The best coffee for cold brew
“AUCH! Warm warm warm…”
Ever burnt your tongue on coffee? It hurts… A lot.
Maybe you should give cold brew coffee a try.
Nothing beats that morning cup of joe. Having a nice sip of caffeine in the morning gives us the energy to go through the regular hustle and bustle of everyday life.
With that said, many of us simply don’t have the time to brew a fresh batch of coffee in the morning. And some people simply prefer having a cold cup of coffee rather than a hot one. If you’re one of these people, then you might want to consider cold brew coffee instead.
Cold-brew coffee offers many benefits, such as less acidity, higher caffeine content, and has even shown signs of boosting your mood and keeping you alert. And on top of all that, cold-brewing coffee requires much less maintenance than regularly-brewed coffee.
To make cold-brew coffee, the most important thing to consider is the beans you are using. And in today’s market, there are just so many choices that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are many factors to consider, such as the flavor, price, sustainability, roast, and many more!
If it’s your first time buying coffee beans for cold brew, you might have a hard time finding the right one for you. So, we’ve compiled a list of the best coffee for cold brew on the market today to make it easier for you to narrow down your options.
Best overall
Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee
Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee
This coffee is made from Arabica beans and features a smooth and sweet flavor. This would be an excellent pick for regular coffee drinkers who need a quick boost every morning!
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We’re kicking off our list with one of the top picks on the market today. Many experts and enthusiasts consider Bizzy Organic’s Cold Brew coffee as one of the best coffees for cold brews today.
This coffee blend is designed for cold brewing, so you won’t run into trouble when making yourself a batch of coffee. Since it’s coarse-ground coffee, all you have to do is brew it in cold water for 14-20 hours and use a coffee filter to remove the grounds. After that, you’ll have a fresh batch of cold brew ready for consumption! You can even cold-brew coffee in a French press since it uses coarse grounds.
With this pack, you can brew 15-20 cups of coffee, so you don’t have to worry about constantly restocking if you’re a regular coffee drinker.
Best premium
Dunkin’ Cold Brew Ground Coffee
Dunkin’ Cold Brew Ground Coffee
Coffee drinkers who want a smooth and dark cup of coffee in the morning will enjoy this Dunkin’ Cold Brew Pack. On top of that, it’s also very convenient to brew, making it an excellent pick for anybody on the go.
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Dunkin Donuts coffee is known for being a great pick for coffee drinkers on the go. This pack of coffee is one of the most convenient picks out there. To make yourself a batch of cold brew, all you have to do is submerge two packs in four cups of water and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. And by the morning, your coffee will be ready!
The coffee in the pack is rich and dark, making it ideal for cold brewing. And since it already comes in packs, you don’t have to worry about measuring the correct ratio or filtering out the coffee after brewing.
This box contains 24 packs, which is fit for about 35 cups, depending on how much water you use.
Best ready-to-drink
Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee
Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee
If you can’t seem to find the time to brew your coffee, this is the pick for you. Since it’s unsweetened, you have complete control of the sweetness while also being assured of top-quality and rich coffee flavors.
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While cold-brewing is the more convenient option for many people, it still takes a lot more time than a normal hot cup of coffee. But with this option, the coffee is ready to drink, and all you have to do is open the bottle.
Starbucks is one of the most famous coffee shops globally, and its coffee speaks for itself. With this brew, you’ll be getting a rich and bold flavor. And since it’s unsweetened, you have complete control of the sugar. So, if you like a sweet coffee, simply add whatever sweetener you want. And if you like your coffee black, you can drink it as is.
One downside to choosing this option is that it may cost you more than brewing it yourself. But for the added convenience and a quality cup of cafe-quality cold-brew coffee, it will be very much worth your money.
Best with flavored
Inspired Coffee Co. French Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee
Inspired Coffee Co. French Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee
These beans are ideal for those who like a hint of vanilla sweetness in their coffee. It is enough coffee to brew many batches and has a bold and rich flavor that many coffee lovers would enjoy.
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Our next option is one of the more unique picks on the list. This Inspired Coffee Co. pack is filled with high-quality, coarse ground beans ideal for cold brews. But what makes it stand out is that it is already pre-flavored with French Vanilla.
This gives the coffee a unique aroma and body. If you prefer a straightforward and bold flavor, this isn’t the option for you. But if you enjoy a subtle sweetness to your coffee, you might find this French Vanilla option to be just the bag you need in your kitchen.
It’s a 12 oz. resealable bag, which gives you enough coffee for many batches, and you have complete control over the coffee to water ratio. So whether you’re just brewing a cup for tomorrow morning a big batch for the entire week, this might be the right pick for you.
