Best Coffee For Cold Brew: Our Top 10 Picks

The best coffee for cold brew is coarsely ground, made from 100% Arabica beans, rated specialty grade, and roasted fresh to order. The best cold brew coffee grounds use a coarse grind, medium to dark roast, and flavor profiles that retain depth and clarity when brewed with cold water. There is no single best brand for cold brew coffee that suits all palates, as coffee grounds for cold brew differ in origin, flavor profile, roast level, grind consistency, freshness, brewing compatibility, packaging size, price, and online reviews.

Key factors in choosing the best coffee for cold brew include freshness, availability, the way beans are processed, and cost. Some coffee beans for cold brew are considerably more expensive than others, so knowing about volume discounts, subscriptions, and shipping fees is crucial for finding the best value for money. Many cold brew coffee brands offer excellent beans. For example, Bizzy Cold Brew uses convenient brew bags, Colipse Coffee offers a freshly roasted specialty grade blend, and Lifeboost Coffee uses an organic blend.

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is a chilled beverage that is made by by steeping coarse coffee grounds in cold water for 12 to 24 hours. The grind size that works best for cold brew is coarse, which helps prevent over-extraction and improves filtration. You can make cold brew with any beans, but medium to dark roasts from Brazil, Colombia, or Guatemala are preferred for smooth flavor with chocolate or nutty notes. The taste of cold brew is smooth and sweet. A 2021 study published in Foods by Linda Claassen found that cold brew coffee is chemically distinct from hot brew and offers a smoother, less acidic taste preferred by many consumers. It has a naturally sweet flavor and lower bitterness due to its slow steeping process. Cold brew is also less harsh on the stomach, ideal for people sensitive to acidity.

Is Cold Brew Coffee Good?

Yes, cold brew coffee is good for those who love dark roasts, want low acidity, smooth flavor, and minimal bitterness. It suits sensitive stomachs, fast-paced routines needing more caffeine, and iced coffee lovers in hot weather. The benefits of cold brew coffee come from being easy to drink, fridge-stable, and delivering strong caffeine without bitterness. On the other hand, cold brew is not widely embraced in specialty coffee circles, which favor light roasts, pour-over brewing, and distinct origin flavors. Cold brew leans more toward boldness and darker roasts, made for drinkers who want strength without the sour tang of high-acid brews.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee?

To make the best cold brew coffee follow the five steps below.

1. Grind 1 cup of coffee beans coarsely — aim for a texture like sea salt.
2. Combine with 4 cups of cold, filtered water in a jar or cold brew maker (Toddy, Takeya, OXO).
3. Stir and steep in the fridge for 12–24 hours at 39°F to 77°F (4°C to 25°C).
4. Strain through a fine mesh or cheesecloth to remove grounds.
5. Serve over ice; dilute with water, milk, or sweeteners if preferred.

What is the Best Coffee for Cold Brew?

The best coffee for cold brew is coarsely ground, medium-to-dark roast Arabica that’s freshly roasted, easy to find, and affordable. The best coffee for cold brew comes from Central and South America, where beans offer sweet, cocoa-like, and nutty flavors that withstand long steeping brewing. Look for specialty grade coffee beans from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, and Indonesia. Dry processed Brazilian beans offer smooth, chocolatey, low-acid flavor, while wet processed Colombian beans add caramel sweetness and medium body. Guatemalan beans add fruity acidity and caramel depth, Peruvian coffee offers a mild, sweet finish, and Indonesian beans deliver a bold, earthy, spicy flavor ideal for cold brew.

What are the Best Coffee Brands for Cold Brew?

The top 10 coffee brands for making cold brew coffee at home are listed below.

1. Colipse Cold Brew Coffee Grounds
2. Bizzy Cold Brew
3. Starbucks Coffee Sumatra Dark
4. La Colombe Cold Brew
5. Lifeboost Coffee Cold Brew
6. Merit Coffee Cold Brew
7. Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew
8. Temple Coffee Capital Cold Brew
9. Volcanica Coffee Cold Brew
10. Peace Coffee Yeti Cold Brew

1. Colipse Cold Brew Coffee Grounds

Colipse Cold Brew Blend is a medium roast specialty-grade Arabica blend from South America, East Africa, and Indonesia. It ranks among the best coarse ground coffees for cold brew because it’s freshly roasted to order in small batches and delivers low acidity, smooth chocolate flavor, and easy home brewing. It is ideal for Takeya, Toddy, OXO coffee makers, mason jars, or French presses and requires no grinder. It offers a full-bodied, naturally sweet taste for summer drinks and concentrates. It is roasted fresh and sold on Colipse’s website in 12 oz, 16 oz, 2 lb and 5 lb bags with free U.S. shipping.

