What Is The Best Coffee For Cold Brew?

Coffee shops make it seem like choosing the best coffee for cold brew is extremely complicated. And that might be because they want you to buy it from them. But this has also created a misconception that you can only brew cold coffee with certain beans or coffee roasts.

Strictly speaking, you can use any coffee beans to make cold brew at home. But you'll have the best results if you use the freshest beans possible. You should also choose a style of coffee you actually enjoy. If you don't like it hot, you probably won't like it cold.

Let me walk you through choosing the right coffee beans for the best cold brew. I have some tips from my decade of experience that help make the process easier.

What Are The Best Coffee Beans For Cold Brew?

The best coffee for cold brew really depends on your taste preferences. Any fresh beans will make great-tasting cold brewed coffee. After that, it's a matter of following the right process and using the right equipment. 

If you want to enjoy the bold flavor of cold coffee, choose any fresh beans that you like. The best part about making it at home is that you can control the flavor and the strength. If you want a stronger brew or a cold brew concentrate, use more grounds.

For rich coffee with caramel or chocolatey notes, choose a darker roast. If you prefer acidic or fruity coffees, go with a light roast. Medium roast beans offer a more balanced profile that some find easier to drink.

Tips For Making The Best Cold-Brewed Coffee

No matter what type of beans you choose, here are a few tips for getting the best flavor profile:

• Buy fresh and [store coffee beans properly](how to store/keep coffee fresh)
• Use a coffee that you enjoy drinking
• Avoid using pre-ground coffee, it is less fresh and harder to filter out
• Coarsely grind the coffee for the right flavor and strength
• Always use cold water when brewing. Portion it out in advance and chill it for at least two hours
• If your tap water doesn't taste the best, use filtered water instead
• Brew your coffee in a metal or glass container
• Drink your cold brew coffee in three to four days for peak freshness

That said, coffee is about exploration — at least, it is to me. So, make bold choices and take a little risk. Choose a coffee that sounds interesting and make a batch.

Assuming you make a 1.5-liter carafe, that's roughly four 12-ounce coffees. And you can always start with smaller containers to test the flavor of the beans.

How To Choose The Best Coffee For Cold Brew

When it comes to making the best cold brewed coffee, choosing the right coffee is important. But there are several other factors that will impact the flavor. From grinding the beans to brewing in the right container, here are some ways to improve your cold brew coffee.

Buy Fresh Coffee Beans

Coffee loses its flavor and aroma over time. Have you ever had a dull, bitter coffee? The beans were probably old. To get the best flavor out of your cold brew, you need to buy fresh beans.

The best way to get fresh beans is to buy directly from the roaster. Whether you buy from me or another roaster, you will typically get beans that are about 2 weeks old.

If you're buying from a coffee shop, the beans could be anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks old. But it depends on how often they roast and how fast their beans sell.

Are you buying coffee at the grocery store? Even if you are buying from a quality roaster, coffee beans on store shelves are typically a month old if not older.

That's not to say you can't buy from them, it just means the beans will probably be less flavorful cold brew. coffee Wherever you buy, remember the best cold brew comes from the freshest beans.

Use Coffee You Like

If you want the best coffee grounds for cold brew, you need to choose something you like drinking. You probably won't like the cold brew if you don't like way the coffee tastes as a pour-over or a latte.

This starts with knowing what kind of coffee roast you like. There are a lot of roast profiles. But without getting too deep into roast options, you should know these three main styles: dark, medium, and light roasts.

Light roast beans have a pronounced acidity but generally make a mild cup of coffee. While lighter roasts can showcase a variety of subtle or nuanced flavors, they commonly taste like fruits or berries. 

Medium roast beans have a balanced sweetness and acidity. Fruit flavors may still come through but with notes of caramelized sugars, vanilla, and toffee. The chocolate notes become more pronounced in medium-dark roasts.

Dark roast coffee beans have notes of dark chocolate and caramelized or almost burnt sugars. The aromas are often rich or even smokey. Dark roast beans are also more bitter. 

It's also important to note that cold brew tends to be more flora and less bitter than other coffee drinks. So, you can use darker or richer roasts without them being too overwhelming. 

Get The Grind Right

Making the best cold brew at home is about getting the right grind on the beans. It will also keep your cold brew clear and keep coffee grounds out of your cup.

You want an extra course grind for your cold brew. The coffee grounds should be about 1.5 millimeters. So, pull out your rulers and start measuring. Obviously, that's ridiculous.

What you want to see is something that looks like rock salt. All the beans should be cracked open, but they should still look like coffee beans.

If you have a burr grinder, you usually want to use the highest setting or something really close to it. Grind settings vary from model to model, so check your manual for the recommended setting.

Since blade grinders are inconsistent, getting the right cold brew grounds is more difficult. Work in small batches and pulse the grinder for just a second. Then check the grounds.

Depending on how many beans you put inside and the exact model you are using, it will probably take two to three seconds - or pulses. But trust your eyes and stop when the coffee is cracked.

Confused about grinders? No problem. I explain [how to choose the right coffee grinder](best coffee grinder) in another article. It has all your options and the the pros and cons of each. Hint: burr grinders are the way to go.

Brew In The Right Container

Wait, the container matters? Well, sort of. There are all sorts of cold brew gadgets on the market. Some of them are good and others, well, not so much.

If you are taking the time to use fresh beans and the right grind to make cold brew coffee, you might as well make sure the vessel is right, too.

I prefer glass or stainless steel for making cold brew. They are non-porous and easy to keep clean. Plus, they will never flavor your coffee.

Mason jars are inexpensive and work great, but one quart of cold brew coffee isn't that much. I prefer glass carafes that are at least 50 ounces or 1.5 liters. Depending on how much coffee you drink, this should last you through the week.

Another great option is a double-walled metal coffee thermos. They won't break like glass, and you can also use them for hot coffee and so much more.

Again, I don't think anything smaller than 50 ounces is worth it, but it all depends on how much cold brew you drink. 

Even if it's BPA-free, I avoid plastic at all costs. Plastic still picks up flavors easily and can still leach chemicals into your coffee. If this is your only option, I strongly suggest transferring to glass or stainless after brewing.

Get The “Best” Coffee For Cold Brew

Almost all of my fresh roasted coffee beans are perfect for making cold brew at home. Choose from a variety of coffee beans in different roasts, all ethically sourced from local growers. Orders over $40 get fast, free shipping. I also offer bulk beans and wholesale coffee. And I can even do private labels or toll roasting. If you have any questions, message me on Instagram. I am happy to help you choose the right coffee for however you love to brew.