How to Make Cold Brew Concentrate at Home (French Press Method)

Learning how to make cold brew concentrate is one of the easiest ways to keep great coffee ready all week. A single French press batch takes about ten minutes of hands-on time. After that, time does the work. The result is a smooth, rich base that turns into an iced coffee, a hot cup or a latte in under a minute.

This guide shares High Level's own French press cold brew recipe, the ratio behind it and why each step matters. It also covers how to dilute the concentrate, how much CBD lands in each cup and five drinks to make from one jar.

Made with High Level CBD Coffee, every 2 oz pour of concentrate carries about 25 mg of full-spectrum CBD. So the same batch that makes a bright morning iced coffee can also make a calm, balanced afternoon cup.

What Is Cold Brew Concentrate?

Cold brew concentrate is coffee steeped in cold water for many hours, using much more coffee than a normal brew. Because no heat is involved, the flavor comes out smooth and mellow, with chocolate and caramel notes in front. It is strong on purpose. Each pour gets diluted with water, milk or ice just before drinking.

That strength is what makes it so useful. One jar in the fridge can become several different drinks, each mixed fresh to taste. Here is how it compares with other cold coffee styles.

What Is the Best Ratio for Cold Brew Concentrate?

High Level's recipe uses 6 oz (170 g) of coffee to 29 oz (830 g) of water. That works out to about 1 part coffee to 5 parts water by weight. For comparison, a regular hot cup is usually closer to 1 part coffee to 16 parts water. That is why the concentrate tastes so bold on its own.

The 29 oz of water fills a standard 1-liter French press with room to spare for the grounds. However, only about 20 oz of concentrate comes out at the end. The coffee grounds soak up the rest. That loss is normal, and it is already built into the recipe.

The ratio also keeps CBD easy to track. In this recipe, 2 oz of concentrate holds about 25 mg of CBD, the same as one serving of High Level coffee brewed hot.

What Coffee Works Best for French Press Cold Brew?

Choose a Coarse Grind

A coarse grind, about the size of raw sugar, is the key to a clean cold brew. Fine grounds slip past the French press filter and leave the concentrate muddy. They also extract too quickly over a long steep, which pulls out bitter flavors. Coarse grounds release flavor slowly and press cleanly.

Go Rich and Dark

Cold water brings out chocolate, caramel and roasted notes while keeping sharp, sour flavors in the background. As a result, medium-dark and dark roasts shine here. High Level Chill Blend Dark Roast was made for this. It has rich, smoky undertones with chocolate notes, and it comes pre-ground for cold brew. Elevation Dark Roast works beautifully too. For an evening batch, Glider Decaf makes a caffeine-free concentrate.

Use Cold Spring or Filtered Water, Never Hot

Water makes up most of every cup, so its taste carries straight through. Spring or filtered water keeps chlorine and off flavors out of the concentrate.

Just as important, the water should always be cold. Hot water pulls bitter, acidic flavors out of the grounds and turns the batch into strong brewed coffee instead of cold brew. Cold water extracts slowly, which is exactly what creates that smooth, chocolatey cold brew taste.

How to Make Cold Brew Concentrate in a French Press

This is the exact recipe from High Level's own recipe card. The printable version below keeps every step in one place for the kitchen counter.

Why Let the Coffee Bloom?

Freshly roasted coffee holds carbon dioxide. When water first hits the grounds, that gas bubbles up and pushes water away from the coffee. A 5-minute bloom lets the gas escape, so the water can reach every particle evenly. The payoff is a fuller, sweeter concentrate with less sourness. Fresh coffee blooms the most, which is one more reason High Level roasts to order.

Why Keep the Plunger High?

The plunger's job during the steep is to hold the grounds under the water, not to press them. Pushing it down only until the coffee is submerged leaves room for the grounds to move and extract evenly. Then, at the end, a full press filters everything in one smooth motion.

Fridge or Room Temperature?

Both work, and the recipe allows either one. Coffee extracts a little faster at room temperature, so a counter batch can be pressed toward the shorter end of the 12–36 hour window. In the fridge, extraction slows down, so a longer steep brings out the full flavor. A mix works too: start on the counter, then finish in the fridge. Taste a spoonful at 12 hours and decide from there.

How Much Should Cold Brew Concentrate Be Diluted?

Start with 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water, then adjust to taste. Over ice, 1–2 parts cold water works well, since melting ice adds a little more. For a hot cup, 2 parts hot water is the sweet spot.

Here's the helpful part for CBD coffee: adding more water or milk changes the flavor strength, not the CBD. Each 2 oz of concentrate holds about 25 mg of full-spectrum CBD, whether it becomes a 6 oz hot coffee or a 10 oz iced latte.

What Drinks Can Be Made With Cold Brew Concentrate?

One batch makes about ten servings, and every one can be a different drink. These five cover morning to evening.

Iced Coffee

Hot Coffee

Cold Brew Latte

Cold Brew Mocha

CBD Espresso Martini

How Long Does Cold Brew Concentrate Last?

Cold brew concentrate keeps for up to 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container. Glass jars or swing-top bottles work best, since they don't hold onto old flavors. A strip of tape with the brew date makes it easy to keep track.

Store it undiluted and mix each drink fresh. Diluted coffee loses flavor faster, and keeping it concentrated also keeps the CBD per ounce easy to measure.

Why Make Cold Brew With High Level CBD Coffee?

A long steep pulls everything out of the coffee, including the CBD. That makes the quality of both the beans and the hemp extract matter even more. High Level CBD Coffee is built for it:

• Consistent dosing: 25 mg of full-spectrum CBD per serving, or about 25 mg per 2 oz of concentrate.
• Grown with care: Kentucky-grown hemp, extracted in small batches in a GMP- and Kosher-certified facility.
• Specialty coffee: Organic- and Kosher-certified roasting, backed by 50+ years of sourcing and roasting experience.
• Third-party tested: A Certificate of Analysis for every batch.
• Fresh: Roasted to order and shipped within 48 hours, so it blooms well.
• Award-winning: Platinum and Best Infused Coffee at High Spirits L.A. 2024.

For a steady supply of fresh beans, the Daily Bliss Subscription delivers two bags at a time and saves 15% on every order.