Best Coffee for Cold Brew
Cold brew rewards a bold, low-acid coffee that can stand up to a long, slow steep and still taste smooth once you pour it over ice. Here’s what we recommend from our current lineup, and a simple ratio to get you started.
Our top picks for cold brew
- Brazil – Serra Negra (Dark Roast) – smooth and bold with chocolate and nutty undertones. A classic, reliable choice for cold brew.
- The Lake Blend (Dark Roast) – toasty cacao nibs, orange, and molasses notes that hold up beautifully over a long cold steep.
- Prospect Hill Blend – smooth, full bodied, with a hint of sweet smokiness. A great middle-ground option if you want bold without going fully dark.
- Honduras – Medium Roast – chocolate, nutty, and a little sweetness. A great medium roast option if you want a smoother, less intense cold brew.
Dark, medium, or light, which is right for cold brew?
Dark roast tends to taste more like “the roast” itself, bold, low-acid, with deep chocolate and caramel notes, which is why it’s the most common recommendation for cold brew, especially if you’ll be adding milk or sweetener. Medium roast preserves more of the coffee bean’s own character, so it comes through a little more balanced and nuanced, and it’s a favorite for drinking cold brew black. Light roast is more of a stretch for cold brew; its higher acidity doesn’t mellow out as well over a long, slow steep, so we don’t personally recommend it for this brew method.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of cold brew made with light roast. But I love a medium roast cold brew, since I drink my coffee black most of the time, medium roast gives me that fuller, more balanced flavor I’m looking for. Dark roast is still a great, reliable choice too, especially if you like your cold brew bold or you’re mixing in milk or cream.
A simple cold brew ratio
Use a coarse grind, when ordering, just select the French Press grind option on the product page, that’s the same coarseness we recommend for cold brew. A French press is also a convenient option for actually making your cold brew, since its built-in plunger and mesh filter let you steep and then filter out the grounds in the same container, no separate straining step needed. A good starting ratio is 1 cup of coarsely ground coffee to 4 cups of cold, filtered water. Steep in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, then strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Dilute the concentrate with water, milk, or ice to taste, it’s strong on purpose!
For the coffee enthusiast: measuring by weight
If you have a kitchen scale and want more precision than “a cup of this, a cup of that,” try measuring by weight instead. Here are two ratios to start from, depending on how strong you like it:
| Brew Strength | Ground Coffee | Filtered Water |
|---|---|---|
| Concentrate | 50 g / 1.75 oz | 400 mL / 13.5 fl. oz |
| Ready to Drink | 35 g / 1.25 oz | 500 mL / 17 fl. oz |
The Concentrate ratio makes a stronger base meant to be diluted further before drinking, while the Ready to Drink ratio is meant to be enjoyed closer to as-is, maybe with just ice. Either way, pour the water over the grounds in a circular motion for even saturation, and steep for 12 to 24 hours, brewing temperature and steep time both affect the final flavor, so feel free to experiment and find what you like best.
Not sure which roast fits your taste? Browse our full Dark Roast selection or check our FAQ for more on grind options and freshness.
