Cold brew is one of the simplest coffee drinks to make at home and the easiest to customize.
This versatile beverage is perfect for summer, and in this article, I'll discuss some of the best coffee beans for making it at home.
Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew Shortlist
Here's my shortlist of the top coffee beans for cold brew in 2026:
- Best for Sweet, Complex Cold Brew: Tiny Footprint Nicaragua Dark Roast - Chocolatey and nutty with fig and spice notes, this organic Nicaraguan dark roast brews a sweet, full-flavored cold brew that still tastes complex rather than flat.
- Best for Classic, Balanced Cold Brew: Colombian Supremo Medium Roast - Bold yet balanced with honey-cherry sweetness, this Colombian Supremo medium roast holds its flavor well in storage and gives you a classic, straightforward cold brew profile.
- Best for Strong, Low-Acid Cold Brew: Stone Street Cold Brew Coffee - Designed specifically for cold brew, this dark Colombian Arabica is strong and smooth with low acidity and chocolatey, toasted notes that work well over ice.
- Best for Earthy, Heavy Cold Brew: Organic Sumatra Mandheling Coffee - Earthy and full-bodied with low acidity, this Sumatra Mandheling coffee is ideal if you want a heavier, less sweet cold brew with lots of depth.
- Best for Brighter, Nutty Cold Brew: Guatemalan Antigua Blend - Lightly roasted with a nutty finish and rich flavor that is not too bitter, this Guatemalan Antigua works for drinkers who want a brighter, more aromatic cold brew.
- Best for Bold, Italian-Style Cold Brew: Lavazza Qualità Rossa - This 70/30 Arabica-Robusta Italian blend has a chocolatey, full-bodied profile and a stronger caffeine kick, making it best for bold, bitter-leaning cold brew.
Although many coffee shops offer cold brew, making it at home provides more options and the chance to use fresher, higher-quality beans.
Let's go more in-depth now!
The 6 best coffee beans for cold brew in 2026
The best coffee beans for cold brew are those that retain a strong flavor after brewing.
To determine if a particular roast will be as good as cold brew, look for the flavor profile, origin, and roast type on the bag.
I'll break down my top six coffee beans for making cold brew below:
1. Nicaraguan coffee beans
Nicaraguan coffee is perfect for cold brew. It's usually on the sweeter side, and many roasts give notes of citrus, caramel, and chocolate.
Most Nicaraguan coffee is “shade-grown” and organic and has a wide variety of flavors depending on how long it's roasted.
Tiny Footprint Coffee's Nicaraguan Organic Dark Roast is chocolatey, nutty, and delicious. The undertones of fig and spice also come out nicely when brewing cold brew.
- The world's first carbon negative coffee.
- 100% Organic Shade-Grown Arabica Coffee.
2. Colombian Supremo coffee beans
Colombian coffee is excellent for several different beverages, and cold brew is no exception.
Colombian Supremo, in particular, is the largest coffee bean grown in Colombia. With its bold and balanced flavor, there is a lot to love about these beans.
This Fresh Roasted Coffee Colombian Supremo Dark Roast is perfect for making cold brew at home.
It stores well and still makes a fresh-tasting cup of coffee even after a couple of weeks!
It's a slightly medium roast than the rest of the beans on this list, but with its bold body and honey-cherry flavor, it's still a great choice.
- Fresh roasted Colombian Supremo coffee Is well balanced with tasting notes of honey and cherry.
3. Arabica Colombian coffee
Arabica coffee simply refers to coffee produced from the Arabica plant, which can be grown in various locations worldwide.
Colombian Arabica coffee, however, is especially tasty. The majority of coffee produced in Colombia is from this plant, so most Colombian coffees will have the light, sweet flavor of typical Arabica roasts.
Similar to Colombian Supremo roasts (many of which are also Arabica), these beans are well-suited for cold brew due to their bold, toasted flavor and chocolate notes.
For a perfect Colombian cold brew, try Stone Street's 100% Arabica Dark Roast.
Freshly roasted in Brooklyn, New York, this blend is specifically designed for a cold brew and is perfect for an ice-cold summer coffee.
- Our cold brew coffee blend uses fresh gourmet arabica coffee beans from Colombia.
- Our beans are classified as ‘Supremo’ which are the largest and highest quality beans from Colombia.
4. Indonesian coffee beans
Indonesia is also a large producer of Arabica beans, especially in Sumatra. Sumatran coffees are known for their low acidity, making them perfect for cold brew.
