7 Best Coffee Beans For Homemade Cold Brew

Friends, I have some sad news — it's officially time to put the mugs and coffee pot away for the summer. Skyrocketing temperatures make the classic morning cup of hot coffee downright unpleasant to consume. (I know, I'm in mourning, too.) But fortunately, coffee aficionados of old invented cold brew as a way to get your warm-weather caffeine fix. I couldn't be more grateful.

Of course, you can buy cold brew concentrate from any number of retailers, but that robs you of the particular satisfaction that comes from perfecting a home brew. In other words, I certainly don't blame you if you want to take matters into your own hands this season. You'll need an at-home cold brewing system (which really doesn't have to be as complicated as it sounds) and, crucially, you'll need the right beans. 

News flash: You may not want to use your favorite beans to make cold brew. I certainly don't. While I'm a light-roast gal most of the year, I switch to darker roasts as the weather changes; this year in particular, I've been doing some experimenting by making cold brew out of different beans I've had on hand. To pick some of the best beans for your summer cold brews, Jackson McAdoo of Dawn Cafe and I put our heads together and came up with some stellar picks. We're both longtime baristas, so don't worry — you're in good hands. 

Jackson McAdoo's first recommendation is what you'll get if you head into Drift Cafe for a cold brew: Brandywine's Orbital Motion. This blend combines South American and African beans to craft a smooth, enticing brew with subtle sweetness and impeccable balance, which is exactly why McAdoo loves it. 

"It's everything you want in a cold brew," he told us. "[It's] naturally sweet, deeply mellow, and incredibly drinkable." With self-named notes of honeysuckle, brown sugar, nutmeg, and peach, it really does sound like a well-rounded brew fit for any type of cold brew drinker, and McAdoo calls the cold extraction of this full-bodied blend "beautiful." If you want to brew this bag at home, McAdoo recommends a relatively long brewing time. He says the sweet spot is between 16-18 hours, explaining that "the extra time really lets the full depth of the blend come through."

Jackson McAdoo calls Subliminal Coffee Company's El Salvador Finca Colomba a "personal favorite," and I'm not surprised — semi-washed coffees are often a bit heavier and fruitier than fully washed ones because the mucilage (the pulp of the coffee cherry) stays in contact with the bean for a longer period of time. 

Indeed, McAdoo points to those qualities when describing why he enjoys this particular coffee, saying it has a "lovely complexity and depth" that really shines when enjoyed as a cold brew. As far as McAdoo's recommended brewing time, he recommends erring on the shorter side — say, 12-13 hours — to retain the sweetness of that mucilage without over-extracting the grounds. If you want a cold brew that's easy to drink, black, and boasts deep, fruity notes, this would be a great one to try. 

I was pleased to see Jackson McAdoo recommend a bag from Black & White Coffee Roasters — I've previously featured the brand in a round-up of holiday blend coffees to gift coffee lovers, and I've never been disappointed with anything I've tried from the roaster. For cold brew, McAdoo recommends Black & White's The Classic, which is a darker roast that blends beans from Colombia and Ethiopia. 

McAdoo says that part of why he loves this as a cold brew is because it's very true to its name — it's a classic coffee that's easy to like, and unlikely to turn off any consumers. Or, in his words, it's "a reliably beautiful, well-rounded option that's hard to go wrong with." Despite having said that, though, McAdoo still has some brewing recommendations. He says it tastes great after a long brew of around 16-18 hours, which "really draw[s] out its full body and depth."

I've been really enjoying Sightglass Coffee as both hot and cold brews recently, but I prefer different beans from the brand for each type of brew. A particular favorite bean to use as cold brew is the Peru bag from its Women of Coffee Series. Obviously, I love that women coffee farmers are emphasized, and fortunately, the brew also tastes incredible.

In fact, looking back on a piece highlighting coffee origin countries that I wrote a while ago, I'm shocked I didn't include Peru, and this bag has been compelling me to get more familiar with the region's beans. When cold-brewed, this blend (similar to Jackson McAdoo's Finca Colomba recommendation) does a wonderful job at balancing fruity notes with considerable depth. I find lots of smooth, nutty, chocolate notes in the cup that are wonderfully balanced by some bright juiciness. As far as brewing it, I'm admittedly more lax about my brew times than McAdoo, but I let this one go for a while — about 15-18 hours — and I'm very happy with the end result. 

I wanted to recommend at least one bean that's widely available at grocery stores — ordering beans can present some obstacles, and some consumers will want a widely accessible bag they can buy on their next grocery run. If that sounds like you, hunt down a bag of Eight O'Clock Coffee's 100% Colombian Peaks. The company is a cheap, overlooked coffee brand that you shouldn't shy away from, IMO. Make sure you buy whole bean coffee as opposed to pre-ground, and if you don't have a grinder, most grocery stores have one available — grind this as coarse as possible (or on the grinder's recommended cold brew setting). 

Outside of how accessible it is, I like the versatility of this coffee a lot. When made into cold brew, it boasts a lot of rich dark chocolate notes that almost verge on reading like cocoa powder, and subtle stone fruit notes add some depth to the brew. Though I really like drinking this black, it would hold up well to cream without losing its character, which is where its versatility comes into play. I could concoct cocktails or iced lattes with this without worrying about altering the body too much.

First, I appreciate that Purity's coffees are mold-free and mycotoxin-free (which, yes, are things you should be looking for when you're buying coffee). The coffee company also claims to make particularly "healthy" coffees — as no health expert, I can't speak to the validity of that, but I appreciate the intentionality clearly present in Purity's production methods. And, for the purposes of this piece, its signature Flow roast tastes great as a cold brew. 

The beans come from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Colombia, and the resulting cold brew has a striking depth to it, along with a fuller mouthfeel than I sometimes experience with cold brew. Dark chocolate notes are abundant, but they're lifted by a slightly acidic fruitiness that leads to a really well-rounded sip. I wouldn't brew this one for over 14-ish hours, as you'd run the risk of overwhelming the delicate fruit notes present. 

Lastly, I had to include a roast for those who prefer their coffee flavored. Admittedly, I'm not generally a huge fan of flavored coffee, but I see the appeal in it — and some, like this one, I've actually become pretty fond of. Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC is another inexpensive and widely accessible brand, but this one has a line of coffees specifically formulated for cold brew; among them is Frostbite French Vanilla, which I'm highlighting here. 

One reason I will advocate for flavored coffees is that they add some character to your drink without adding syrup. If you're like me and prefer your coffee unsweetened, that's a huge pro. This coffee does just that — vanilla notes come through without making the coffee sweet, and I like the pairing of the warming notes with the temperature of the cold brew. I do have a couple of brewing recommendations for this one — first, I would use the maximum coffee-to-water ratio that your cold brewer allows for, and I'd also let it go for at least 14 hours. It's a fairly light brew, so if you want to drink it black, this method will give it more body. 

Jackson McAdoo and I both have tenure in the coffee business, and all of our recommendations are beans that we've tried ourselves as cold brew. I'm sure this isn't an all-encompassing list of every variety of beans that make a good cold brew — that would be impossible to put together! Rather, this list aims to compile some niche brands as well as easy-to-access options that provide a wide array of tasting notes, so any type of home brewer can find a cold brew they'll love. Of course, you're totally free to stick to your canned cold brew — just know that it'll never taste as good as the fresh stuff!