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To help you on your quest of finding the best coffee for cold brew in 2023, we went out and researched intensely what the market has to offer. And, to make sure no stone was left unturned, we even found out about the origins of the drink.
Dating back to 17th-century Japan, when Dutch merchants decided to share their secret of staying caffeinated while traveling the high seas, cold brew was born.
Moving forward to the present day, you can find the beverage in pretty much every coffee shop. Plus, it can be easily made from the comfort of your own home without too much hassle.
What You Need to Look For to Find the Best Coffee for Cold Brew
Making the cold brew is the easy part, getting it right is where things get tricky. All that’s needed is the following three (no brainer) things:
- Cold water
- Coffee grounds
- A vessel for brewing
Now, to make sure the end result isn’t too bitter or watery, close attention must be paid to what type of water and grind of the coffee are used. Oh, and of course, which beans!
If you’re wondering what we mean by “types of water”, we’re not crazy, we swear. It’s recommended that you use filtered water. However, to avoid the great debate discussing if all water tastes the same, we will be swiftly moving on.
99% of cold brew recipes will tell you to use a “coarse grind”. There’s a good reason for this; by doing so, you will make the filtration process a lot easier, reducing the chance of it tasting overly bitter. So we’ve taken this into consideration before selecting our recommended choices.
When looking at the most commonly used roasts, we can see that many experts agree that medium to dark roasts are the right choice. After testing this, we agree they were the supreme options, so the choices you’ll find recommended below will consist of these two.
DEATH WISH Whole Bean Coffee Dark Roast
Although this option sounds a little angry, the company is known for its friendly culture and pledge to help the environment. Ironic right?
Before we get into the amazing features, you’ll need to keep in mind this product comes with whole beans. If you have a grinder, then brilliant! If not, you may want to skip to the next suggestion.
Death Wish boasts about how superb their dark roasted coffee beans are, especially the flavor that includes hints of cherry and chocolate, and quite frankly, we agree with them.
When looking for the best coffee for cold brew, the type of beans play a vital role. Death Wish knows this well, and that’s why only the top Arabica and Robusta beans are included.
Overall, you can expect a deliciously tasting cup of cold brew that will keep you energized throughout the day. And if you’re unhappy in any way, most of the time they will refund your purchase.
Score
Convenience – 4/5
Flavor – 5/5
Strength – 5/5
(We haven’t added prices to our scoreboard for a reason as they tend to fluctuate)
San Francisco Bay Coffee Breakfast Blend Whole Bean
San Francisco is known around the world for its iconic bridge and bustling city life. But that’s not all it has to offer. The San Francisco Bay Store provides coffee beans enriched with flavors that are the perfect combination for cold brews.
Another medium roast to add to the collection, our personal favorite is their “breakfast blend”. Although, if you want to drink it at night, your secret is safe with us.
It comes with whole beans, so a grinder is mandatory before a cup of cold joe can be made. And the beans are arabica, which means they’re packed with flavor and ready to be enjoyed.
For a balanced and smooth cup of cold brew, you can’t go wrong with this option. Also, the reasonable price for what you get is a bonus.
Score
Convenience – 4/5
Flavor – 5/5
Strength – 4/5
Mt. Comfort Coffee
Not heard of Mt. Comfort Coffee before? Well, let us introduce you. This premium whole bean coffee is packed with an abundance of flavors that will leave you wanting more.
For the best coffee for cold brew, this option deserves a spot on the list. It’s a medium roast that has a smooth finish.
The flavors that should delight your tastebuds include nutty, citrus, and chocolate notes that come fresh.
However, don’t just take our word for it. Check out the comments by clicking the link to see what others thought after purchasing Mt. Comfort Coffee.
Score
Convenience – 4/5
Flavor – 4/5
Strength – 4/5
Coffee Bros Medium Roast
Although the name is coincidental, we aren’t connected to the Coffee Bros Store in any way. This choice that we’ve selected has been solely picked on merit.
So, why did we choose this one? Quite a few reasons. Let’s start with the taste.
Contained within their blended whole beans is a variety of flavors that have a very unique taste. This consists of hints of brown sugar, hazelnut, and strawberry. It may sound like a weird concoction of flavors, but it definitely works.
Like many of the others, this option is medium roasted, making it ideal for cold brews. Yes, you will need a grinder, but we think it’s worth it.
Coffee Bros do offer a blend that has been specifically made for cold brews. However, we preferred this one more.
What is also great about this choice is the fact that you can speak to one of the two coffee bros if you’re experiencing any issues with the order. Now that’s what we call customer service!
Score
Convenience – 4/5
Flavor – 4/5
Strength – 4/5
Lavazza Tierra! Selection
One of the most bought whole bean coffee blends on Amazon, Lavazza Tierra is known to pack a punch (in a good way). They are blended and roasted in the great nation of Italy, who knows a thing or two about coffee, we’re told.
The coffee beans contain hints of chocolate and ripe fruit that will leave you completely satisfied. Although they’re primarily made for espresso, using them in a cold brew works just as well.
