Who doesn’t love the refreshing aroma of coffee? Your coffee-making game doesn’t solely depend on your skills. Choosing the right beans is an integral part of the taste and smell of the coffee.
Cold brew coffee is famous for its distinctive smooth taste with less bitterness. The acidity in cold brew coffee is less than in hot ones. However, they’re no less in terms of aroma and taste compared to the hot ones.
Not all coffee beans deliver the same flavor and richness. You need to choose the right beans to take your cold brew game up a notch!
Let’s move forward with this article and find out what are some of the best coffee beans for cold brew.
Our Top Picks For Best Coffee Beans For Cold Brew
Before diving into the detailed reviews, have a quick look at the list of the best coffee for a cold brew we are gonna review here.
Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee
This is our first choice for the best coffee for cold brew.
Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee is specially optimized for cold brewing and pure Arabica coffee. The beans are sourced from direct Peru and Nicaragua and are a mixture of light, medium, and dark roast beans. The special feature of this coarse-ground coffee is that it has low acidity.
Another great feature of this smooth and sweet blended coffee is that it contains Caramel and hazelnut flavor retention that will give you a sweet finish. Certified as 100% organic by USDA, Bizzy Organic Coffee will give you a consistent and smooth cold-brewing experience.
Overall, Bizzy Organic Coffee which weighs 1 lb. is a perfect choice to be used in cold brews and promises to satisfy the palettes. Although it may come as strong to some people, the smooth and sweet finish will give you pure delight. These medium-roast coffee beans can be your best choice for cold-brew coffee beans.
- Engineered specifically for cold brewing to give you a consistent, extra smooth drink
- Brew your cold brew according to your liking. Add more water for a less strong drink or less water for a stronger drink
- Made with 100% organic Arabica beans from Guatemala, Peru, and Nicaragua
- Roasted medium with notes of caramel and hazelnut for a smooth and sweet flavor
- Bizzy Coffee gives you the highest quality cold brew coffee at the best price
Tiny Footprint Coffee – Organic Cold Press Elixir
The first thing Tiny Footprint Coffee always preaches is that they are the world’s first carbon-negative coffee. It refers to every pound that will be sold, they will donate to reforestation in Ecuador. The beans are pure shade-grown and 100% organic that have a cocoa-like body alongside subtle bright fruit notes.
Tiny Footprint Coffee is perfectly crafted for a cold brew, with its light roast and dark roasted beans. The not-too-light, not-too-strong, bold mellow flavor makes it a perfect cold-brewed coffee. Sweet, silky richness with floral and fruity-toned flavor profiles make the tiny footprint coffee bean one of the best coffees for cold brew.
They use German-manufactured drum roasters to ensure consistent roast coffee and feature spikes of the best coffee from Ethiopia.
The manufacturer tends to make all the processing as eco-friendly as possible and promises to give an outstanding taste in each sip. Balanced flavors make it a top choice for best beans for cold brew coffee around the globe.
- A delicious, sweet, and rich cold brew coffee that is perfect for any coffee lover
- Made with 100% organic shade-grown Arabica coffee beans
- Craft-roasted in a vintage German roaster for consistent quality
- Ready-to-drink cold brew concentrate makes 1.35 gallons per pound (1:6 ratio)
Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve
This pick is for you all the way from South America. Colombian coffee is world-famous for its substantial body and rich flavors. Stone Street Coffee has a hint of floral and tropical fruit in its taste and aroma. With a good finish and low acidity level, it appeals to the customers nonetheless.
Stone Street Coffee offers a pouch that weighs 1 LB full of crafted beans that are perfect for cold brewing. The Colombian Supremo pure arabica roasted beans will give you a well-balanced taste that isn’t either too light or too strong. The dark roast and coarse ground beans ensure a slower extraction and give off a slightly smooth and sweet taste.
Another great feature the product exhibits is that it comes in a resealable pouch with three layers in it. The pouch is made with foil lining that preserves the ground beans and their flavors for a long time.
- Freshest gourmet arabica coffee beans from Colombia
- The beans are roasted to perfection in NYC, giving you a bold, balanced, low-acid, slightly sweet cold brew or iced coffee
- The resealable bag ensures your coffee stays fresh for longer, making it the perfect gift for coffee lovers
STONE COLD JO Cold Brew Coffee Blend
Our #4 choice for the best cold brew coffee is slightly different from others. This coffee is picked up from the top 2% of beans around the world.
If you’re looking for a light smooth cup of coffee then look no further, this baby is the one for you. It has a low acidity level with a hint of toffee caramel flavor to take your taste buds for a joyride.