Taste: Colipse Cold Brew Coffee Grounds delivers smooth chocolate, buttery toffee, and subtle floral notes. This coffee features specialty beans from Sumatra, Brazil, and Ethiopia to create a full-bodied, creamy profile. Sumatra brings earthy depth, Brazil adds nutty sweetness, and Ethiopia contributes fruity, floral brightness. The overall profile delivers medium complexity, accessible depth, and a clean aftertaste. Freshly roasted beans provide rich, layered flavor not found in typical grocery store cold brew.

About the Cold Brew Brand: Colipse Coffee is a 2024 specialty brand focused on cold brew, offering coarsely ground beans for cold immersion brewing in retail and wholesale formats.

Availability: Colipse cold brew coffee grounds are sold online in coarse grind bags of 12 oz, 16 oz, 2 lb, and 5 lb, starting at $22.50 with free shipping on every order plus up to 40% off larger bags. Each bag ships the same day it’s roasted and arrives in 3–5 business days.

Colipse Cold Brew Pros: Roasted on demand, smooth and low-acid with chocolate and toffee notes, coarsely ground for ready-to-brew cold brew convenience, vacuum-sealed in recyclable, protective packaging.

Colipse Cold Brew Cons: Higher price compared to others store bought cold brew coffee grounds.

Recommendation for Colipse Cold Brew Coffee: Colipse Cold Brew Blend is among the best coffee grounds for cold brew and nitro brewing at home. It is a solid choice for milk-based cold brew drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, or salted caramel cream cold brews.

2. Bizzy Cold Brew

Bizzy's Cold Brew Organic Coffee is a 100% Arabica blend sourced from Central and South America. This medium roast is among the best USDA organic coffee for cold brew available in convenient 2 oz brew bags, optimized for cold brewing at home in a Mason jar, pitcher, or other glass container.

Taste: Bizzy Cold Brew coffee has a smooth, balanced flavor with hints of caramel and hazelnut. It is naturally sweet and enjoyable. The medium roast gives it a nice texture and a clean finish without any bitterness or acidity.

About Bizzy Cold Brew: Bizzy Cold Brew is an American brand of organic cold brew coffee concentrate and coarse ground coffee founded in 2014 by Alex French. Thier focus is health, convenience, and taste. The company sells ready-to-drink cold brew in various roasts and flavors, and coarse ground coffee for home cold brewing.

Cold Brew Coffee Beans Availability: Bizzy Cold Brew coffee is available in DIY brew bags and ready-to-drink bottles at major online stores like Amazon and Walmart. Prices range from $10.99 for 4 brew bags to $27.99 for a 12-pack variety.

Bizzy Cold Brew Pros: Ready-to-use coarse grind, no need for a grinder, variety of flavor profiles, convenient brew bags for mess-free preparation, pre-portioned for ease.

Bizzy Cold Brew Cons: Not freshly roasted, coarse grounds lose flavor quickly, pre-portioned bags limit recipe flexibility, not ideal for large batches.

Recommendation for Bizzy Cold Brew: Bizzy Cold Brew is one of the best ground coffees for making organic cold brew at home. The included bags eliminate the need for special equipment, complex recipes, or costly tools, simplifying the process.

3. Starbucks Coffee Sumatra Dark

Starbucks Sumatra Dark is a dark roast, single-origin coffee made from 100% Arabica beans from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This is best affordable store-bought coffee for cold brew at $0.92 per ounce, ideal for saving money and brewing large homemade batches for groups.

Taste: Starbucks Sumatra Dark offers a bittersweet, bold, and earthy flavor profile with notes of rich herbs, cocoa powder, and rustic spice, alongside very low acidity and almost no sourness. Its full-bodied, creamy mouthfeel makes it well-suited for cold brew recipes that include milk, cream, or sweeteners.

About Starbucks: Starbucks is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker. The company, which was originally a coffee bean wholesaler, is known for its espresso-based drinks and its signature green logo.

Starbucks Sumatra Dark Availability: Starbucks Sumatra Dark Roast coffee is sold in hundreds of retail supermarkets and major online stores, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target. A 12-ounce bag usually costs around $10.99, which makes it one of the best coffee for cold brew on the budget.

Starbucks Sumatra Dark Pros: Widely accessible, inexpensive, suitable for multiple cold brew drinks.

Starbucks Sumatra Dark Cons: No roast date (only a best-by date), available only as whole bean or medium grind, requires a grinder with coarse settings for optimal cold brew.

