I don't do it anymore, but I used to make cold brewed ice coffee in a pitcher with coffee grounds and let it sit for at least 12 hours (or more if I forgot about it) then I'd strain through cheescloth to another pitcher. delicious!

I'd try making coffee ice cubes, that way it's not diluted when you add ice.

Obviously Jenifer is using the wrong type of coffee and for sure she is using robusta type beans and not arabica beans, thus making a so called American style coffee.

Can you just increase the amount of grounds used or the strength of the brew? I make cold brew coffee in a regular french press frequently, though it took a few batches for us to figure out how strong we wanted it. I typically let mine brew 12-14 hours, depending on how much I sleep on on Saturdays.

coffee ice cubes!

I use one cup of beans to four cups of water. Let it sit on the counter for at least 6 hours (up to 12). I currently use a big-bodied espresso bean (Ladro blend from Cafe Ladro in the Seattle area, if anyone reading is in the area) - it's phenomenal as iced coffee. The result is an incredibly strong iced coffee concentrate. I also use coffee ice cubes sometimes if I really need that extra jolt of caffeine.

My first reaction was the grind is off. Switching to a bolder roast could help as well. HWIW, I don't grind my beans at home (I know, I know, I'm doing it wrong) but I do take advantage of grinding them myself or having them ground for me at the store and that seems to be a big advantage of pre-ground.

I agree about coffee ice cubes! Best idea ever.

If I were you I'd invest in a Toddy. It's only about $30 on Amazon and I find it a lot easier to use than a French press, plus it makes perfect coffee every time. I'm not sure how much a French press holds, but the Toddy can handle a full pound of ground coffee.

I think the beauty of iced coffee is that you don't need to use super nice beans to make it turn out tasty. I've had great success with hispanic-focused brands like Cafe Bustelo, which is really dark and finely ground. Usually do 1/3 cup grounds to 1 cup water, and let sit at least overnight but preferably around 12 hours, and then dilute with a little water if necessary.

I use Cafe Bustelo too, super fine grind. I let it sit 12 hours.

I find that using an AeroPress makes a much richer concentrate with no bitterness---Ideal for making ice coffee....... Gave up my Bodum French Press which I had used fo over ten years.
.......Thoroughly addicted to the AeroPress............

I follow the Pioneer Woman's method to make a cold-brew concentrate which you can dilute (or not) to your liking. In our house, that usually means drinking it straight as a treat, putting it in a jar with lots of ice to drink throughout the day, or diluting it the recommended way for a ready to go coffee.

I'm a barista and I'll share what we do at our tiny shop. We do this in a five gallon bucket, but you can easily adjust this down. We grind five pounds of dark roast coffee very fine and fill the bucket with water. (That's one pound coffee per gallon the container can hold). We let the coffee brew for 72 hours, then strain out the grounds. This method is sure to make strong coffee.

I've made iced coffee for a while using an 8 cup french press. I'll add 6 scoops of grounds, fill with cool tap water, and let sit for 24 hours. All the dilution it needs is ice and a splash of milk.

Hey
You should never Cold Brew in a plastic bucket....especially with the BPA and the intestinal cancers it can cause. Many folk are not aware of this horrible problem - a legacy of cheap plastic thats going to haunt generations. Read what the MAYO CLINIC has to say about it!
What is BPA? Should I be worried about it? - MayoClinic.com
www.mayoclinic.com/health/bpa/AN019552 Dec 2010 – BPA — Find out what it's in and how to avoid it if you're concerned.

Don't mean to be a kill joy BUT this is an extremely serious problem that people in Food business's MUST BECOME MORE AWARE ABOUT

Cheers & Merry Christmas from a very HOT Australia

Paul

I like the idea of coffee ice cubes which a couple people mentioned. Grinding your coffee beans finer sounds like a good solution, too. Another thought is to try new sources and varietals of coffee beans from well-established coffee shops and online stores. The Daily Grind.