The caramelization from the natural sugar will give you a smooth rich flavor on every sip.
The Stole Cold Jo is completely eco-friendly and it is Fair Trade Certified as well. They make no compromise when it comes to the taste and the quality of the beans. Through a team of experts, they carefully source All-Arabica raw coffee from around the world.
For the perfect cold brew, prepare a 4:1 water-to-coffee ratio. Stir it and refrigerate it for at least 12 hours. You can use the coffee for hot brews as well. Just put the coarse ground coffee into a press brewer and steep it for about 4-5 minutes.
- Hand-crafted by artisan coffee roasters using only the finest organic ingredients
- Available in 12 oz or 2 lb packages, both of which come with a resealable tin tie for easy storage
- USDA Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified, and Kosher Certified
Inspired Coffee Co. French Vanilla
This one is a blessing for those who’re into flavored coffee. The manufacturer selects the freshest coffee after a scrutinized selection process. The coffee beans are roasted and processed in a special way to deliver a rich creamy taste. Their trick is to use large dark coarse ground coffee to maximize the flavor while keeping the acidity level low.
It has a sweet silky aroma with a note of vanilla that will give you an ethereal feel on every sip. You will get a nutty undertone that will surely give a kickstart to your day. They use 100% Arabica beans that are specially sourced from Columbia.
The beans for cold brew come in a degassing bag to retain the freshness of the coffee for a long time. The 12 oz. pack will last you quite a while as you can create a creamy rich concentration with only two spoons of coffee.
- Flavor your cold brew coffee grounds to perfection with our flavor selection!
- Get the best-tasting cold brew by using a 3-1 ratio of water to grounds
- Steep your grounds overnight for the best flavor extraction possible
Hugo Coffee Ground Dog Daze
An interesting feature of this product is that for each packet of Hugo Coffee sold, a homeless dog gets funding for getting shelter and food. This product is specially made for a cold brew with a full-body flavor.
The coffee beans are suitable for making any kind of coffee drink as it contains flavors like chocolate, nuts, and spices. You will get carried away with the taste that comes from the hand-selected and roasted arabica beans.
The packaging system is also well crafted and it ensures top-notch preservation. The roasting process of the beans is done with less energy with higher efficiency before packaging so that it remains fresh. Hugo Coffee also provides good customer service.
This product is solely dedicated to saving dogs as a part of the environment. Their campaign and marketing of the product say it out loud too. If you want to have a great coffee experience as well as save homeless and endangered dogs out of kindness, then this product is the perfect choice for you.
- Every time you drink a cup of Hugo Coffee, you’re helping to save dogs in shelters
- The coffee is Fair Trade and made with organic beans
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
Buying Guide
The market is saturated and it is difficult for a person to choose the right product. For this reason, we have pointed out some of the parameters that will help you to buy the right product for you. Let’s take a quick look at it.
Best quality beans
The cold brewing method brings the total taste out of the coffee bean. For this reason, you should select the best quality coffee beans to get the best caffeine experience. You can look up different sites on the internet to get a vast idea about coffee beans.
Degree of Roast
The aroma and flavor of a coffee vastly depend on how the beans have been roasted. Most people prefer a medium or dark roasted bean as it is quite evident that they are the best coffee roast for cold brew.
The dark and medium roast brings out the rich flavors of the beans while the cold brew soothes the bitterness, and makes it smooth.
Single-Origin or Blend
Besides medium and dark roast beans, there are also some criteria that we should look into. Most people agree that single-origin coffee beans are best for the cold brewing process. Single-origin beans come from a single place, so the purity is quite unquestionable.
Grinding Method
For the cold brewing method, the selection of grinding methods is the most vital point. Coarse grinding is the most suitable method of grinding for the cold brewing process. The beans remain larger and remain stuck in the filter and do not enter the cup as sediment.
You should use a good burr grinder for the perfect grind size.
Important Factors For A Cold Brew Coffee
Temperature
You’re probably wondering that you’re putting no heat so does the temperature really matter? Well, yes it does. The perfect temperature for a cold brew is 36°-70° Fahrenheit (2-21 degree Celsius). The standard room temperature water may not be good(*room temperature varies from place to place).
The low temperature gives the brew its unique and distinct flavor notes. You need to soak the coffee grounds for at least 10-12 hours to avail yourself of the rich smooth texture.
Slow Drip Method vS. Immersion Method
You can make cold brew using both a slow drip process and an immersion procedure.
The immersion process is generally favored by homebrewers. All you need is a coffee filter, a brewing vessel, and some coffee grounds for the immersion. You can use a French press as a brewing vessel.