Recommendation for Starbucks Sumatra Dark: Starbucks Sumatra Dark is one of the cheapest and most widely available coffee beans for DIY cold brew concentrate, found at Costco, Aldi, Target, Amazon, and other major supermarkets.

4. La Colombe Cold Brew

La Colombe offers several cold brew coffee in ready-to-drink cans, fridge packs, and bottled concentrates—but their whole bean cold brew blend is best for those who prefer grinding fresh before cold immersion brewing. This is a medium roast cold brew blend made with Arabica beans sourced from Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Taste: La Colombe Cold Brew whole bean coffee blend has a strong chocolate flavor and a refreshing finish without sharp, harsh bite, or overpowering acidity. It is not too bitter or sour, and has a little sweetness.

About La Colombe: La Colombe Coffee Roasters is a premium coffee company founded in 1994 by Todd Carmichael and JP Iberti in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for their high-quality beans, innovative brewing methods like the Draft Latte, and focus on ethical and sustainable sourcing practices.

Cold Brew Coffee Beans Availability: La Colombe cold brew coffee is available as whole bean or coarse ground online, in their cafés, and in grocery stores nationwide. A 12-ounce bag costs about $16.00.

La Colombe Cold Brew Pros: Two grind options, many positive customer reviews, offers subscriptions with discounts.

La Colombe Cold Brew Cons: No visible roast date, only available in a 12 oz bag with no bulk size options or discounts, not ideal for large-batch brewing or business use.

Recommendation for La Colombe Cold Brew: La Colombe Cold Brew Blend is one of the best whole bean coffees for making fresh DIY cold brew at home. It works great with different cold brewing methods like slow drip, cold drip, or a French press.

5. Lifeboost Coffee Cold Brew

Lifeboost Coffee Cold Brew is a USDA organic coffee blend from South America specifically coarse ground for cold brew. This medium roast cold brew blend offers purity and low acid content through third-party testing for mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides.

Taste: Lifeboost Coffee Cold Brew blend has a smooth, chocolatey taste with hints of nuts and dried fruit, a subtle nutty aroma, and a silky mouthfeel. It is easy on the stomach due to its low acidity and has no bitter aftertaste. This coffee blend is suitable for both black cold brew and milk-based iced coffees.

About Lifeboost Coffee: Lifeboost Coffee is a health-focused coffee brand that offers low-acid, organic, single-origin coffee beans grown using sustainable farming practices. Founded in 2015, Lifeboost Coffee prioritizes quality and transparency.

Availability: Lifeboost Coffee is available in 12 oz bags for around $27.95 from their website or Amazon.

Lifeboost Cold Brew Pros: Widely available, disconuts when buying more bags, non-GMO and USDA organic certified.

Lifeboost Cold Brew Cons: One of the most expensive cold brews, price drops only with multi-bag subscriptions, no wholesale or bulk options, no roast date.

Recommendation for Lifeboost Cold Brew: Lifeboost Medium Cold Brew Coffee is among one of the best low acid coffee grounds for making cold brew concentrate that won't upset your stomach.

6. Merit Coffee Cold Brew

Merit Cold Brew blend is a medium-light roast specialty grade coffee made from Latin American beans and roasted in-house at Merit's San Antonio facility. This coarse ground coffee is freshly roasted to order and used to make cold brew in their cafes.

Taste: Merit Cold Brew blend is a smooth, full-bodied coffee with low acidity. It tastes of milk chocolate, caramel, and has a hint of spice. The sweet and slightly spicy notes linger, leaving a refreshing finish perfect for summer cold brew drinks.

About Merit Coffee: Merit Coffee is a specialty coffee brand that delivers high-quality beans, crafts premium drinks, and fosters welcoming community spaces. Merit Coffee was founded in 2009 in San Antonio by Robby Grubbs, Bill Ellis, and Javier Lobo and has since expanded across Texas.

Availability: Merit Cold Brew blend is available online in whole bean and coarse ground for $19.25 per 12 oz bag.

Merit Cold Brew Pros: Consistent quality, reputable brand, roasted to order.

Merit Cold Brew Cons: No bulk discounts.

Recommendation for Merit Cold Brew: Merit Coffee's Roaster's Blend is among the best specialty light roast coffee for cold brew for a surprisingly sweet and smooth cup.

7. Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew

Stone Street Coffee offers many cold brew coffees, including regular and flavored blends. Their cold brew blend is one of the best single-origin ground coffees for cold brewing for those who prefer a bold, smooth cup made from 100% Arabica Colombian beans.

