How to Brew Iced Coffee | Easy French Press Recipe  

This iced coffee recipe with French Press is a coffee enthusiast’s summer favorite. Choose a quick and fresh hot brew method or a slow and smoother delicious cold brew method. This is a regular cup of Joe turned into a delicious iced version to cheer up your hot summer days.

Iced coffee is a must for me in the summertime and sometimes wintertime. The cost of iced coffee in the cafés is quite pricy and I prefer to brew my own homemade iced coffee that is rich in flavor and to adjust the sweetness to the perfect level. You don’t need any special equipment just a French Press is enough for this one. Because I like to experiment with things in different ways, I have both cold and hot brewed coffee options here so that you can use which French press method is best for the season you are in life. My favorite way is to pour some almond milk in it as well and if I’m busy I pour the morning’s leftover coffee into an airtight jar and use it for later – no waste in this household!

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Why you’ll love this recipe

• This recipe is an easy way to enjoy your coffee, so you can whip it up even on a busy day.
• You don’t need any fancy equipment for this coffee, just a French press to brew your iced coffee and something you boil your water with.
• You can choose the brewing method to your personal preference: a quick hot brewed French press coffee or a slower French press cold brew coffee.

| RELATED: Moroccan Spiced Coffee Recipe | Make in 10 minutes

Tips for making

• For best results use fresh coffee that you cool down immediately, to prevent any oxidized flavors.
• If you prefer a smoother coffee flavor try the cold brew method.
• If you have filtered water, use it, it always gives better results. When water is filtered it has no sidenotes, it is tasteless, so it boosts the flavors of the coffee itself.
• Do not use boiling water (100°C/212°F) let the water sit for a minute or so to lower it to 90-95°C (194-203°F) to not burn the coffee and have a burnt flavor.
• Use coarse grind when using a French press. If you have only finely ground coffee you can pour the ready-made coffee through a paper coffee filter or tea strainer to double filter the coffee to get a clean result.
• If you want to flavor your coffee scroll down for the header How to tweak this recipe.

Best coffee for iced coffee

Use a high-quality coffee, preferably a dark roast coffee bean for the iced coffee, and make it double-strength. When you pour it on ice, the hot coffee melts the ice and the melted ice dilutes the coffee. Remember to add more fresh ice after cooling.

Ingredients you need for this iced coffee recipe

• Ground coffee beans, preferably dark roast coffee
• Sugar, can be left out, but it rounds out the flavors beautifully
• Cardamom or cinnamon (optional)
• Ice cubes
• Dark syrup (optional)

Check the recipe card for exact measurements.

Tools you may need

• French press coffee maker: I use a coffee maker quite similar to this French press
• Electric kettle or tea kettle or a small pot to boil water
• Spoon for stirring
• Jar for cooling the coffee
• Grogg glasses, or other beautiful glasses like highball glasses for serving

How to make

You have two options to make the coffee: the hot-brewed coffee, which is an instant and fast version of the iced coffee. Or you can make your own cold brew which is our slow living option with a 24-hour coffee brewing process in the fridge for a smoother taste. Choose the easiest way and most suitable option for you.

Quick day option – Hot brew method

Step one: Grind the coffee 

Grind the coffee, if not using pre-ground coffee. Use the coarse setting for the French press.

Step two: Heat the water

Pour water into the electric kettle and heat it up. If you have a temperature controller in your electric kettle choose 90°C (194°F). If you do not, let the water finish boiling and give it a few minutes to decrease the temperature so as not to burn the coffee and get the burnt taste in your iced coffee.

Step three: Add the coffee and seasoning

Measure coffee grounds to the base of your French press. Add sugar, syrup, and any seasonings you are using.

Step four: Add water and brew

Add hot water slowly twirling around to moisten the coffee grounds and pour it up. You can stir a bit with a spoon to get all the coffee grounds moist. Put the lid on without pressing the plunger. Check that the slots in the lid are lined up with the spout.

Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.

You can put the glasses into the freezer for 5-10 minutes while brewing the coffee to get them nicely chilled.

Step five: Cool the coffee

Measure ice into a jar. Press down the French press plunger slowly. Pour the coffee over the ice. Twirl around the jar to cool down the coffee and melt the ice.

Step six: Serve with fresh ice

Place some fresh ice in your glass, pour the cooled coffee and some almond milk or any milk of your choice, and enjoy your hot brewed French Press iced coffee!

Slow living option – Cold brew method

Step one: Grind the coffee 

Grind the coffee, if not using coffee grounds. Use the coarse setting for the French press.

Step two: Add the coffee and seasoning

Measure coffee grounds to the base of your French press. Add sugar, syrup, and any seasonings you are using.

Step three: Add water

Measure water, use about 1 deciliter (90 g) more than mentioned in the recipe card. Add the cold water slowly twirling around to moisten the coffee grounds and pour it up. Stir a bit with a spoon to get all the coffee grounds moist. Put the lid of the French Press on without pressing the plunger.

Step four: Brew the coffee

Place the coffee into the fridge for 12 to 24 hours the let the cold brewing process make its work.

Step five: Serve the coffee with ice

Chill the glasses in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the ice cubes to your glasses. Press down the plunger slowly. Pour the cold coffee over the ice, add almond milk or any milk of your choice, and enjoy your cold brewed French press iced coffee!

Serving the iced coffee

You can enjoy the coffee by itself or make some waffles, almond cake, or biscuits to go with it. And ice cream is a great option to tackle the summer heat with the iced coffee too!

Storage and making ahead

This coffee is best when you use it straight when it’s ready, but if you want to store it best is to store the cold brewed one. You can store the cold brewed coffee for about five days. Just make sure you pour the cold brewed coffee into a glass jar or other airtight container like a mason jar with an airtight lid. When you pour it into your glass do it as gently as possible to not mix the remains of the coffee dust that has landed on the bottom of the jar.

How to tweak this recipe

• Switch the milk, try cow milk, soy milk or oat milk instead!
• Use Moroccan Spiced Coffee instead of regular coffee for a spicier iced coffee.
• Add some flavor with flavored simple syrup.
• Add a whipped cream to the top and flavor it with vanilla.

How do you enjoy your iced coffee?

Do you prefer a plain iced coffee or do you like it better on the sweeter side? Let me know in the comments!

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