This is a worthy question. Generally, when you ask someone about the best coffee beans to use, you will often hear the generic answer: ‘it all comes down to taste and preference’. This sentiment is essentially true, as we all have different coffee tastes. Personally, I prefer bright, acidic notes, while a colleague of mine favors darker, chocolaty notes.
In this article, we will guide you on how to think when choosing your beans for cold brew. If you are looking for specific recommendations, we have a list for you.
However, when it comes to cold brew, there are a few definitive factors that influence the taste of your brew. According to the Specialty Coffee Association, cold-brew extraction parameters, such as water temperature and brew time, significantly impact flavor. Therefore, certain beans work best for a cold brew.
To reiterate, there is no official right answer, and you might disagree with my suggestions. Nonetheless, I will share my insights on what I believe are the best coffee beans for your cold brew, considering the extraction parameters recommended by the Specialty Coffee Association.
Cold Brew Process and Coffee Extraction
The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that cold brewing is entirely different from our standard method of brewing coffee with hot water. According to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), cold-brew extraction parameters are distinct, and they have published recommended guidelines for this process. If you want a deep dive into this subject, check our article on “Cold Brew Coffee Extraction“, it will help you better understand the info in this article.
Why Do We Brew Hot?
One of the reasons for brewing coffee hot is to speed up and enhance the brewing and extraction process. This allows us to brew coffee much quicker when using water at 195-205°F, as recommended by the SCA. It also means that more flavors from the coffee bean are extracted.
What I am mainly talking about here are the bright, acidic tones that are present in all hot brewed coffee and that are particularly associated with coffee beans from African countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya.
What Happens when We Cold Brew?
When we cold brew, we do not extract these notes. The SCA’s guidelines for cold-brew extraction parameters suggest that it’s next to impossible to extract the bright, acidic tones. This is not necessarily a bad thing. With cold brewing, we can really single out and enjoy the other notes in the coffee cup, such as the darker, chocolaty, and more nutty tones.
A cold brew is incredibly smooth and not at all bitter, which is often not the case when we are dealing with the darker tasting profile. (cold-brew extraction parameters, for which the Specialty Coffee Association has published recommended guidelines) This means the yield is delicious but completely different from what we would expect from a hot cup of coffee.
How to Select Coffee Beans for Cold Brew?
My point here is that purchasing coffee beans with an acidic profile is unnecessary for cold brewing, as those notes won’t be extracted effectively. According to the Specialty Coffee Association, cold-brew extraction parameters are different from hot brewing, and if you brew an acidic or fruity coffee cold, you will end up with a muted and rather flavorless cup.
I recommend selecting beans with darker tasting notes, such as nutty and chocolatey flavors, which are often associated with South American coffees. These tasting notes are derived from SCA flavor-wheel categories. While other beans can offer this profile, starting with a South American bean—possibly from Brazil or Colombia—is advisable.
Single Origin vs Blends for Cold Brew Coffee
I am consistently an advocate for single origin coffee beans, which offer single-origin traceability, a hallmark of specialty coffee as defined by the SCA. However, there is a strong, legitimate argument for using blends when cold brewing.
A well-known fact is that single origin beans tend to be more expensive. Perhaps less known is that cold brewing is easy and forgiving, as noted in this article.
Cold brew extraction is much harder to mess up compared to standard hot brewing methods. The Specialty Coffee Association has published recommended guidelines for cold-brew extraction, which allow for the use of more affordable beans and blends, resulting in a well-rounded, well-extracted drink, unlike when using the same beans for hot brewing.
Should We Buy Cheaper Beans?
In my opinion – still no.
Some people will disagree with me, but as I mentioned earlier, cold brewing presents a unique opportunity for extracting and tasting those delicious darker notes. According to the Specialty Coffee Association’s recommended guidelines for cold-brew extraction parameters, while cold brewing is not ideal for highlighting acidic notes, it excels in bringing out the darker flavors. The smoothness achieved through cold brewing complements these flavors perfectly.
