Enter your search term

Search by title or post keyword

Best Coffee For Cold Brew — Our Top Picks This Summer

Our website is supported by our users. We sometimes earn affiliate links when you click through the affiliate links on our website.

Summer is upon us, and so is the new favorite drink. Cold brew is increasingly popular, and you should get ready to enjoy some this summer!

By virtue of its preparation, cold brew is different from regular coffee or cold coffee.

That means that the same rules and preparation methods we employ for our regular beverage won’t work with this one.

Therefore, picking the best coffee for cold brew takes a slightly different approach.

Things You Should Know To Make The Best Cold Brew Coffee

The Brewing Process

General wisdom says water should be heated to about 195°F for the best extraction.

That’s the temperature where we can extract some of the best flavors of coffee, including the fruity and acidic ones.

Cold brew never reaches such a temperature.

A regular cold brew would be more focused around mouthfeel and flavors of nuts chocolates and dried spices.

The fruity and acidic flavors are important components, which is why many people prefer making iced coffee.

Although, very clearly, the flavors remain exciting as well, and offer their own unique flavors and feel.

There are two popular methods for the brewing process:

  • The immersion method involves steeping the coffee beans (or coarse grind) in water for about 24 hours. They are then filtered for the brew.
  • Slow drip process has a more intricate setup, where iced water is slowly dripped onto coffee grounds, filtered and collected in a carafe. It takes about 5-6 hours for this process to complete.

Choosing The Best Of Cold Brew Coffee Beans

Considering the coffee quality and roast are a big deal.

You could use the conventional beans if you prefer, but there are coffee beans available that cater specifically to cold brew.

Your choice of beans can make a difference, especially given the difference in the brewing process.

Choosing the best cold brew coffee beans on how you prefer to take your coffee.

If you prefer your beverage without milk, medium roast coffee beans should give you the best result.

Those who want to add milk will find a dark roast more suited to their tastes.

But can you use regular ground coffee for a cold brew?

Since it uses a different brewing process, you probably shouldn’t use regular ground coffee.

The conventionally available ground coffee is usually made for drip machines and has a fine grind that just won’t go well with steeping for several hours.

That doesn’t mean pre ground coffee is out of the question, as long as you get a very coarse grind, you could give it a shot.

If regular pre ground coffee is all you have, it’s better to consider iced coffee.

There are several options and brands available.

You can easily find beans on Amazon, in stores, online and brick and mortar shops, and even Starbucks.

There are vibrant social communities like or reddit and Facebook, and easily accessible information.

Best Coffee Beans For Cold Brew

Comparison Chart

DEATH WISH COFFEE Whole Bean Coffee [16 oz.] The World’s Strongest, USDA Certified Organic, Fair Trade, Arabica and Robusta Beans (1-Pack)
Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve, Coarse Ground, 1 LB Bag, Dark Roast, Colombian Single Origin
Intelligentsia Frequency Blend – 12 oz – Medium Roast, Direct Trade, Whole Bean Coffee
Hazelnut Cold Brew Iced Coffee (5-pack) | Cold Buzz Coffee Bean Bag Packs
Tiny Footprint Coffee – Organic Cold Brew Cold Press Elixir | Whole Bean Coffee | USDA Organic | Carbon Negative | 16 Ounce
Cafe Du Monde Coffee Chicory, 15-Ounce (Pack of 3)

1. Death Wish Whole Bean Coffee

Our Pick
9.4/10Our Score
  • Worlds strongest coffee: our whole coffee beans will transform your basic cup of joe into a delicious
  • Quality brew: hands down, the best whole coffee beans in the world. one sip of our best-selling coffee
  • Bold flavor: immerse yourself in a smooth, subtle, never bitter cherry and chocolate flavor profile.
  • Fair and organic: every 16 oz. bag of death wish coffee is filled to the top with whole coffee beans
  • Try it risk-free: death wish coffee comes highly rated by thousands of satisfied customers who can't

The interestingly named Death Wish Whole Bean Coffee is a popular choice for regular brewing as well as cold brews.

It is rich, flavorful, and claims to be the most potent coffee available. If you’re looking for a solid caffeine kick, Death Wish will do it for you!

All that rich caffeine content makes this coffee great.

This brand is all about getting your fresh coffee rich and powerful, and it delivers on both counts.

2. Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve Colombian Coffee

Runner Up
9.4/10Our Score
  • Coarse ground coffee for cold brewing we start with gourmet arabica coffee beans from Colombia, the
  • Dark roast colombian supremo our beans are classified as supremo which are the largest and highest
  • Strong & smooth blend our coffee is specially formulated to make a bold, balanced, low-acid, slight
  • 1 lb resealable bag (16 ounce) our 3-layer natural kraft bag is foil-lined and has a one-way valve
  • Freshly roasted in brooklyn, nyc stone street coffee company is specialty small-batch roaster,

Stone Street coffee is one of the most popular options available and is our choice as the best coffee brand for cold brew.

It is made and directed straight for cold brews.

A full “Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve Colombian Single Origin Coarsely Ground Coffee” is an excellent roast, pre ground, and ready to go.