Best strong
Wandering Bear Extra Strong Coarse Ground Coffee
Wandering Bear Extra Strong Coarse Ground Coffee
If you need an extra kick from your cup of joe in the morning, this is the one for you. The Wandering Bear Coffee features dark roasted beans with a bold flavor ready to keep you energized the whole day through!
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Some people need a stronger kick out of their coffee. And if you’re one of those people, this is the right pick for you. The key feature of Wandering Bear Extra Strong Coffee is its kick. One cup of this in the morning will have you energized throughout the day.
However, if you aren’t a big fan of strong coffee, this might not be the best pick for you. These beans are all organic and feature a dark roast. This gives it a bolder, more chocolatey taste that many coffee drinkers would love. But be careful; higher caffeine content also means a higher acidity, which is a crucial thing to keep in mind.
These beans are great for cold brew, and since they are coarse-ground, it’s easier to filter out the coffee after brewing. But many users have also said that this coffee is excellent when brewed hot, giving you much more flexibility!
Best whole bean coffee
Wink Coffee Cold Brew Reserve
Wink Coffee Cold Brew Reserve
If you have a coffee grinder at home enjoy the bold and rich flavors of cold-brew, this is the right bag for you. These whole beans are meticulously chosen and roasted to provide for a smooth and rich cold brew.
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For superior flavor, many enthusiasts and experts recommend freshly ground beans. And to do that, you need to buy whole bean coffee and a coffee grinder. While it might seem like a lot of extra effort, it will all be worth it for a full-bodied cup of coffee with a strong punch of flavor.
This coffee from Wink Coffee is excellent for cold brew, as that is designed explicitly for cold-brewing. By combining the right beans and roasting techniques, this coffee provides an exceptionally smooth cold brew with a very potent flavor.
The bag also comes with an air-tight zipper, so you can always reseal the bag and keep the flavor for much longer. If you don’t have a coffee grinder at home, this isn’t the right bag for you. However, if you get to grind these beans, it will make for an incredibly smooth and flavorful cup of coffee, perfect for starting the day!
Best organic
Tiny Footprint Organic Carbon Negative Cold Brew Coffee
Tiny Footprint Organic Carbon Negative Cold Brew Coffee
If you need a bag of coffee that’s ethically and sustainably sourced, then this is the right one for you. It’s organic, with a rich and fruity flavor that would be a great way to start your day!
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When hunting for coffee to use for cold-brew, sustainability should be a top priority. This bag of ground coffee from Tiny Footprint is ideal for those who want to get sustainably sourced, ethically sourced, and flavor-rich coffee.
It’s a medium roast coffee, so you can expect fruity flavors to dominate your palette when drinking it. Since it’s a medium-roast, expect a bit more acidity, but that should be neutralized if you chose to brew the coffee cold.
One of the main features of this coffee is that it’s carbon negative. When buying this bag, you can rest assured that you aren’t leaving a mark on the environment while also drastically reducing your carbon footprint.
Best for French press
Cold Brew Lab Organic Coarse Cold Brew Coffee
Cold Brew Lab Organic Coarse Cold Brew Coffee
If all you have is a French Press at home, this coffee is perfect for your cold brews. Since it has an extra coarse grind, a French press can easily filter out the beans, giving you a very smooth and flavorful cup of coffee.
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If you don’t have coffee filters on hand, you can cold brew coffee through a French press. To do that, you need a coarse ground coffee like this selection from Cold Brew Lab.
As the name suggests, this is a bag of coffee specifically designed for cold-brewing methods. It features an extra-coarse grind, which makes it easier for a French press to filter out the beans, so you don’t have to worry about a bunch of grinds getting stuck in your teeth.
This is a dark roast coffee, so you can expect rich and deep chocolatey cacao flavors. And since it’s dark roasted, it’s also less acidic, making it ideal for cold brewing your coffee.
Best ground coffee
Jo Coffee Coarse Ground Coffee Cold Brew Blend
Jo Coffee Coarse Ground Coffee Cold Brew Blend
If you enjoy deep and rich flavors in your coffee, this is a great pick for you. And since it’s pre-ground, making a batch of coffee is made much more convenient!
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For most homebrewers, pre-ground coffee is the way to go. With pre-ground coffee, you don’t have to worry about having a coffee grinder, and it’s also much easier to make a cold brew when the coffee is pre-ground.
This bag from Stone Cold Jo features dark roasted coffee beans so that you can expect a rich and deep flavor from this bag. The coffee in the pack is organic and hand-roasted by artisans, ensuring that you always get high-quality cold brew whenever you need it.
