The 10 Best Coffees For Cold Brew
Here's a quick summary of our picks for best coffee for cold brew!
The Coffee | The Visual | Defining Aspects | Available As... |
|---|---|---|---|
Ethiopia Oromia |  | ||
Grizzly Claw |   | ||
Colombian Supremo |   | ||
Guatemala Antigua |  | ||
Cold Press Elixir |   | ||
Indonesia Sumatra |   | ||
Organic Cold Brew |   | ||
Peru Cenfrocafe |   | ||
Light & Bright |   | ||
Brazil Cerrado |  |
Overwhelmed by all of the options? Give this Cooper's Oromia a try!
A note on pre-ground coffee:
For products that are available pre-ground, we have only included coarsely ground options here, as you cannot use fine grinds for cold brew coffee!
What is cold brew coffee?
Cold Brew Coffee must be steeped in cold water over the course of several hours. Yes, it is difficult to wait that long for coffee... so you need to plan ahead a bit! The end result is very much worth it!
The final taste of a cup of coffee is largely dependent on the extraction of soluble solids from the grinds.
A good coffee will have an extraction of 18-22%.
Depending on the brewing method, certain variables can be adjusted in order to achieve this optimal extraction level.
For Cold Brew coffee...
A colder water temperature causes a lower rate of extraction than a hotter temperature.
More time is needed to achieve the desired level of extraction.
It is necessary to use a coarser grind in order to avoid over extraction.
Extraction & Coffee Grinding
A consistent grind is crucial to obtain uniform extraction!
To learn more about extraction, check out our Grinding 101 article!
Cold Brew Methods
There are two main cold brewing methods that you may choose to use...
The Immersion Method
This method is very simple and can easily be completed by anyone at home. All that you need is a some coarse grind coffee, a container, a filter and a little bit of patience!
Simply allow the coffee to steep in a water filled container of your choosing at room temperature or in the fridge. After 12-24 hours, filter out the grinds and you’ve got yourself some cold brew!
How to make Cold Brew coffee
Check out our detailed How-To to learn how to make Cold Brew coffee the right way!
The Cold Drip Method
This method is a lot more advanced than the immersion method. This process requires a special piece of equipment that can fetch a pretty high price. This method also requires some pretty fine adjustments to be carried out through out the duration of the brewing process.
For most people, it’s a lot easier and more practical to stick with the immersion method to make the best cold brew coffee at home!
What does cold brew coffee taste like?
As is the case with regular hot coffee, cold brew can take on a variety of flavors. Although the origin of the beans and the roast level play a big part in the taste, the cold brewing process can highlight different flavors than that of hot brewing. Because of this, the same beans may result in a different flavor profile when brewed hot or cold. For this reason, experimentation is needed to find the best coffees for cold brew.
In general, cold brew coffee is know to be full-bodied, while mild and smooth, low in acidity and lacking in bitterness. Cold brew also tends to concentrate richer notes such as chocolate, nuts and earth.
The best coffees for cold brew often include rich notes of chocolate. Delicious!
What is the best roast level for cold brew?
The taste characteristics of cold brew give rise to a bit of a divide in opinion as to what the ideal roast level to use is. It is important to note that your hot brew preference will not necessarily be your cold brew preference! We recommend to experiment a little bit with each roast level, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind;
If you want some bright bite, go for a light or medium roast! Most of the acidic content is lost throughout the cold brewing process, so if you want any in the final cup, start with as much as possible.
Cold brew embraces richer, darker notes that are characteristic of medium-dark and dark roasts. If you’re a fan of this type of taste profile, a darker roast is suggested!
Allow a longer immersion time for lighter roasts, and a shorter immersion time for darker roasts! It takes a bit longer to extract an equal amount from lighter roasts, due to less heat induced degradation of the compounds present in coffee.
The 10 Best Coffees For Cold Brew
Without further adieu, here are our 10 best coffees for cold brew. We’ve represented all roast levels in our list, so there is sure to be something for everyone!