Taste: Stone Street Cold Brew Coffee is a dark roast coffee with a strong, smooth, and slightly sweet flavor profile. It features rich chocolate and nutty notes, balanced by its low acidity and velvety mouthfeel. This coffee delivers deep flavor with no distractions and is ideal for black cold brew drinkers who skip milk and sugar. It is coarsely ground, specifically for cold brewing, and has low acidity, making it easier on the stomach.

About Stone Street Coffee: Stone Street Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster known for its handcrafted small-batch roasted coffees, founded in 2009 in Brooklyn, New York. They prioritize ethical sourcing and intimate relationships with coffee farms to ensure high-quality beans and unique flavor profiles.

Availability: Stone Street cold brew blend comes in 1-pound, 2-pound, and 5-pound bags. You can choose whole beans or coarse ground coffee. Prices start at $17.25 per 1 lb bags.

Stone Street Cold Brew Pros: One of the top rated cold brew coffee on Amazon, available in whole bean or coarse ground.

Stone Street Cold Brew Cons: No roasting date, the subscription discounts require a long commitment.

Recommendation for Stone Street Cold Brew: Stone Street cold brew coffee delivers top-quality single origin coarse grounds ideal for home or office brewing in large batches of 4 cups daily or 20 mugs for a group. It maintains a strong flavor even when combined with milk, cream, or syrups in drinks like cold brew lemonade or Vietnamese iced coffee.

8. Temple Coffee Capital Cold Brew

Temple Coffee Capital Cold Brew blends fully washed beans from Colombia and Guatemala, sourced from Caldas, Antigua, and Alotenango at 1,500–1,700 meters. This premium cold brew blend uses a medium-dark roast to deliver a smooth, rich body specifically made for cold brew preparation at home.

Taste: Temple Capital Cold Brew delivers bright citrus and chocolate notes with caramel sweetness. The brew tastes smooth, slightly nutty, and completely free of bitterness.

About Temple Coffee: Temple Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster founded in Sacramento, California in 2005 by Sean Kohmescher. Temple Coffee is dedicated to providing high-quality coffee and creating a welcoming space for its community.

Cold Brew Coffee Availability: Temple Coffee cold brew is available for purchase online, with free shipping on orders over $40. The company operates coffee shops in Sacramento, Davis, and Folsom, California, and sells 12 oz coffee bags for $24.50 and 5 lb bags for $122.50 with whole bean or coarse grind options.

Temple Coffee Cold Brew Pros: High-quality taste, sustainable sourcing, custom roast profiles.

Temple Coffee Cold Brew Cons: May be more expensive than other cold brew options.

Recommendation for Temple Coffee Cold Brew: Temple cold brew is among the best premium coffee beans for making cold brew at home. They produce a smooth, rich flavor that's much more interesting than the cold brew you usually find at the supermarket.

9. Volcanica Coffee Cold Brew

Volcanica Cold Brew is a coarse-ground medium roast made from 100% Arabica beans and designed for cold brewing. It ranks among the top-rated cold brew coffees with hundreds of reviews on Amazon, Trustpilot, and other platforms.

Taste: Volcanica Cold Brew Coffee offers a balanced profile with sweet chocolate and nutty flavors. The medium roast and washed processing result in a smooth, low-acidity cup, ideal for traditional cold brew methods.

About Volcanica Coffee: Volcanica Coffee is a family-owned coffee roaster that sells coffee beans grown near volcanoes. The company started in 2004 and is located in Atlanta, Georgia. They roast the beans in Suwanee, Georgia, where they have 20 workers.

Cold Brew Coffee Beans Availability: Volcanica Coffee's Cold Brew blend costs $16.99 for a 16-ounce bag (that's about $1.06 per ounce). You can choose from whole bean, drip, espresso, or French press grinds.

Volcanica Coffee Cold Brew Pros: Affordable cold brew, comes in different grinds, easy on sensitive stomachs.

Volcanica Coffee Cold Brew Cons: Absence of roast dates on the packaging, inconsistencies in flavor.

Recommendation for Volcanica Coffee Cold Brew: Volcanica Cold Brew is a great choice for buying cold brew coffee in bulk. It is affordable and perfect for making specialty coffee drinks like espresso martini or simple cold brews in large batches.

10. Peace Coffee Cold Brew

Peace Coffee's Yeti Cold Brew Blend is a USDA-certified organic, fair trade blend designed specifically for cold brewing. The blend features beans from multiple origins including CENFROCAFE in Peru, PROCOCER in Nicaragua, and Manos Campesinas in Guatemala.

Taste: Peace Coffee Yeti Cold Brew Blend offers a smooth, chocolatey flavor with hints of caramel, making it a delightful choice for any cold drip coffee enthusiast. The aroma is rich and inviting, the body is medium to full, and the acidity is low, contributing to a well-balanced and clean finish.