Therefore, I would highly recommend choosing a single origin with these sorts of notes present. Single-origin traceability is a hallmark of specialty coffee as defined by the SCA. Compared to a cheap blend, single-origin beans will still be much, much nicer. The difference in quality will just be smaller than it would be if you were brewing hot.
An Espresso Blend Is Great for Cold Brew
Asser Christensen from The Coffee Chronicler makes the good point that an espresso blend is a great place to start if you are using a blend to cold brew, although he does not seem to be a fan of cold brew. The SCA-standard 9-bar espresso definition highlights that espresso brewing brings out darker notes from the bean, especially compared to filter brewing, and espresso blends are chosen with those richer notes in mind. These notes are also ideal for cold brewing.
What Roast is the Best for Cold Brew Coffee?
Coffee beans with darker notes are often roasted to a darker degree. The theory here, supported by the SCA, is that roasting beans for longer complements the darker tasting profile.
I strongly disagree with the notion that beans should be roasted dark, especially when dealing with specialty-grade beans scoring 80+ on the Coffee Quality Institute scale. The smoky taste you experience in dark roasted coffee is actually due to the beans being burnt. This not only masks the bean’s natural flavors but is also considered unhealthy. We have an article reviewing some of the best beans for cold brew, where we mention that it’s acceptable to use dark roasts, provided the beans lack the smoke flavor imparted by poor roasting techniques.
At some point, large-scale roasters marketed dark roasts as stronger and more flavorful. In reality, dark roasting is often used to cover up the natural flavor of lower-quality beans, such as those from certain commercial chains. According to the Specialty Coffee Association, the quality of the bean is paramount, and dark roasting can obscure this.
Dark roast development that pushes caramelization, a style the Specialty Coffee Association discusses in its roasting handbook, doesn’t necessarily mean dark roasts are cheaper. Although these beans may taste better when brewed cold rather than hot, it’s advisable to avoid purchasing low-quality beans if possible.
The darkest roast I would recommend is a medium-dark roast, which might be considered acceptable for cold brew, especially when using specialty-grade beans scoring 80+ on the Coffee Quality Institute scale.
You’ll find advice online suggesting dark roasts are ideal for cold brew. (dark roast development that pushes caramelization, a style the Specialty Coffee Association discusses in its roasting handbook) If you enjoy coffee with ashy notes and deep smoke flavors, dark roast might be suitable for you. These flavors extract more effectively with longer brewing times, such as in cold brew.
There are exceptions to this rule, and it would be remiss not to mention them. With air roasting equipment, the amount of smoke imparted to your beans is minimal, making it a preferable option. However, very dark roasts lose their unique characteristics and tend to taste similar, as noted by experts like James Hoffmann.
Cold Brew Grind
Ideally, you should have a grinder to freshly grind your beans, as emphasized by Scott Rao in The Professional Barista’s Handbook. If budget constraints prevent this, purchase your beans from a vendor who can grind them for you at the time of purchase.
Using pre-ground coffee is not recommended for cold brew. According to the Specialty Coffee Association’s guidelines, pre-ground coffee is typically ground fine for espresso and drip coffee machines, which is too fine for cold brew.
Cold brew requires coarsely ground coffee. In some cases, a medium-coarse grind is acceptable, but not finer. Although a finer grind could speed up extraction, it is impractical as no coffee makers can effectively retain the fines. The Specialty Coffee Association notes that grind size significantly impacts the extraction process.
Takeaway
My recommendation is to purchase the best medium-roasted, single-origin beans you can afford, ideally with darker, earthier, nuttier, and chocolatey notes, likely from South America. These should be specialty-grade beans scoring 80+ on the Coffee Quality Institute scale. If single-origin is beyond your budget, opt for a quality espresso blend. Ensure you use fresh, coarsely ground coffee for the best results.
cold-brew extraction parameters, for which the Specialty Coffee Association has published recommended guidelines, Happy cold brewing!