Last year, I posted a recipe for cold brew coffee using an Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker. Recently, it occurred to me that I could use a French Press instead of the Oxo. I've made several batches, with good results. It's a little more convenient to make cold brew in the Oxo, but it's good to know that it can be made without buying special-use equipment.

I often enjoy cold brew coffee in summer. I bought an Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker one winter when it was on sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Before that, I used a nut milk bag in a jar. I like the Oxo and it gets high marks in many reviews, such as Home­Grounds or Wirecutter. It's easy to use, easy to clean, and makes a good brew.

The only downside to making your own cold brew coffee is that you must plan ahead. You can make hot coffee in a few minutes, but cold brew takes hours.

I have used this recipe for a number of years. It makes a smooth, …continue.

Aerobie AeroPress home page

CoffeeGeek thread

Adler's American recipe

Luke­Seu­bert's Smooth Americano recipe

I like my Americano made with 175F water to the top of the "2" oval, with our standard ten-second stir, and press with no steep time. Then diluted 1:1 after pressing.

Mark likes his brewed with much hotter water, with a 40 second steep time and he likes to push all of the water through the press, rather than diluting aftewards. His recipe has much more edge (which I might call bitterness).

Sweet Maria's in­struc­tions

Lots of reviews

Lack of 'soul'

Negative pressure

Neutral pressure

Espresso definition

Crema

"Espresso strength"

I find that the drip-through, even with long steep or long stir times, isn't …continue.