A word of warning before we go any further. Some customers who have purchased Lavazza Tierra have noticed small rocks amongst the beans. Therefore, you have to be extra careful when it comes to grinding them. If not, you could end up doing some serious damage.
Apart from that, you will be given an excellent mix of blended coffee beans that produce a smooth and tasty flavor, provided by the country known for its huge coffee culture.
Score
Convenience – 2/5
Flavor – 5/5
Strength – 5/5
Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee
No grinder? No problem, Bizzy has you covered. This coarse ground coffee can help you save precious time in the mornings without missing out on taste. Arabica beans are used to offer coffee lovers a “sweet and smooth” flavor so you can tackle the task ahead of you.
Bizzy makes a big point detailing their ethical methods to source the beans used in their selection. So, while you sip your freshly made coffee, you can rest easy knowing that everyone is benefiting.
And, if the time comes and you want to try out some of their other products, say, for example, you’re in the mood to make espresso, their other options are extremely good too.
Score
Convenience – 5/5
Flavor – 3/5
Strength – 4/5
Stone Street Cold Brew Coffee
Want to join the dark side? Well, this choice won’t give you a red lightsaber, but it will give you a dark roast that’s just as good. If you don’t have a grinder, no need to worry about this one. A coarse grind has been used, so it’s ready to go.
Sourced from Colombia, these Arabica coffee beans excite the senses. As we mentioned, they’ve been dark roasted, which means the acidity is extremely low. Instead, you’ll receive a slightly sweet taste that has a touch of nutty and chocolate flavors.
Although caffeine is a great added benefit if you ask us, there is a decaf version to pick from. Maybe a good choice if you decide to consume a large amount in one go.
The bag has been carefully designed to keep the ground coffee fresh for a long time. So, if you accidentally forget about it or decide to go “find yourself” by traveling through Asia or South America, you can come home to a new cold brew.
Finally, Stone Street is located in Brooklyn, New York City. That means the beans have been roasted by new yorkers, which we thought was pretty cool.
Score
Convenience – 5/5
Flavor – 4/5
Strength – 3/5
Cameron’s Coffee Roasted Ground Coffee Bag
This special blend of coffee beans has been specifically made for cold brews. It has notes of milk chocolate that make the overall taste extremely satisfying.
The coarse grind that’s used for the beans ensures the drink has a smooth finish after it’s been filtered, from the very first sip until the last.
It comes medium roasted to unlock unique flavors in the beans for a well-rounded result. This is known to pair well with cold brews.
And for our environmentally-friendly readers, you’ll be happy to know that Cameron’s coffee shop goes to great lengths to reduce its impact on the environment. For instance, only small batches are roasted, to reduce water consumption.
To finish things off, you can also purchase this with vanilla and hazelnut. After looking at both, it’s a close one, but the standard one edges over the finish line for us.
Score
Convenience – 5/5
Flavor – 4/5
Strength – 5/5
Wink Coffee Cold Brew
Next on our list that’s making an appearance that’s rightly deserved is Wink Coffee. Filled with Arabica bean goodness, there’s a lot that this option brings to the table.
Sourced from the Colombian Andes, these single-origin coffee beans are bursting with flavor. But what are these flavors, you ask? Well, they consist of sweet caramel and a hint of hazelnut.
The bag is very easy to open and re-seal without the risk of the kitchen turning into a sea of spilled coffee beans. Over the years of looking at different coffee products, specifically coffee beans, you’d be surprised how many come in poor packaging.
To top it off, the beans are incredibly smooth, making them perfect for enjoying a refreshing cup of cold brew coffee.
Score
Convenience – 4/5
Flavor – 4/5
Strength – 3/5
Kicking Horse Coffee
Who comes up with these names? Well, anyways, name aside, their coffee is incredibly good. Yes, you will need a grinder as the beans are whole, but if you’re willing to put into that little bit of extra effort, the end result will be worth it.
When tastes are concerned, you’ll experience chocolate malt, licorice, molasses, and an earthy finishing touch. You also have the added bonus of using these dark roast coffee beans for other coffee drinks when you want to try something new. The beans can be brewed with a drip machine, french press, or with the pour-over method.
If you’re new to cold brewing, you can follow one of the instructional videos that Kicking Horse Coffee offers to guide you through the process. Even coffee experts could learn a thing or two to improve how they do it.
Also, if you care about your coffee being fairtrade and organic, this is a great one. If you’re not familiar with what “fairtrade” means, it’s basically saying that profits made from buying this coffee will benefit the farmers and their communities greatly.
Score
Convenience – 3/5
Flavor – 4/5
Strength – 4/5
Best Coffee for Cold Brew: Other Points to Consider Before Making a Purchase
It’s no secret that the price of the coffee beans has a major influence on whether it’s purchased or not. Unfortunately, as we’ve already pointed out, the prices do change from time to time. So, you’ll have to check them individually to determine how much it’s going to cost.
There’s the chance that special offers may be available. So make sure to do some digging to find the great value that offers amazing flavors for your cold brewing needs.
