French Press Iced Coffee (2 Quick & Easy Recipes)

Key Takeaway:

By using just a French press, coffee beans, and ice, you can brew consistently delicious, café-quality iced coffee at home through two simple methods—one quick brewed in under 10 minutes and one smooth cold brew steeped overnight.

French press iced coffee is the perfect solution for barista-quality cold brew at home when you’re tired of inconsistent shop orders and overwhelming brewing advice. If you crave a reliably delicious iced coffee without stepping out, this guide—tailored for urban coffee lovers—will help you master two easy French press methods and troubleshoot common pitfalls.

Many people like their coffee to be piping hot. But when the weather is hot, cravings for cold refreshing drinks start piling up. This is where ice coffee becomes the go-to choice instead of regular hot coffee. 

Usually, it is easier to order one iced coffee in your local coffee shop. But when you find yourself too lazy to drag yourself out of your house, you only have two options. The first one is to order iced coffee and have it delivered to your house, or make one yourself.

If you already have a French press, you can make great-tasting iced coffee in no time, French press iced coffee. With the help of a few ingredients, you can enjoy your homemade iced coffee without breaking a sweat.

Why Choose a French Press?

Consumers have different ways of making coffee at home. While coffee brewers are available at an affordable price, many coffeenatics prefer French pressed coffee over pour-overs and drip coffee. They like the idea of a full-bodied coffee with a robust flavor perfect for making a flavorful cup of iced coffee.

French Press Iced Coffee: 2 Methods

The French press is a small pitcher that has a plunger and filter. While the name itself suggests it is of French origin, the French Press is Italian. An Italian designer patented the design way back in 1929.

People nowadays use a French press to make espresso, tea, and cold brew, to name a few. When it comes to iced coffee, you can brew iced coffee and cold brew iced coffee using a French press.

Brewed Iced Coffee

Use your French press to brew iced coffee if you are only after two services. It takes less than 10 minutes to make strong iced coffee.

Cold Brew Iced Coffee

If you need iced coffee in big servings, consider French press cold brew. You can enjoy up to five servings of iced coffee with great flavor and a smoother texture. However, you will need a 24-hour waiting time before enjoying your cold brew iced coffee.

Making Home-made Brewed Iced Coffee with a French Press

If you are craving iced coffee, you will need the following.

• 30 g of your favorite coffee grounds or whole coffee beans
• 200g water
• 160g ice
• Preferred additives (milk, cream, sugar, etc.)
• Kettle
• Timer
• Kitchen Scale
• French Press
• Coffee grinder (if you have whole beans)

Instructions:

1. First, boil water using your kettle. While making iced coffee, you need to brew your coffee to get the most flavor.
2. While waiting for your water to boil, weigh 30g of coffee beans and use your grinder until you get a coarse grind. Make sure your grind will clog your filter in the French press.
3. Next, add 160g of ice to your French press. Add your ground coffee on top of the ice and pour near-boiling water. Wait for about a minute until the bloom phase is done.
4. After a minute, pour the rest of your water. Stir the mixture to make sure the coffee grounds are all wet. Let it sit for another 3 minutes.
5. After 3 minutes, slowly plunge the coffee with even pressure. 
6. Fill your cup with the rest of your ice and pour your coffee. You can add milk, cream, or other flavors if you want.

Cold Brew Iced Coffee

If you want cold brew iced coffee, here is a simple recipe you can follow.

What you will need:

• 1 1/1 cup cold water
• 1/3 cup whole coffee beans
• Ice 
• Milk
• Your preferred sweeteners
• Coffee grinder
• French press

Instructions:

1. Using your grinder, grind 1/3 cup of your favorite coffee beans. Make sure it is fine enough to infuse but coarse enough for it to clog the filter in your French press.
2. Pour your ground coffee and 1 1/1 cup of water into the French press. Gently stir until well-blended.
3. Put the lid on. Steep your coffee into the fridge overnight. Be sure to leave the plunger in the up position.
4. In the morning, slowly plunge the French press.
5. Place ice cubes into your cup and fill partway with your milk. Pour your coffee into the mug, and add your sweetener if you want. Stir and serve.

Expert Tips

• Filtered coffee will bring the best flavor out of your coffee grounds.
• You need enough ice to cool the coffee but not too much so that it won’t melt when steeping your coffee.
• Ensure the total amount of ice and water is constant.
• Dark roast coffee beans make the best-iced coffee.
• A medium coarse grind is the best grind for making iced coffee using a French press. This is a grind similar to breadcrumbs. Your plunger will go down smoothly and consistently, even with slight resistance.
• You can add vanilla syrup to make a vanilla latte. If you are after an iced caramel latte, add caramel sauce.

Conclusion

Making iced coffee using your French is easy to make. With the right ingredients, you can whip iced coffee at any time. Using these two French press iced coffee recipes, you can enjoy great-tasting iced coffee while chilling in the comforts of your home.