Best Coffee for Cold Brew: What Works in 2025

Summer’s here, and suddenly everyone’s a cold brew expert. Your local barista swears by their £30-per-bag Ethiopian beans. Instagram influencers push expensive cold drip towers. Coffee forums debate steeping times down to the minute.

Here’s what most cold brew guides won’t tell you: exceptional cold brew starts with understanding extraction science, not following marketing hype. The difference between ordinary cold brew and remarkable cold brew lies in bean selection that actually works with the 12-24 hour steeping process.

After years of testing different beans, roast levels, and brewing methods, the truth became clear. Quality matters more than origin stories. The best cold brew comes from specialty-grade beans that score 82 or higher on the SCA grading scale, sourced from farms that prioritize purity over production volume.

This goes beyond taste—it’s about what happens when coffee grounds steep for hours. Every impurity gets magnified. Every chemical residue becomes concentrated. That’s why working with roasters like Balance Coffee, who invest 25% more in toxin-free, speciality-grade beans, creates not just better-tasting cold brew, but healthier coffee experiences.

What Is Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coarsely ground coffee in cold or room temperature water for 12-24 hours. This slow extraction process creates a coffee concentrate with completely different characteristics from any hot-brewed coffee, even when cooled.

The chemistry explains why cold brew tastes fundamentally different from hot coffee that’s been chilled. Cold water extracts different compounds than hot water. The slow, gentle process pulls out sugars and oils whilst leaving behind many of the acids and bitter compounds that hot water grabs immediately.

Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee

The confusion between cold brew and iced coffee causes endless frustration for coffee lovers seeking that smooth, low-acid experience. They’re fundamentally different beverages that happen to be served cold.

Iced coffee is regular coffee that’s been cooled down, often bitter and acidic because hot water pulls out harsh compounds quickly. Cold brew involves steeping grounds in cold or room temperature water for hours, extracting completely different flavour compounds.

This creates naturally sweeter, smoother coffee with about 70% less acidity than traditional hot-brewed coffee. The extraction process, not the temperature, creates cold brew’s distinctive character.

Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew

Why Blends Often Beat Single-Origins

Blends consistently outperform single-origins in cold brew, though this challenges everything the specialty coffee world preaches. Roasters design blends for balance across multiple brewing methods, whilst single-origins are often optimised for specific preparations like pour-over or espresso.

Blends also offer better value. Cold brew uses higher coffee-to-water ratios than other methods, so using expensive single-origin coffee becomes prohibitively costly for regular brewing. A well-designed blend at half the price often produces superior cold brew. Thebest coffee beans to buy for cold brew are those specifically chosen for their performance in this brewing method, not their exotic origin stories or cupping scores.

Medium to dark roasts work dramatically better for cold brew because they’ve developed the oils, sugars, and complex compounds that cold water can actually extract. Light roasts need hot water to unlock their potential, which defeats the entire purpose of cold brewing.

Here’s what coffee snobs won’t admit: expensive light roast beans often taste like nothing in cold brew. Those delicate floral notes everyone raves about? Cold water can’t extract them effectively, leaving you with disappointing, expensive water.

Anyone who’s tried a £20 per pound Ethiopian single-origin in cold brew knows this pain. The bag promises notes of bergamot and blueberry, but the cold brew tastes like nothing at all. Meanwhile, a £10 medium roast blend from the supermarket produces rich, chocolatey cold brew that actually delivers flavour.

Regional Characteristics That Work

• South American beans, particularly from Brazil and Colombia, excel in cold brew thanks to their natural sweetness and chocolate notes that develop beautifully during long extraction. Brazilian beans, especially, have the body and low acidity that cold brewing enhances rather than masks.
• Central American coffees from Guatemala and Costa Rica offer balanced acidity with caramel and brown sugar notes that translate well to cold brew, especially in medium roasts where these flavours have time to develop.
• African coffees present more challenges. The bright, fruity notes that make Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees famous in pour-over often get muted in cold extraction. When using African beans for cold brew, darker roasts that emphasise body over brightness tend to work better.
• Indonesian coffees like Sumatra and Java are cold brew naturals. Their earthy, full-bodied characteristics and lower acidity make them perfect candidates for the slow extraction process.

The Fresh Bean Exception

Cold brew actually works better with beans that are 2-4 weeks past roasting than with ultra-fresh ones, challenging conventional coffee wisdom. Fresh beans are gassy and can create foam that interferes with extraction, whilst slightly aged beans have settled oils and mellowed flavours that extract more smoothly.

