentrate (or your desired quantity)
  • ice
  • 2 ounces water
  • 2 ounces skim milk (made into cold foam)
  • sweetener (if desired)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. Place the coffee concentrate into a glass.

  2. Add ice.

  3. Add additional water (if desired).

  4. Sweeten (if desired) and mix.

  5. Top with cold foam.

  6. ENJOY!

Recipe Notes

You can experiment on how strong you like your coffee. Add more water if you want a milder coffee. As the ice melts it will also dilute the coffee concentrate.

Nutrition Facts
French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam
Amount Per Serving
Calories 20
% Daily Value*
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 30mg 1%
Potassium 171mg 5%
Total Carbohydrates 2g 1%
Sugars 2g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin A 2.3%
Calcium 6.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

French Press Cold Brew Topped With Cold Foam Pin Image

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I’m not familiar with cold brew coffee but with your detailed instructions even a novice like myself can learn, thank you.

    Reply

  4. I’m obsessed with cold brew coffee and finally learned how to brew my own last summer in mason jars. The hubs and I are heading on a road trip in a few weeks and we need to have plenty of coffee for the long car drive and this sounds easy enough to make once we get there!

    Reply

  5. I feel so left out of a major part of our culture because I can’t drink coffee (it’s one of my migraine triggers). This whole post goes right over my head, but I’m going to pass it on to some cold brew loving friends!

    Reply

  6. This is my favorite way to make cold brew. But must admit I rarely grind beans anymore, I just use the regular drip grind and it works well enough. I add so much cream you’d never know if it was cloudy hahaha!

    Reply

  8. “Can be stored for up to 2 weeks…like that’s going to happen.” HAHA! I’m with you on that, especially in my house. Coffee is vital to operating on a somewhat human level. Cold brew is always my go to when in I indulge in a coffee shop coffee. I’ll definitely try making this at home.

    Reply

  9. I’ve made my coffee that way in summer for several years, now, and I love it! So convenient, and such good flavor. The cold foam milk is new to me, though – the icing on the cake, so to speak! How cool!

    Reply

  10. We are BIG coffee drinkers in my house. We make cold brew a lot but never in concentrated form. This is a great idea, and I love the cold foam. Looks like a great way to start the day!

    Reply

  16. Well I’m not a coffee person but you just changed me into one. I’ve been reading about cold brew but seeing this post has changed my thoughts about cold brew. A perfect summer treat indeed!

    Reply

  17. We never buy our coffee because it gets so expensive.Although I am not a big coffee drinker, I do drink on Saturdays and my husband brew it. It is way better than any other coffee stand in my town. I will have him try this and and I tell yah, I am excited to try this.

    Reply

  18. I desire anything iced lately so this looks absolutely irresistible to me now. + I’m a huge coffee fan. I’m going to make this right now. BTW That foam looks so good Gloria.

    Reply

  19. Everything about this is so smart! I love the idea of a concentrated mix so it doesn’t taste watery when you add ice. Thanks for the extensive research on every single part of this recipe. I’m totally going to try that cold foam.

    Reply

  20. I absolutely love a good cold brew—especially in the heat of an NC summer! I’ve never made my own at home though. I usually buy the pre-made stuff. I really, really need to try this! This looks and sounds fab!

    Reply

  21. I absolutely LOVE cold brew coffee, it is so much smoother and less bitter than coffee prepared in the traditional way. I have a cold brew ‘system’ (I didn’t pay for it, thank goodness), but am loving the idea of using a french press, one less one purpose gadget needed in the kitchen!

    Reply

  22. I panicked a little when you said to leave for 24 hours LOL! But then when I saw 8 cups, it’s worth it! I love a good cold brew but never tried to make it myself. I’ll give this a go tonight so I can have it this week!

    Reply

  23. I keep seeing cold brew with cold foam all over Instagram, and I’ve never had the cold foam! I love that you can make it at home with a frother and a French press! Thanks for breaking it down and testing out which milk works best. I’m headed to the farm this morning to get some fresh milk, so I’ll definitely be sipping one of these this afternoon!