About Peace Coffee: Peace Coffee is a Minneapolis-based coffee roaster focused on organic and fair-trade practices, ensuring high-quality coffee that supports farmers and the environment. Founded in 1996 by Lee Wallace, Peace Coffee has grown into a beloved local brand with a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing.

Cold Brew Coffee Availability: Peace Coffee's Yeti Cold Brew Blend is available online in 12oz, 20oz, and 5lb bags, with grind options including whole bean, drip, fine, coarse, and extra coarse. Retail prices range from $16 to $85, and the blend is also available at select Costco locations in the Midwest.

Peace Coffee Yeti Cold Brew Pros: Versatile grind options available, highly rated by customers, convenient subscription option with a discount.

Peace Coffee Yeti Cold Brew Cons: May not be fresh if you buy it from third-party websites. It's not roasted to order and isn't always available in stores.

Recommendation for Peace Coffee Yeti Cold Brew: Peace Coffee Yeti Cold Brew is among the best fair trade ground coffee for cold brew. It's organic, affordable, and makes a delicious cup.

Compare the Best Coffee for Cold Brew

The best coffee for cold brew compares based on freshness, availability, and price. Freshness impacts flavor strength and smoothness. Availability ensures consistent sourcing. Price affects value, especially when brewing in large batches. Choose coarse ground beans that are freshly roasted, widely accessible, and cost-effective based on the followig table.

How to Choose the Best Coffee for Cold Brew?

To choose the best coffee for cold brew, follow the six steps below.

1. Choose coarse-ground coffee to prevent over-extraction and bitterness. Coarse means sea-salt-size; drip grind is acceptable if you shorten the steep to 8–10 h, while espresso-fine grind needs double filtering and 6 h steeping. Use a burr grinder for uniform particles and brew any pre-ground coffee within two weeks.
2. Select 100% Arabica beans for smoother, less acidic flavor. Robusta (or blends) raises bitterness and caffeine, so stick with pure Arabica unless you want extra kick. Acidity still varies by origin and roast—always verify the label and read the roaster’s flavor notes.
3. Opt for single-origin beans or premium blends to spotlight distinct taste profiles. Traceable lots cost more, but you’ll taste Colombia’s cocoa, Ethiopia’s fruit, or Sumatra’s earth without competing flavors. If you crave complexity, blend two single origins yourself after grinding.
4. Prefer medium-to-dark roasts for bolder cold-brew flavor. Light roasts can taste grassy; French roast works if you keep steeping under 14 h. Medium-dark beans look dry, medium-brown, and deliver chocolatey depth that cuts through milk.
5. Buy freshly roasted beans and grind just before brewing. Use beans 3–14 days post-roast for peak flavor, freeze unopened bags airtight for up to two months, and choose bags with one-way valves. Grind seconds before steeping—pre-ground coffee stales within hours.
6. Experiment with coffee-to-water ratios (1:4 to 1:8). A 1:4 ratio makes concentrate you’ll dilute 1:1; 1:8 is ready to drink. Weigh ingredients: stronger brews finish in 12–14 h, weaker need 16–18 h, and you can always dilute concentrate after brewing.

Which Coffee is Not Good for Cold Brew?

Stale beans and finely ground coffee are generally not recommended for cold brew. This is because stale beans can produce a bitter or dull flavor, while finely ground coffee can make the cold brew cloudy and gritty.

Where to Buy the Best Coffee for Cold Brew?

You can buy cold brew coffee grounds right here at Colipse. We offer freshly roasted, specialty grade, Arabica beans in medium-dark to dark roasts, with a variety of grind sizes available online. Visit our website to explore our selection and place your order.

What are the Prices for Cold Brew Coffee Beans?

An 12 oz bag of specialty cold brew coffee beans and grounds at Colipse ranges from $19.95 to $22.50. Customers pay only for the coffee they order with free shipping on all orders.

What is the Best Decaf Cold Brew Coffee?

The best decaf coffee for cold brew is Colipse Cold Brew Decaf Coarse Ground Coffee. It is a medium roast, single-origin decaf from Peru using the Swiss Water® Process. This Fairtrade, organic coffee is freshly roasted, chemical-free, and optimized for cold brew extraction in French press or cold brew makers.

What is the Difference between Cold Brew and Iced Coffee?

The main difference between cold brew and iced coffee is how they’re brewed. Cold brew steeps coarse coffee grounds in cold water for 12–24 hours, producing a smoother, less acidic flavor. Iced coffee brews hot and is chilled over ice, resulting in a more traditional, sharper coffee taste.