French Press Iced Coffee Recipe || Very Easy To Make

It’s great to have a batch of French press iced coffee on hand in the refrigerator. Especially in the heat of the summer. There’s nothing like a tall glass of iced cold coffee on a hot summer day.

 But, quite honestly, it’s nice to have year round as well.

This coffee couldn’t be easier to make. In less than 5 minutes, hands on time, you can have a batch in your fridge ready to drink. Today, I’m going to show you exactly how to make this great beverage.

And after you’ve made you’re first batch, I’m willing to bet your fridge will never be without a quart, or two, of this fresh brew in it again!

Iced Coffee vs Cold Brew Coffee

The main difference between iced coffee and cold brew coffee is the temperature of the water that is used to make it. The other significant difference is the brewing method used.

When you make iced coffee you force hot water through coffee grounds. And when you make cold brew, you infuse coffee grounds in cold water. There is no special equipment needed for either method.

Although, using a French press coffee maker is my favorite way to get this job done. It’s my preferred method for hot brewed coffee too. A French press is just a handy piece to have in your kitchen.

Reasons To Make French Press Iced Coffee

I don’t know about you, but when the heat of summer is at it’s peak I don’t want to drink regular hot coffee, or any hot beverage for that matter.

They hold no appeal for me at all. Yet, I’m absolutely looking for the boost that comes from the caffeine in that morning cup of coffee.

It’s nice to have coffee brewed and in the fridge ready to drink in the morning too; just grab-n-go! And making your own classic cold brew is an easy way to save a little money.

Coffee shop and convenient store beverages are pricey. It doesn’t seem like you’re spending much, because it’s just a few dollars at a time. But, it does add up.

It’s not really the money turns me off those ‘easy to grab’ beverages though. It’s more the fact that they are often no better than what you can brew at home. And they’re just not that ‘easy to grab’. 

Picking one up usually involves a special stop, which takes time and often dealing with the inconvenient convenient store line at the register.

It’s far better to have a batch of iced coffee on hand at home. And, perhaps the most important thing is, it keeps all of those disposable cups out of the landfill.

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe

If you’re making coffee at home, you’ve already got all the ingredients you need to make French press iced coffee. 

You can use the water from your tap, if it’s a good quality water. Well water is ideal. If you live in an area where the water is treated, it may be best to pick up some spring water at the store. 

Any ground coffee will work for this recipe. So, go ahead and use your favorite ground coffee. You do want to pay attention to the grind size of the coffee you use.

If what you normally drink is a coarse grind, than you may want to consider using a medium or fine grind.

The coarse grind does not make a strong enough brew to maintain it’s coffee flavor once it’s poured over ice.

Anytime that you can buy whole coffee beans and grind them yourself, whether it’s for hot or cold coffee, you definitely should.

The difference in freshness and flavor is significantly noticeable. Fresh ground beans make a really great coffee. 

It’s better to grind your own beans at home, for each individual pot. But, if you aren’t ready to invest the equipment to do this, that’s no big deal. 

Many stores have a coffee grinder available for use in the coffee isle. You can grind the beans right in the grocery store before you take them home.

How To Make French Press Iced Coffee

The French press method for brewing iced coffee is the easiest way to get the job done. It requires very little work and doesn’t take a lot of time. This brewing process couldn’t be simpler.

Determine how much water your French press holds. Simply fill the press with water and then use a measuring cup to measure how many cups of water there is in it.

Bring that amount of water to a boil. Then put 2 1/2 tablespoons of medium grind coffee, per 8 ounces of water, in the French press.

This is the coffee to water ratio that works for me. You can adjust how much coffee you use in your recipe to suit your preferences.

Pour the hot water into the French press. 

Place the lid on the press. Submerse the fine mesh strainer of the press halfway down into the hot water to optimize the extraction process.

Let the press sit for about 10 minutes. Then push the plunger to the bottom of the press. And pour the hot coffee out of the press into a storage container. A mason jar works perfectly for this.

Allow the hot coffee to come to room temperature. Put the lid on the jar and place it in the refrigerator. That’s all there is to it. It’s that simple.

Ways To Serve This Recipe

This iced coffee recipe makes a simple, plain ‘ol regular cup of joe. Okay, a glass of joe?!?! You get the idea. And if you like you’re coffee black, then all you have to do to serve it is pour it over some ice.

Otherwise you can stir in a little milk, some half and half, or a bit of plant milk to make your brew a little creamy. There’s a great recipe on the blog for chocolate coffee creamer, if you want to give that a try.

And, if you have a sweet tooth, then add some sugar, maple syrup, or honey. I generally use honey. It’s my go-to, because I prefer it over maple syrup and I avoid processed sugar.

If you’re not opposed to sugar, there is an endless array of flavored coffee syrups on the market to choose from.

Or if you want to give your brew a little flavor by adding some vanilla extract, or maybe some cinnamon, or both, that might be the ticket for you.

Really, you can just dress this recipe up the same way you would a hot cup of coffee. The hardest part is deciding how you want to do it.

I suggest trying it a different way each time you make a glass. And then repeating your favorites on the regular.

My all time favorite is adding a little bailey’s Irish cream, or bourbon cream, and some chambord. This, of course, is not for my morning cup. It’s a great after dinner drink though.

Finally, it is a good idea to make two batches of iced coffee and freeze one of the batches into ice cubes.

These cubes can be used to ice your beverage without watering it down. Be sure to make plenty of cubes as the idea is to serve this beverage over lots of ice.

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