Few things are more enjoyable than a cold brew coffee on a hot summer’s day. However, drinking cold brew is not limited to the summer months for many coffee enthusiasts.
Coffee for cold brew is prepared differently than conventional coffee. When creating a cold brew, it’s important to consider several factors including the type of beans used, the freshness of the coffee beans, and the number of beans to grind. Not to worry because below, we have rounded up the five best coffees for making cold brew below:
5. Lifeboost Coffee, $24
If you’re looking for a fantastic all-around solution, the Lifeboost is it. Their roasts are hand-picked, spring-water cleaned, and pesticide and mycotoxin-free. When cold brewed, all of their roasts taste incredible.
Their medium roast has a mild acidity with hints of wood and sweet chocolate undertones. This allows the single-origin flavors to come through. Lifeboost obtains Arabica and Maragogipe beans from Nicaragua’s mountains and values sustainable farming. If you can’t find Lifeboost at your local grocery store, then you can shop directly through their website and they offer free shipping and returns.
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4. Death Wish Whole Bean Coffee, $15
With its intriguing name, Death Wish Whole Bean Coffee is a popular choice for both regular coffee and cold brews. It is a robust, flavorful coffee that promises to be extremely strong. Death Wish, as its name suggests, has you covered if you’re searching for a strong caffeine boost as it has about 60.67 milligrams of caffeine per fluid once.
Since it has a high caffeine concentration, that comes through in a cold brew flavor and its effect on the body. This brand is dedicated to making your freshly brewed coffee rich and potent, so you can tackle the day ahead with energy. You can check out their store locator here, but it is available on Amazon through Whole Foods.
3. Kicking Horse Coffee, $26
While Kicking Horse Coffee is well-known for its caffeine impact, that spike is also accompanied by a high level of acidity. It has sweet, chocolaty, and honey aromas, which pair wonderfully with a cold brew. This medium roast is farmed in the Rocky Mountains as the business is based out of Canada.
The coffee comes from organic and Fairtrade arabica whole beans, which originate from Africa, Central America, and South America. This brand is sold at a lot of local food stores, but you can also find it on Amazon.
2. Cold Buzz Coffee, $20
Cold Buzz Coffee simplifies cold brewing by supplying pre-ground beans in packets similar to tea bags. All that is required to prepare your morning brew is to add water and let the packets soak overnight.
They acquire their arabica beans only from Europe and Central and South America. They are conscious that cold brew is more expensive than hot coffee due to the large number of grounds required. As a result, they collaborate with roasters and wholesalers to keep costs down. This is a great, affordable option if you like to make your cold brew on the daily.
Cold Buzz Coffee comes in various tastes, but hazelnut is a delicious option. As another alternative, the dark roast enhances the sweet, buttery flavor, which is ideal for cold brewing. As you can see, this product is available on Amazon for your convenience.
1. Stone Street Coffee Cold Brew Reserve, $15
Stone Street is a Brooklyn-based roaster that has been serving New Yorkers for years. They make a Cold Brew Reserve, which is a 100 percent arabica Colombian Supremo and renowned for its robust, fruity flavor. Its business practices are founded on treating coffee producers fairly and ethically. This dedication is evident in their collaboration with Sweet Unity Farms.
Cold Brew Reserve is in the dark roast family. Even if you’re not a fan of dark roast coffee, you might enjoy it in a cold brew. This approach minimizes bitterness and results in a silky infusion, which can sometimes get lost in hot coffee. It definitely has a rich taste that cold brew fans would enjoy.
While these beans are suitable for any brewing method, they perform particularly well in a cold brew, as told by Stone Street. This coffee is available whole bean or ground. The grind is very coarse, which is ideal for home cold brewing. You can grab this reserve online through Stone Street or in person if you’re local to the NYC area.
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How Can I Make Cold Brew At-Home?
It’s also important to find a good machine or device to make the cold brew. This can also make all the difference in the final product. There are definitely affordable options here as well.
Bodum Bean Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $15
For example, you can get a pitcher like this one from Target, which puts the grounds and water together in the same pitcher. After the grounds have infused into the water, you can use one of the lids to press the floating grounds to the bottom of the pitcher. Then, with the other lid you can pour out the cold brew you just made. It’s super easy to do and comes at a very affordable price.
Takeya Patented Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $28
This cold brew maker is actually quite simple because it has an attachment that goes in the middle of the pitcher to hold the grounds. This way, the grounds infuse into the water over time, but you don’t have to worry about pouring them into your coffee once the brew is complete. For only $13 more, this coffee maker adds another layer of convenience so that you don’t have to clean the grounds or remove the cold brew right away.
TODDY Cold Brew System, $35
If you’re looking for something a bit fancier, La Colombe, which is a popular coffee roasting company, makes a cold brew system. It actually brews coffee and tea in the same way. It has a cold water filtration process that works through a decanter and paper filter bags. It is a great option yet it still comes at a fairly affordable price.
Still Wondering About the Best Coffees for Making Cold Brew?
The best thing about cold brew is that it’s hard to go wrong. Any of these coffees would make the perfect bean for your cup of cold brew. However, we all have our favorite flavors and level of roast that makes it as good as you can buy pre-made in a coffee shop or grocery store.
As we’ve discussed in this article, it’s important to source good quality beans from reliable and sustainable sources. If you pick a brand you love and combine it with one of these cold brew makers, you are certain to end up with some really tasty coffee.