Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew - How to Make the Perfect Brew

With summer around the corner, I am getting excited for cold brew season. There is something about a cold brew on a warm day that is so satisfying.

Now days you can find cold brew at most of your local coffee shops, but if you are looking to make some at home you may be wondering where to start.

What You Need to Make Cold Brew

There are multiple brewing methods when it comes to making cold brew. What is nice about cold brew is that you really don't need too much special equipment to get started. You just need some of your favorite beans, some type of coffee filter, and a jar to brew it in.  Here are a few items to help you get started.

Pitcher

There are cold brew specific pitchers that include the filter in the pitcher, These are really nice if you are planning on making cold brew on a regular basis. This 64oz cold brew pitcher is popular for its size and inexpensive cost.

For something a little nicer that comes in a glass bottle, I would go with the Ovalware cold brew pitcher. You can also use a french press to make cold brew.

Beans

Obviously you will need some coffee beans to make your cold brew. There is quite a variety of coffee beans you can choose from. You want a coarse ground coffee but you can really choose any type of of coffee roast. I love to choose a medium-dark roast but a lighter roast would work as well. For cold brew specific beans check out my favorites from the list below.

Filter

If you just want to use a pitcher or bottle that you already have you can buy filters to add to your container. There are 2 options when looking for cold brew coffee filters. There are the disposable ones, Here is a good pack of 100 filters that are fairly inexpensive. These typically come in a large pack and you can fill them up with ground beans, add them to your water, and when they are done brewing you can just dispose of the whole bag.

The other option is a reusable cold brew filter. These come in cloth bag style that can be rinsed and use again. Or in stainless steel filters that work great with a large mason jar.

Best Beans for Cold Brew

You can really use any type of regular coffee beans when making cold brew but if you are looking for something that is roasted specifically for the cold brew flavor, these are some of the best picks!

La Columbe Cold Brew Blend

La Columbe has always had some of my favorite coffee blends and their cold brew is no different. This coffee is a medium blend with a smooth finish and chocolatey notes.

This blend comes in whole beans or ground coffee options. La Columbe has some of the best flavor coffee and I think this one makes for the perfect cold brew.

Irving Farm Cold Brew Blend

The Irving Farm cold brew is from a roaster in New York. I haven’t actually tried this one, but I’ve heard great reviews so I thought I had to add it to the list. It is noted to have a complex flavor with molasses tones.

Metric Coffee Classic Cold Brew

Another one of my top coffee roasters is Metric coffee. it’s a small roaster in Chicago and they always have great new blends to try. Their classic cold brew blend is a medium roast with a flavor profile described as clean, sweet, and vibrant.

Stone Brew Cold Brew Blend

If you are looking for a dark roast coffee this one might be for you. It is a dark roast with a nutty chocolate flavor. They will grind it for you for a perfect coarse cold brew grind or you can get it whole bean and grind it yourself.

If you like to make a lot of cold brew you can buy this one in bulk. It comes in 1,2 ,or 5lb bags.

Local Options

Another great option is to go to your local coffee shop and ask what the best coffee is for cold brew. This is nice because then you can typically pick a lighter roast or dark roast coffee beans. Just ask them to do a coarse ground for cold brew.

You can also find coffee beans at your grocery store. Just buy them as whole beans and grind them at home.

Other Cold Brew Options

If you don't want to brew your own coffee at home you can also get cold brew concentrate and just add water to it. Some of the most popular concentrates are Stumptown, Chameleon, and La Columbe. You can adjust the flavor by adding more or less water so if you want a really bold flavor or something lighter it can easily be made to your preference.

Best Coffee Grind for Cold Brew

A coarse grind is better when making cold brew. Since you are steeping it for so long it can really extract that flavor without you needing to over grind the beans. Also, since it is sitting in water for so long, you don’t want it so fine that the coffee grounds float through your filter making for a grainy and bitter cup of brew.

Most coffee shops you can ask for pre-ground coffee, just let them know you are using it for cold brew and they should know the right grind size to use.

How to Make Cold Brew

To make cold brew you need to add your coffee to a filter, pour over filtered water, and let is steep for about 12-18 hours. This is a great thing to make and put in your fridge overnight. Here is a quick demonstration of how to make cold brew at home.

Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee

When looking for a cold coffee there are two main options, cold brew and iced coffee. If you are making coffee at home you may be wondering why your iced coffee doesn't taste the same as the cold brew from the coffee shop. That is because of the brewing process. Cold brew is actually brewed in cold water for.a long period of time while iced coffee is just your traditional drip coffee that in then chilled. Iced coffee tends to be lighter and taste almost watered down compared to the rich complexity of cold brew.

Cold brew also has higher caffeine content than and iced coffee so depending on what you are looking for, choose wisely.

Enjoy

I hope all my coffee lovers out there enjoy some refreshing cold brew after learning these tips. Serve it over ice cubes or mix it with some of your favorite milk or cream.

Let us know in the comments, what do you think are the best coffee beans for cold brew?