In a rush? Our pick for the best coffee for cold brew is Lifeboost Organic Light Roast Beans.
Making cold brew coffee at home?
That’s easy – as long as you have the right coffee.
Cold brew brings out the subtle flavors in coffee beans, so choosing the right profile can be hard.
But that’s why we’re here today.
In this article, I’ve gathered some of the best coffee for cold brew on the market nowadays.
Ready to make the pick? Let’s dive in!
Best Coffee for Cold Brew: Top 7 Picks
- Lifeboost Organic Light Roast Beans (Best Overall)
- Stone Street Coffee Dark Roast (Best For Bulk Buying)
- Metropolis Coffee Cold Brew Blend (Best Alternative Flavor)
- Nicaragua Segovia Dark Roast (Most Environmentally-Friendly)
- Copper Moon Guatemalan Antigua Blend (Budget Pick)
- Cameron’s Coffee Roasted Ground Coffee Bag (Best Preground Coffee)
- Coffee Bros. Cold Brew Blend (Luxury Pick)
1. Lifeboost Organic Light Roast Beans
This organic, single-origin roast by Lifeboost is an all-around great choice for making the cold brew. It’s marketized as the healthiest and tastiest coffee out there, and to be honest, it’s hard to argue with that.
Lifeboost is certified organic. That means the coffee is grown under strict guidelines, without the use of synthetic chemicals. That’s the most difficult certification to earn, which proves that Lifeboost coffee is of the highest quality.
This variety of Arabica beans is grown in the deep shade up in the mountains of Nicaragua. High altitude is where the Arabica bean variety thrives, yielding high-quality coffee with complex notes. The impact is quite noticeable with this roast.
Lifeboost light toast has a medium body, bright and well-rounded milky flavor with prominent nutty and caramel notes. While you can make pretty much any type of coffee you want with this roast, these earthy flavors shine best in cold brew.
Light roast is generally more acidic, but that’s not the case here. These beans are naturally low in acid, making this product easy on your stomach. This makes Lifeboost a great choice for those dealing with acid reflux after each cup of coffee.
Pros
- The coffee is organic-certified, meaning it’s grown under rigorous guidelines and quality control
- Low acidity makes this coffee suitable even for people with sensitive stomachs
- You can choose between beans and coffee grounds, depending on whether you own a grinder or not
- A 30-day money-back guarantee means you get your money’s worth or your money back
Cons
- Somewhat expensive compared to most coffee on the list
2. Stone Street Coffee Dark Roast
If you like your cold brew strong and bold, this dark roast blend by Stone Street Coffee is a great choice. It’s characterized by a slightly sweet, well-balanced flavor with prominent fruity and chocolate notes and a full body.
This bold blend is perfect for cold brew coffee, but it can work for other brewing methods as well, such as espresso or drip coffee.
If you don’t own a coffee grinder, don’t worry. You can also buy this blend coarsely ground, exactly how you want it to be for cold brew.
Stone Street Coffee company only roasts in small batches, which assures freshness and quality. Coffee is packed in a two-pound three-layer bag. The bag has an inner foil lining and a one-way valve, so it stays fresh for a long time – as long as you keep it closed.
Pros
- Small-batch roasting assures you always get the freshest beans
- Well-balanced fruity and chocolate notes make this blend suitable for other brewing methods aside from cold brew
- Packed in a three-layer bag, this blend can sit for a long time without oxidizing
- You can choose between beans and pre-ground coffee
Cons
- Only packed in 2-pound bags, which can be large for casual consumers
3. Metropolis Coffee Cold Brew Blend
Not too fond of what most cold brews taste like? Well, neither was the founder of the Metropolis Coffee Company. That’s why these cold brew coffee beans taste like chocolate milk!
While I was skeptical at first, I’m definitely a convert now. This dark roast blend has a flavor profile that’s both complex and well-balanced. Subtly earthy, this blend is sweet with prominent notes of chocolate and molasses.
But don’t get fooled by the mellowness of this blend. While it might taste similar to your favorite childhood drink, it’s definitely not weak. This blend is high in caffeine, so rest assured that it will give you the much-needed energy kick in the morning.