    Reply

  24. Cold brea coffee is an absolute favorite of mine. I’ve never seen the cold foam approach. So fantastic and thank you for the clear, concise guide. Just moved to Texas in July…I will be making this immediately. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  26. I use to be a barista and French press coffee is the best way to make coffee so I can only imagine the same is true for this
    Cold brew. I’ve never tried the cold foam but it looks delicious. Thankfully, I already have everything in hand to whip up some of these babies this week!!

    Reply

  27. Finally, a reason for me to get out my french press! I love my coffee, but hot coffee just doesn’t hit the spot when it’s hot out from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. Cold brew is definitely the way to go. I need to get my hands on a frother, because that cold milk foam looks amazing on top.

    Reply

  28. Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!!
    We drink gallons of it … I mean, on a daily basis we drink at least a gallon. I use the French press when I want a treat, but we even take it camping with us. Aren’t we high class? LOL

    Reply

  30. Someone ask me the other day if I drink cold coffee, my reply was why yes, I love coffee of any kind. However, I have never had it with cold foam. I’ll have to give it a try.

    Reply

  32. I’ve had french press coffee in a restaurant before, but have never tried to make any kind of press at home. This looks like a very cool idea, I’ll have to give it a try

    Reply

  33. I’m going to make this for my husband one of these days. He loves coffee and this would be a real treat to him in this weather which is around 40C –We are making everything as cold as can be… Drinks and Ice Cream on the house. This sounds so yum.

    Reply

  36. Thank you Gloria.. You read my mind. Cold brew coffee perfect for a hot summer’s day.. I’m a coffee addict but it was getting difficult to have my regular two cups every morning. This gorgeous recipe solves that problem perfectly

    Reply

  37. I wanted to ask if you had a favorite coffee bean that you like to use? And do you think it would work with decaffeinated? We watch our caffeine intake — if I had it in the late afternoon I’d never sleep. I don’t particularly like that big name brand. I’m really anxious to try this out — once I unpack my press.

    Reply

  38. Oooh you just saved us SO much money! Hahaha. My husband thanks you. He’s one of those rare people who doesn’t drink coffee because he hates the taste (I know, I don’t know what’s wrong with him…), so he doesn’t understand my love for coffee and all of the money I spend on it at coffee shops! Now I don’t have to – thank you! So perfect for this heat wave we’ve been having!

    Reply

  40. We always prefer cold brew coffee as a refreshment, especially during summer. Now I can make my own cold brew coffee at home! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  43. I’ve recently started getting into cold brew coffee and I just love this method of using the french press to achieve it. I have one that’s sitting idly on my counter and definitely needs more use, so this solves two problems at once. Your cold foam sounds utterly divine — like a cappucino for summer. My husband is going to love this one! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  44. Even though the process may be long, it’s not very involved. Just a few step really. I love that, I’ll be making some this weekend.

    Reply

  45. This would be such a great treat in the afternoon! I like something hot in the morning, but in the afternoon I want a cold drink! A great tutorial and since I do have a French Press it will be easy to do. In fact, I have a milk frother (sp?) somewhere. I’ll have to look for that too. Can’t wait to try.

    Reply

  46. Oooh I so love this recipe because you make it look so easy — especially for someone who struggles in the kitchen like me. Plus the foam looks so refreshing!

    Danielle | FollowMyGut.com <3

    Reply

  47. This sounds so good! I’m fascinated that a skim milk provided foam where a 1% did not. I would think the fat would help produce a better foam. And yayyyy another use for my Aerolatte! 😉

    Reply

  48. Oh this looks so good! I think cold brew is supposed to have less acid which is good for me. I love that you made a cold foam. I have never heard of that. I need to get one of those froth maker things. This recipe is perfect for the dog days of summer!

    Reply

  49. This sounds so refreshing and light. Perfect for this weather. My husband would be all over this. He’s a big coffee addict. Love how easily you made that foam. Saving this for later. Sounds yum.

    Reply

  50. I cannot believe it’s really this easy! My spouse is a coffee fanatic too so we have already all these things (and more!) at home. You bet this will happen very soon. Excited!

    Reply

  52. I really want a cup right now. Looks really good! It can’t be easy waiting 24 hours… I don’t drink a lot of coffee, but I’ve been craving iced coffee for a few days now.

    Reply

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