The bag has a resealable tin-tie, so after making a batch of coffee, you can easily reseal it and keep the flavor in while also safely storing your coffee.
Best affordable
Cameron’s Coffee Coarse Ground Cold Brew Blend
Cameron’s Coffee Coarse Ground Cold Brew Blend
Coffee drinkers who don’t want the caffeine kick and are on a budget will enjoy this pick. This coffee is specifically designed for cold-brew, is decaffeinated, and makes for a very smooth and subtle cup of coffee.
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While it might be great to have premium coffee at the ready at home, it’s not the most practical option for many people. That’s what makes this bag of coffee great. It makes for an amazing cup of joe in the morning while also being available at a very affordable price.
It has medium roasted beans, so you can expect a milder and fruitier flavor from it. And since these beans are designed for cold-brewing, it also allows for a smooth batch of coffee, as long as you make sure to filter out the grounds properly.
Another feature of this bag is that it’s decaffeinated. So, if you need caffeine in the morning to stay active, this isn’t the pick for you. But if you enjoy the coffee taste and flavor but don’t want to get the caffeine kick, this will work just right.
What to look for in good coffee for cold brew
How you make your coffee
The first thing to consider when shopping for cold brew coffee beans is how you plan on making your coffee. There are many kinds of cold brew like nitro, concentrate, canned, or New Orleans style. These methods require a different type of coffee bean, so it’s important to know what kind of coffee you want to brew before buying.
Additionally, ask yourself if you plan to make single-servings or large jugs. This can also significantly impact the coffee you need to buy as larger servings require more coffee.
Flavor profile
The flavor profile of your coffee is arguably one of the most important factors to consider when buying coffee beans. The right flavor profile for you largely depends on your tastes and preferences.
Before going out to buy coffee, ask yourself, “How do I like my coffee?”. Do you prefer a chocolatey taste or something more fruity? Do you prefer a bolder flavor or a more acidic one? All of these things go into the full flavor profile of your coffee, and everyone has different tastes.
And when you find the right coffee beans for your preferences, you might find yourself only using those beans for all your coffee cups, hot or cold.
Roast factor
The type of roast on your coffee beans is another important factor to consider. The type of roast has a direct effect on the flavor and strength of the beans. If you prefer a less acidic brew with less caffeine, we recommend darker roasts. While many people believe darker roasts mean more robust coffee with higher caffeine content, it’s actually the opposite.
Lighter roasted coffee features a fruity flavor profile, high acidity, and higher caffeine content. On the other hand, darker roasts have lower acidity and have a chocolate-like flavor profile. There are also various medium roasts that feature combine dark and light roast characteristics.
Figuring out the proper roast for your cold brew will be much easier if you know the flavor profile you need in your kitchen.
Sustainability
It’s essential to look for brands that prioritize sustainable practices. There are many brands out there that exploit farmers and use non-sustainable methods for their coffee. It’s best to avoid these brands.
Ideally, you should get coffee beans from beans that practice pesticide-free farming or brands that produce co-op farmed coffee, so you are sure that the farmers who work long hours to grow and harvest your beans are getting treated fairly.
FAQ
What kind of coffee is best for cold brew?
Ideally, medium to dark roast coffee beans is best for cold brew. Since these beans have lower acidity and a bolder flavor, most experts recommend them for cold brews. However, everyone has their own preferences and tastes when it comes to coffee.
Is cold brew coffee healthy?
Like regular coffee, cold brew coffee offers significant health benefits. It contains anti-oxidants and could be a great way to kickstart your day. Additionally, cold-brew coffee has a lower acidity level than regular coffee, making it an excellent pick for many coffee drinkers out there.
Is cold brew stronger than regular coffee?
Coffee strength largely depends on the type of beans, the ground, and how you brew your coffee. Generally, cold brew is more potent than regular coffee because of the higher coffee to water ratio needed for cold brews. However, this always depends on how you brew your coffee, as everyone has their unique techniques and styles.
Final verdict
Cold brew coffee is the ideal option for many coffee drinkers. It can be made overnight, saving you time in the morning, is less acidic, and offers a flavor that some people prefer over traditional hot coffee drinks.
But if you plan to cold brew your coffee, you need to have the right beans. When buying cold brew coffee beans, there are many things to consider, such as usage, sustainability, strength, flavor, and much more.
And while this might seem like a lot of things to consider, rest assured that all of the time you spend thinking of the right beans for you will be worth it. This is because, at the end of the day, you’ll have a great bag of coffee beans ready for you to start making your own cold-brew coffee!