During packaging, coffee bags are flushed with nitrogen. That prevents it from oxidizing and further increases shelf life. And since each batch is made to order, there’s practically no way you can get a stale bag.
Pros
- Sweet and chocolatey, this blend is suitable even for casual coffee drinkers
- High caffeine content makes for an energizing cup of coffee
- It’s made in small batches to order, which assures each bag arrives fresh
- Nitrogen flushed bags prevent the bag from going stale before you open it
Cons
- Only sold in 12-ounce packaging
4. Nicaragua Segovia Dark Roast
This blend by Tiny Footprint Coffee has a bold, roasty flavor traditional for coffee varieties growing in Nicaragua.
A prominent chocolate tone with bright, fruity notes of fig and apricot isn’t a typical flavor profile for cold brew, but this blend simply makes it work.
Tiny Footprint Coffee is a small roastery. But, it’s heavily dedicated to keeping its carbon footprint neutral, which is quite admirable. It’s the first coffee company to do so, hopefully setting the bar for everyone else.
The company achieves that by donating a portion of each pound sold to fund Ecuador’s Mindo cloud forest. So by buying this roast, you’re also giving your modest contribution to reforestation.
The blend is sold in one and three-pound packaging. It’s vacuumed but not releasable, so once opened, it won’t prevent the beans from oxidizing. So depending on how much coffee you drink, go for the one that’s closer to your weekly supply of coffee.
Pros
- Depending on how much coffee you drink, you can choose between one and three-pound packaging
- A portion of each sale is donated to forest reforestation funds, so you’re giving your contribution to the cause
- It’s organic, which assures the beans are of the highest quality
- Packed as both whole beans and pre-ground coffee, so you can choose whichever works better for you
Cons
- Once opened, beans must be transferred into an airtight bag or a container
5. Copper Moon Guatemalan Antigua Blend
Copper Moon is a perfect example that good coffee beans don’t have to cost a pretty penny. For a more than affordable price, you get a whole pound of fresh Arabica coffee beans.
The brand offers quite a variety of coffee blends suitable for cold brew. But the Guatemalan Antigua blend is definitely the best option for this type of coffee.
This is a light roast blend, but it makes a rich and full-bodied cup of coffee. The flavor profile is a perfect combination of cocoa flavor with a smokey undertone and berry and citrus notes.
The packaging might be the least important characteristic when it comes to coffee. But Copper Moon bags are just too cute not to be mentioned, with the cosmic drawings all over them.
The only issue I have with the bag is that it isn’t releasable. So as soon as you pop it open, you need to transfer the beans into an airtight bag or a container – and throw away this one.
Pros
- The intense flavor profile of this blend mellows down when brewed with cool water, making it perfect for cold brew
- You can use the blend for hot brewing methods as well, such as espresso
- Pretty affordable compared to most beans on the list
- Comes in a 32-ounce packaging, so you don’t have to refill that often
Cons
- Only comes in one size
- You must transfer the coffee to an airtight container once opened
6. Cameron’s Coffee Roasted Ground Coffee Bag
This blend by Cameron’s Coffee is juicy and smooth, something both casuals and avid coffee drinkers can enjoy. In fact, if you never had a cold brew before, this is the kind of blend you want to use the first time.
Not every coffee lover has a grinder at home, and that’s okay. Cameron’s blend is pre ground coffee, so you can make cold brew straight from a bag.
The brand only makes coffee in small batches, so rest assured your bag is still fresh by the time it reaches your doorstep. This blend makes a creamy and flavorful cup of coffee, with slight notes of milk and chocolate. It’s sweet and mellow, which makes it perfect for a hot summer day.
But while easy on the tongue, that doesn’t mean this is not a strong coffee. This medium roast blend is actually high in caffeine and will give you an energy kick with the first glass of cold brew coffee.