We also want to point out that our recommendations come in a variety of bag sizes. Therefore, just because one says a more favorable dollar amount, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting your money’s worth. In reality, you may just have to come back soon to buy another bag.
Some of the brands mentioned can be found in various shops throughout America. You always have the choice of taking a note of a few that have piqued your interest and keeping an eye out for them the next time you’re browsing your local store.
Can These Choices Be Used with Milk or Not?
Absolutely! Adding milk to a cold brew is completely up to you. With that being said, many coffee enthusiasts who drink it typically don’t add milk to the drink.
This is mainly because the flavors within a cold brew are quite subtle. As a result, if you decide to add milk, you may miss out on them.
The strength of the coffee will play a big part in whether the taste of the milk overshadows the coffee flavors. So if you like the idea of putting in some milk, consider buying coffee beans that are known for their strong taste.
Make sure to add a tiny bit of milk to begin with, and slowly add more until you find the sweet spot.
Single-Origin or Blend: Does It Make a Difference?
The type of roast can play a big part in how the cold brew turns out, but what isn’t discussed as much is whether the beans are better blended or from a single origin.
Back in the day, it was commonly agreed that beans from a single location were the best.
Although, as time has gone on, the status quo changed. In today’s world, there is a bigger divide between the coffee community when it comes to figuring out what is best.
In fairness, single-origin beans allow you to experience the subtle flavors that are hard to taste in other types of coffee drinks. However, blended beans mix different tastes together to create combinations that are out of this world.
What’s the Worst That Can Happen If a Light Roast is Used?
The reason many lean towards buying beans that are medium or dark roasted is because the taste is more intense. With other drinks, especially ones that have milk, it’s hard to experience these flavors that would be otherwise missed.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with trying out a lighter roast. A lot of the acidity is removed from the coffee beans when they’re cold brewed, so you won’t have to worry about that.
What you will have to worry about though, is how long the extraction time takes, as light roasts take a much longer time.
Ultimately, it boils down to personal preference. Maybe one month you could try a dark roast and the next a light one. Eventually, you’ll find the one that hits the spot.
Should You Use an Immersion or Cold Drip to Make Cold Brew Coffee?
Alongside picking the best coffee for cold brew, the actual method to make it will impact how it turns out. The main two options, as the title says, consist of immersion and slow drip.
The immersion method is seen as the more favorable one, however, the duration is a lot longer than slow drip. For example, the coarse beans will need to be steeped in cold water for a minimum of 12 hours or a maximum of 24 hours. Only after this time are they ready to be filtered out.
A slow drip takes roughly 3 to 5 hours before the cold brew is ready to drink. It works by dropping ice water onto the coarse ground coffee beans and collected by a carafe that’s located below.
Both methods are relatively simple, so that shouldn’t be any concern to you. Most of the time, the biggest factor in deciding what one you’re going to regularly use will be how much time you’re willing to commit.
If you have a busy schedule and don’t feel like making cold brew to leave overnight, then the slow drip would be the one for you. Otherwise, immersion is the way to go.
Why Does the Temperature Impact the Taste So Much?
When coffee beans are extracted for their goodness (using heat), it’s typically between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. However, cold brew is extracted between 35 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lack of heat means the unique flavors and subtle tastes that were once lost can be enjoyed in cold brew coffee. Although, it also means that double the amount of grounds are required to make it.
And it requires a lot of hours to make compared to the hot version, which is much faster.
A lot of the acids are only taken from the coffee beans at high temperatures. Therefore, in general, cold brew has a reduced acid content, making it a lot easier for your stomach to digest.
Best Coffee for Cold Brew: What’s the Best Way to Store Coffee Beans?
Many coffee beans you get today come with resealable bags, from the selection we’ve reviewed, you can see the majority can be resealed.
If you find one that doesn’t offer this feature, once the bag has been opened you should move the beans to an air-tight container.
Ensure to keep the container or bag at room temperature away from direct sunlight as this can impact the flavor. Any cupboard will be fine for this.
By doing these simple things when storing the beans you can increase their store life significantly. They should stay in good condition for the new few months.
However, it’s always best to check the expiration label to see the time range they should be used within.
If you’re worried the beans have gone out of date, you can usually tell by the smell. A dull or stale smell is a clear indication that they’re past their prime.
For the whole beans in resealable bags, maybe people often wonder whether they can grind them the night before. However, if you want the best tasting coffee, we recommend that you leave them in the bag right until you are about to make it, and then start grinding.
Is There More Caffeine in Cold Brew Coffee?
Because more beans are required to make a standard cup of cold brew, the caffeine amount is really high, even more so than a regular espresso.
This means you need to be careful with how much you drink at once. Don’t worry though, there are decaf options available if you’re worried about overdoing it.
Best Coffee for Cold Brew: A Recap
As you can see, we’ve certainly reviewed quite a lot of choices. Hopefully, this points you in the right direction to determine which one suits you.
At the end of the day, our advice would be to explore a few options that catch your eye and try them out.
If they work out, then great! If not, you can continue your quest until the best coffee for cold brew has been found. Like all things in the magical world of coffee, experimenting is key to finding out the ultimate combination.