This doesn’t mean stale beans are good—there’s a sweet spot where flavours have integrated without becoming flat or lifeless. Most coffee is at its cold brew peak 1-4 weeks after roasting, which is convenient since these beans are often discounted.

Best Grind Size for Cold Brew

Cold brew demands coarse-ground coffee; this requirement is non-negotiable. Fine grounds create multiple problems that ruin cold brew before steeping even begins.

When grounds are too fine, they over-extract quickly even in cold water, creating bitter, harsh flavours that defeat the purpose of cold brewing. Fine grounds also create filtration nightmares—muddy, gritty coffee that’s nearly impossible to strain cleanly.

For pre-ground coffee, look specifically for cold brew or French press grinds. A regular drip coffee grind will consistently disappoint you. Many specialty roasters now offer pre-ground cold brew options that work well if grinding at home isn’t convenient.

Home grinding gives you more control and fresher coffee, but cold brew is forgiving enough that even a basic blade grinder produces acceptable results. The long extraction time compensates for slight grind inconsistencies that would ruin espresso or pour-over.

Think sea salt or breadcrumbs for the ideal grind texture, definitely not powder. This coarse grind allows controlled extraction during the long steeping process whilst enabling clean filtration afterwards.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Ashlen Wilder, a writer and editor for six years, says in her article on ChowHound, “the optimal steep time is 12 to 18 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.” That generous window makes cold brew remarkably forgiving compared to other brewing methods.

The basic cold brew process:

• Mix 1 cup coarse-ground coffee with 4-5 cups of water in any large container
• Stir well to saturate all grounds completely
• Steep 12-16 hours at room temperature OR 18-24 hours refrigerated
• Strain twice: first through a coarse strainer, then through cheesecloth or fine mesh

Room temperature steeping extracts faster and often produces more complex flavours, whilst refrigerator steeping offers more convenience for overnight brewing. Both methods work well, so choose based on your schedule and preference. The two-stage straining process ensures smooth, grit-free concentrate that stores well.

Cold Brew Equipment

Starting cold brew requires almost nothing: a large jar or container, a basic strainer, and some cheesecloth. Total investment under £12. This basic setup produces cold brew that’s indistinguishable from expensive specialised equipment.

Cold brew makers from companies like OXO and Takeya offer convenience but not magic. You’re paying for easier filtration and storage, which can be worthwhile if you make cold brew regularly. For experimentation or occasional brewing, basic equipment works fine.

French presses make excellent cold brew makers. Add coarse grounds and water, steep normally without pressing, then press to filter after steeping time. This method works especially well for single servings and offers easy cleanup.

Cold Brew Coffee Ratio

The Japanese-style flash bloom method combines hot and cold extraction for more complex flavours. Start by pouring hot water over grounds using a 1:2 ratio, let it bloom for 30-60 seconds, then add cold water to reach your desired total ratio. This kickstarts the extraction of complex compounds whilst maintaining cold brew’s smooth character.

Room temperature versus refrigerator brewing creates subtle but noticeable differences. Room temperature extraction works faster and often produces more nuanced flavours, whilst refrigerator brewing is more convenient and forgiving with timing. Experiment with both to find your preference.

Water quality matters more in cold brew than hot coffee because the long extraction time gives off-flavours plenty of time to develop. If your tap water tastes good, use it. If not, filtered water makes a noticeable difference in the final product.

The standard ratio starts with 1:4 or 1:5 coffee to water by volume. One cup of coarse-ground coffee to four or five cups of water creates a concentrate that you’ll dilute before drinking. Adjust based on taste preferences—stronger concentrate offers more flexibility when serving.

How Long Does Cold Brew Last

Cold brew concentrate typically needs dilution before drinking. Start with 1:1 concentrate to water or milk and adjust to taste. Some people prefer stronger ratios like 2:1, whilst others like milder 1:2 dilutions.

Proper storage extends concentrate life significantly. Airtight glass containers in the refrigerator keep concentrates fresh for 10-14 days, though flavour peaks within the first week. Never store concentrate at room temperature, as bacteria can develop in the low-acid environment.

Diluted cold brew should be consumed within 2-3 days for the best flavour. The delicate balance that makes cold brew special degrades quickly once diluted, so mix only what you’ll drink soon.