Pros
- Since it’s made in small batches, you can rest assured your coffee will be delivered fresh
- High caffeine content makes this coffee suitable for a morning drink
- Coffee is preground, so you can use it straight from the bag
- The mellow flavor makes this blend suitable for people just getting into cold brew
Cons
- Only sold as ground coffee
7. Coffee Bros. Cold Brew Blend
While Coffee Bros. are pretty new on the coffee scene, they have already made a name for themselves for being committed to making only the highest quality coffee.
What I specifically like about the brand is that you know exactly what to expect. Each product states the prominent coffee flavor right on the packaging. In the case of the cold brew blend, you can sense deep notes of chocolate and berries, with slight hints of brown sugar.
The blend is packed in 12-ounce bags, and shipped in small batches every week. This assures that you always get fresh coffee, regardless of where you buy it from.
The bag comes with a one-way valve, which allows the beans to degas inside the packaging. I love that the bag is releasable, so you can use it to store the beans.
Pros
- Each blend has prominent flavors stated on the packaging, so you know what to expect
- The bag features a one-way valve, which allows the beans to degas without going stale
- Since it’s made in small batches, you get fresh coffee each time
- Comes in a releasable bag, so you don’t have to transfer the beans once you open the packaging
Cons
- Somewhat expensive compared to most beans on the list
What to Consider Before Buying
Not all coffee works great for making a cold brew. In this section, we’ll go over everything you need to know in order to make the right pick.
Roast
Whether you should go with light, medium, or dark roast is mainly up to your preference. Light and medium roasts are naturally more acidic, but that’s something you can’t actually feel in a cold brew coffee. That’s why even these two types of roast create a mellow cup of coffee.
Dark roasts have prominent nutty, deep chocolate flavors. These kinds of dark notes become more prominent with longer brewing time, which means they’re the best coffee beans for cold brew.
While most brands use coffee blends to make formulas suitable for cold brew, single-origin products shine more in such a coffee drink.
Because the cold brewing process allows all the subtle notes to shine through, you can really feel the complete flavor profile of each type of coffee bean.
Coffee blends are a way companies try to balance a certain characteristic in coffee, whether it’s bitterness, acidity, or even aroma. But with cold brewed coffee, that’s usually not necessary.
Grind Size
Since cold brewing is a long process, coarse ground coffee is the best option.
The size of the grind is in direct relation to the extraction time. That’s logical – a larger particle surface means water needs more time to extract the flavors from it. With a fine coffee ground, your cold brew would end up being over-extracted within just a few hours.
The grind size is especially important if you’re using a slow drip method to make cold brew coffee. Finer grounds can pack up and become too dense to let the water through.
Cold Brew Methods
In case you don’t know, there are actually two ways you can make cold brew concentrate.
Immersion Method
This method involves steeping coffee grounds into cold water for a very long time and then filtering it out before drinking.
Between the two, this method gives you more full-bodied final results. But the whole process lasts anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, and sometimes, we just don’t have that much time.
Drip Method
With the drip method, cold water slowly goes through the coffee grounds into a container below. Since coffee grounds and water aren’t in contact for too long, the final result is somewhat medium-bodied.
The drip method is much quicker, with just 3 to 5 hours of brewing. But compared to the immersion method, it requires some more specialized equipment.
Serving
Even though it’s brewed cold and stored in the fridge, cold brew coffee concentrate can be served practically any way you want.
You can pour it over ice and make an even more chilled drink, or heat it up and enjoy it warm. In the case of the latter, add a splash of water first to dilute the cold brew.
To make it more mellow and drinkable, you can add a splash of milk to your coffee. It doesn’t matter which kind – whole, skin, plant-based. Just don’t go overboard, or your cold brew might taste more like milk than coffee.
If you want to make your cold brew extra, you can add liquid sweeteners like honey, molasses, or maple syrup. Other types of flavorings don’t blend that well with the cold brew.
To Sum Things Up
Cold brew works great with different coffee beans, but if we’re to pick one, then the Light Roast by Lifeboost is the way to go.
These single-origin, high-altitude beans have the perfect flavor profile for cold brew. A milky undertone and prominent nutty and caramel notes really stand out when brewed that way. They’re also low in acidity, making cold brew easy on your tummy.
Plus, they’re certified organic, which is the ultimate proof of their high quality.