That’s a combination that works great for most people, as the coffee beans are made available exactly the way they should be.

It’s a well-balanced taste and will soak without any troubles.

3. Intelligentsia Coffee Frequency Blend

Intelligentsia Coffee, Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee - Frequency Blend 12 Ounce Bag with Flavor Not
  • Frequency blend: versatile and balanced, our frequency blend is an easy-to-enjoy coffee with a smooth
  • Seasonality: the components of our blends change throughout the year to incorporate new arrivals. we
  • Direct trade: our commitment to direct trade allows us to cut out unnecessary importers and exporter
  • About us: intelligentsia is a specialty coffee pioneer, rising from humble chicago roots to a company
  • Contents: 1- 12 ounce bag of intelligentsia frequency blend whole bean coffee

Intelligentsia Coffee is an interestingly flavored all-rounder.

Made with pulped-natural Brazilian coffee and seasonal fully washed coffee, this blend has quite a lot to offer. It’s usually a medium-to-dark roast that’s almost a classical feel and flavor.

The blend makes it unique, as do the seasonal variations. It’s quite the coffee, and you’ll love it.

4. Hazelnut Cold Brew Iced Coffee

Inspired Coffee Co - Flavored Cold Brew Coffee Grounds (Decaf Salted Caramel)
  • Flavored cold brew coffee grounds. try all over our flavors!
  • We use a 3-to-1 ratio of water to grounds
  • Steep your grounds overnight for 12-24 hours for best flavor extraction
  • Inspired coffee co... the cold brew that inspires you!

What makes this coffee great is the touch of Hazelnut flavor along with classic cold brew coffee.

What makes it even better is that the flavors come out to play with steeping.

The beans used are 100% Arabica from Central and South American farmers.

Cold Buzz Hazelnut coffee works best with cold brew, and they also recommend refrigeration while brewing.

So your brew will be good to go as soon as the steeping is done.

Cold Buzz has quite a range of flavors to offer, but Hazelnut is particularly enticing.

5. Tiny Footprint Coffee

Tiny Footprint Coffee USDA Organic Cold Brew & Press Elixir, Ground Coffee, Carbon Negative, 16 Ounc
  • Flavor profile: sweet, silky richness with subtle bright fruit and floral tones infused in a cocoa
  • Organic: 100% organic shade-grown arabica coffee
  • Cold brew blend: a blend crafted perfectly for cold brew -- our cold press elixir is a mix of our li
  • Craft roasted in our vintage 90 kilo german-built probat drum roaster retrofitted with modern fuel-e
  • The perfect brew: each pound brews 1.35 gallons of ready-to-drink cold brew (1:6 brew ratio and 1:1

Tiny Footprint Coffee presents its eco-conscious inclinations right along its tasty flavors.

The company claims to sell “carbon negative coffee”, with a portion of all profits going to reforestation efforts in Ecuador.

The Cold Press Elixir is made specifically for use in cold brew coffee.

There recommendation for coffee to water ratio is 1:6 for brewing, and 1:1 for dilution.

Cold Press Elixir is made from shade-grown Arabica blended with Ethiopian coffees.

6. Cafe Du Monde Coffee Chicory

Cafe Du Monde Coffee Chicory, 15 Ounce Ground
  • Original french market coffee stand coffee
  • Coffee and chicory. can contains 15oz of ground cafe du monde coffee
  • This popular new orleans landmark has been located in the french market since the early 1860's.
  • The original French market coffee stand, serving cafe au laity and hot beignets (french doughnuts) 

The very classical appearance of Cafe Du Monde Coffee Chicory’s packing is a reminder that this is an old company with deep-rooted coffee history.

It has been in business since 1862 and knows its coffee flavors and production well.

Coffee is blended with chicory for a sweet aroma and mellow flavors.

Being smooth and very low on bitterness makes it an excellent choice for cold brew, although traditional coffee loves will enjoy it as much!

Best Coffee For Cold Brew — Conclusion

Cold brew is delicious and just the right fit for the summers.

Making it is easy and convenient, and you can often forego the machines and equipment usually required for traditional coffee.

Getting the best coffee beans for cold brew, however, remains important.

After all, it is the beans that make the brew!

what_is_a_frappuccino_1

May 13, 2022 0 min read

what_is_a_frappuccino_2

May 13, 2022 0 min read

strongest_k_cup_coffee_1

May 13, 2022 0 min read

Explore More within Art of Barista

Art of Barista
Browse our site for free advice to help you create coffee at home.
post explore

How we help

We’re coffee lovers at heart. That’s why we started this site – to share our love of coffee with you.

The art of coffee starts here

Start Here

Brewing Guides

Explore all the best ways to brew your coffee, from roasting the beans to making the perfect Caffe Latte.

View All

Buying Guides

With so many different kinds and brands of coffee out there, it can be hard to know what to buy. Explore our guides to find the best coffee for you.

View All

Coffee Facts

Our mission is to give coffee lovers the power to create the most delicious coffee cup from the comfort of their home.

View All