A note on pre-ground coffee:
For products that are available pre-ground, we have only included coarsely ground options here, as you cannot use fine grinds for cold brew coffee!
1. Ethiopia Oromia Coffee
Roasted By: Cooper's Coffee Company
Roast: Light
Taste: Complex, floral, fruit, lemon & honey notes
This Ethiopian light roast coffee has a vibrant, sweetly tart acidity. This profile is bright enough to survive the cold brewing process and still offer its signature flavors. This one is also great hot.
2. Grizzly Claw Coffee
Roasted By: Kicking Horse Coffee
Roast: Dark
Taste: Rich, notes of roasted nuts & dark chocolate
Grizzly Claw works perfectly as a cold brew. Rich notes of chocolate and nuts are present in this smooth, never-bitter, low acid cup. Grab this one whole bean and you can enjoy it both hot and cold!
3. Colombian Supremo Cold Brew Coffee
Roasted By: Stone Street Coffee
Roast: Dark
Taste: Mildly sweet, notes of nuts, caramel & chocolate
These Colombian supremo beans are chosen and roasted specifically with cold brew coffee in mind! Caramel, nuts and chocolate contribute to this sweet profile. Coarse grinds are an available option!
4. Guatemala Antigua Coffee
Roasted By: Volcanica Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich, sweet, notes of nut & chocolate
This single origin Guatemalan coffee is rich and naturally sweet. The nut and chocolate notes of these beans are embraced by the cold brewing process. Also make sure to check this one out hot!
5. Cold Press Elixir Cold Brew Coffee
Roasted By: Tiny Footprint Coffee
Roast: Light & Dark
Taste: Mildly sweet, floral, cocoa & fruit notes
This blend of light and darkly roasted beans has been designed to be ideal for cold brew coffee. Mission accomplished, this perfectly blended coffee offers the best aspects of both roast levels!
6. Indonesia Sumatra Mandheling Coffee
Roasted By: Koffee Kult
Roast: Medium
Taste: Rich & complex, notes of earth & Baker's chocolate
Indonesia Sumatra Mandheling beans are known to be some of the best in the world. The darker notes of earth and Baker's chocolate are represented wonderfully as a cold brew. Go for whole bean and make sure to try this one hot too!
7. Organic Cold Brew Coffee
Roasted By: Cold Brew Lab
Roast: Medium & Dark
Taste: Rich, mildly sweet, notes of chocolate
Cold Brew Lab is a roaster that is dedicated to offering a selection of high quality cold brew options. This blend of medium and darkly roasted beans offers rich notes of chocolate and a pleasant, mild sweetness. These guys really are professionals, check them out!
8. Peru Cenfrocafe Coffee
Roasted By: Cubico Coffee
Roast: Medium
Taste: Complex, notes of nuts, caramel & herbs
This complex Peruvian coffee offers characteristics typical of both lighter and darker roasts. Darker notes of nuts and caramel and a lighter, bright acidity are well represented when cold brewed. This coffee should be tasted both hot and cold!
9. Light & Bright Cold Brew Coffee
Roasted By: Bizzy Coffee
Roast: Light
Taste: Bright, floral & citrus notes
As the name would imply, this coffee is light and bright! This blend of beans from Peru and Nicaragua offers floral and citrus notes. It can be tricky to get these flavors to translate well into a cold brew coffee, but Bizzy Coffee pulls it off wonderfully!
10. Brazil Cerrado Coffee
Roasted By: Fresh Roasted Coffee
Roast: Medium-Dark
Taste: Rich, notes of walnut & dark chocolate
This medium-dark roast Brazilian coffee works very well as a cold brew. Rich notes of dark chocolate and walnut are present in this cup. If you thought cold brews were smooth and mellow, wait until you try Brazilian cold brew! Also. don't forget to try it hot!
Any Questions?
We hope that this has been an interesting and informative read for you. Most of all, we hope that you’ve found a new coffee to try!
What do you think the best coffee for cold brew is? Have we left your favorite out of our list? Let us know!
Have a coffee question? We may have the answer. Ask away!
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