The advantage of using a French press is that it already has a filter in it. However, you can use any glass jar or mason jar for the process.
After immersing the coarse grounds in cold water. Refrigerate it for about 12 hours and strain once the water has soaked up the essence from the coffee grounds.
The final brew will be concentrated so mix up some more cold water to make it as per your choice.
Slow drip is a slightly more complex process than immersion. For many coffee enthusiasts, brewing is a challenging and exciting procedure.
You need a slow-drip coffee brewer for this process. Since the final brew is not immersed for hours, it’s less concentrated.
The brewing process takes around 3-6 hours to create a light rich flavored coffee.
How To Make The Perfect Cold Brew?
You don’t need to be a trained barista to make a great cuppa joe. You don’t need any ninja skills as you can make an excellent cold brew using some simple techniques. The first step is to combine coarse-ground coffee with water. No, leave it around overnight or for at least 12 hours.
The coffee will gradually infuse the water and create a strong concentrated brew during this time. The slow infusion process will grasp all the flavor from the beans while leaving behind the elements that make the coffee bitter and sour.
After 12 hours or so, strain the mixture to separate the coffee grounds. You will get a smooth rich flavor that’s perfect for cold coffee.
What You’ll Need:
- 1/2 pound of coarsely ground coffee beans
- 4 cups of cold filtered water
- Pitcher
- Cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel
- Rubber band
- Storage container with a tight-fitting lid
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Scale (optional)
- Burr grinder (optional)
How to Brew Your Coffee:
Step One: Choose Your Coffee Beans
The first step in making cold brew coffee is to choose the right beans. Since cold brew is less acidic than regular coffee, it can be made with a variety of beans; however, Arabica beans are most commonly used. Arabica beans have a higher sugar content than Robusta beans, which gives them a sweeter flavor. If you’re unsure of which type of bean to use, ask your barista for recommendations.
Step Two: Grind Your Coffee Beans
Once you’ve selected your beans, it’s time to grind them. Cold brew coffee requires a coarser grind than regular coffee because the grounds will be steeped in water for an extended period of time. A good rule of thumb is to use twice as much water as you would for regular coffee. For example, if you’re using two tablespoons of coffee grounds, use four tablespoons of water.
Step Three: Add Coffee Grounds and Water to a Pitcher or Jar
Next, add your coffee grounds and water to a pitcher or jar. Stir until the grounds are fully saturated. You can either cover the mixture and let it steep overnight at room temperature or place it in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
Step Four: Filter the Coffee Concentrate
Once the steeping process is complete, it’s time to filter the coffee concentrate. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over another pitcher or jar. Slowly pour the mixture over the strainer, being careful not to disturb the grounds too much (this can make the final product bitter). Once all of the liquid has been strained, discard the grounds and cheesecloth.
Step Five (Optional): Add Flavorings
Many people enjoy their cold brew black; however, if you prefer yours with milk or sugar, feel free to add those now. Some people also like to add flavorings such as vanilla extract or cinnamon before serving.
With these five simple steps, you’ll be enjoying homemade cold-brew coffee in no time! Just remember to start with high-quality beans, use twice as much water as you would for regular coffee, and give the mixture plenty of time to steep. And don’t forget—if you’re adding milk or sugar, do so now. Enjoy!
FAQs
Is Cold Brew Coffee Healthier?
Cold brew coffee has many compounds that are beneficial for our health – one study found it helps to increase our metabolism rate by 11%. Additionally, caffeine helps reduce the depression rate by 8%. Cold brew coffee contains multiple elements that improve heart health and blood sugar levels.
Can you make a decaf cold brew?
Yes, absolutely. Decaf coffee has a lower caffeine concentration. To make a decaf cold brew, all you need is a French press, coffee grounds, and water. A coffee press has a filter that will help to strain out the coffee grounds and reduce the caffeine level. You can use some heavy cream to make a delicious Starbucks-like coffee using these simple ingredients and processes.
Are iced coffee and cold brew the same thing?
Making cold brew coffee involves soaking the coffee grounds or beans for at least 10-12 hours to extract the flavor. The final product is a smooth, sweet flavor with less acidity than warm brews. Iced coffee on the other hand uses hot water to extract the flavor from the coffee, which is then poured over ice cubes to make iced coffee.
Final Thoughts
Coffee is a magical elixir for some people, but it can be ruined by low-quality beans. Specialty coffee beans are popular among aficionados because they have the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity for cold-brew coffee. Researchers have analyzed many different blends and brands to find the best coffee beans for cold brew, and our top choice is one of them.
Try it out yourself and see how your mornings shine brighter!