Got a French press? Let’s make French press iced coffee! This small pitcher with a plunger is a genius tool for making various types of coffee. You might generally think of it for hot coffee, but the French press is great for cold coffee too! We often use it for cold brew, but it works for iced coffee: brewed coffee that’s served over ice and often diluted with milk. Come, let’s make it!
Two methods for French press iced coffee
The French press is a small pitcher with a plunger that’s used to brew coffee. Despite the name, the French press is actually Italian: it was patented by an Italian designer in 1929. It’s most often used for hot coffee, but the French press also makes tea, cold brew, espresso, and more. There are two main methods you can use for French press iced coffee: cold brew or brewed coffee. Many coffeeshops use cold brew for serving an iced coffee, though traditionally an iced coffee is made with hot brewed coffee. Here are the pros and cons to each method:
Cold brew iced coffee: Make French press cold brew and it makes a big pitcher of 5 servings, so you can sip off of it all week. The flavor is great and even smoother than with hot coffee. The con? You have to wait 24 hours. Brewed iced coffee: You can make French press iced coffee with strong coffee, then pour it over ice. It also has great flavor and only takes 10 minutes to make. The con? It makes only 2 servings at once, so you’ll need to make it to order.
Best coffee for iced coffee
The best coffee for an iced coffee? Dark roast coffee. We love light and medium roast pour over coffee, but we find the bitter flavor of a dark roast is what we expect in an iced coffee. Some brands we recommend: Starbucks Espresso Roast or Intelligentsia Black Cat.
Tools you’ll need
What do you need for French press iced coffee? Mainly, a French press! Most of the remaining tools are optional:
French press coffee maker: We use this Bodum 34-ounce (1 liter) French Press. The Bodum brand has been making this coffee tool since the 1940’s. Coffee grinder (optional): You’ll want a medium grind. You can use any type of coffee grinder, and it’s optional if you have pre-ground coffee. An electric burr grinder is most consistent. Filtered water (optional): Filtered water has the best flavor for coffee: we use this filter pitcher. Food scale (optional): You can use a digital food scale to weigh out the coffee and water, or just use the ratio of 1 cup grounds to 4 cups water. Electric kettle (optional): To easily measure temperature of water, you can use an electric kettle.
How to make French press iced coffee
Ready to get started? If you want to use cold brew as the basis of your French press iced coffee, go to French press cold brew. Otherwise, here’s how to do this quick and easy method. The key? You’ll make double strength French press coffee, then pour it over ice (which dilutes it). This method uses half the water as our normal method.
How to serve iced coffee
If you like, you can serve iced coffee with a splash of milk and sweetener! Here are our top choices for this drink:
2% milk: Just the right richness Oat milk: Oat milk is a great dairy-free option with good creaminess and flavor. You can also try almond milk or cashew milk, but oat milk is our top choice for coffee drinks Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds jut the right hint of sweet Vanilla syrup: Use homemade vanilla syrup to make vanilla iced coffee Other sweeteners: You can use other sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, or simple syrup
More French press coffee drinks
The French press is so versatile: it’s one of our top coffee making methods! Here are our top drinks to make in the French press:
Brewed coffee: Make a pot of French press coffee Espresso: French press espresso is great for a strong shot or for espresso drinks Cold brew: It’s easy to make French press cold brew. Tea: Who needs a tea pot? Try French press tea.
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