Indonesian and Sumatran roasts are ideal for coffee lovers seeking an earthier, slightly less sweet flavor profile.
Most Sumatran coffee is also wet-hulled, a technique that involves washing the coffee beans and allowing them to ferment.
Wet-hulling creates a unique flavor profile, allowing these beans to taste exceptionally well when roasted dark.
For a tasty, earthier cold brew, Volcanica Coffee Company's Mandheling is an excellent option.
5. Guatemalan coffee beans
If you typically enjoy floral roasts, Guatemalan coffee beans make a great choice for cold brew.
They can be roasted light, which becomes more fruity, or dark, which is more chocolatey, depending on what kind of coffee you'd like to make.
For cold brew, a fine option is dark roast Guatemalan coffee.
What makes Guatemalan coffee special is the altitude at which it's grown. Being that this coffee is usually harvested at an altitude of 5,000′, Guatemalan roasts have a unique aroma and flavor, and they're typically full-bodied and moderately acidic.
Guatemala produces a massive amount of coffee annually, and factors such as soil quality, sunlight, and rainfall in a particular area can significantly impact the taste of different Guatemalan roasts.
However, there are lots of great options for high-quality, delicious Guatemalan coffee.
One of the best is Copper Moon Coffee's Guatemalan Antigua Blend, which is very rich and flavorful without being too bitter.
- A Copper Moon is when the sun, earth, & full moon align in a single, delightful event. Each sip of a cup of Copper Moon Coffee is a similarly singular & delightful event, the perfect blend of fresh beans & careful roasting.
6. Italian coffee beans
Robusta coffee is the darker, nuttier counterpart to Arabica.
These two types of coffee make up the majority of coffee beans you'll find. While there are certainly others and combinations of multiple kinds of coffee, these two are the most popular.
Unlike Arabica, Robusta coffee is more caffeinated and slightly bitter. That being said, it still makes a fantastic cup of cold brew and can actually give it a fuller, more rounded taste.
If you typically drink black coffee or slightly more bitter coffee, this mix of 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta coffee beans is worth a try.
Additionally, if you want to make decaf cold brew, Robusta also makes up the majority of decaf roast coffee available.
One of the best options for a blend is Lavazza Qualita Rossa, a highly caffeinated yet very palatable roast that is perfect for your next cold brew.
- Blend of 70% Brazilian Arabica and 30% African Robusta coffees
- Chocolaty flavor, Full body, intense aromas and a persistent aftertaste
What coffee roast is best for cold brew?
For cold brew, use a medium to dark roast.
You don't need to use the darkest roast you can find, but typically, the richer, bolder, chocolatey flavor profile of dark roasts makes for a better cold brew.
The most important thing is to use coarse-ground coffee.
This is because the cold water you will be using to make your cold brew needs to circulate in order for the coffee flavor to be extracted:
Can you make cold brew with any coffee beans?
Technically, you can use any beans for the cold brewing process as long as they're ground coarse.
However, one of the best reasons to drink cold brew is that the reduced acidity will allow you to taste the full flavor of your roast.
To get the most out of your cold brew, opt for a darker roast.
These roasts generally have a more robust flavor, making your cold brew delicious without the need for added sugar or milk.
What's the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
The terms “cold brew” and “iced coffee” are often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing.
Iced coffee is simply pouring hot coffee over ice. You can add milk and sugar to iced coffee, but the brewing process remains the same as for hot coffee.
While you can allow your hot coffee to cool slightly before pouring it over ice, this will still result in a diluted drink.
Cold brew is coffee brewed without heat for several hours (usually overnight) and then filtered.
This creates less acidic coffee, has a more robust, bolder taste, and is actually more caffeinated than espresso.
If you want an in-depth look at the differences between these coffees, you can read more about them here.
What do I need to make cold brew at home?
There are lots of ways to make cold brew at home. The easiest way is to soak coarse-ground coffee in an airtight container with cold water for at least 12 hours.
When it's done soaking, strain and enjoy.
For this method, use a ratio of one part whole coffee beans to four parts water.
That means if you grind one cup (82 g) of coffee beans coarse, soak the grinds in four cups (950 ml) of cold water.
You can also use a French press to make cold brew. You may have used a French press before to make delicious hot coffee, but this method is just as effective for cold brew.
The ratio is slightly different when using a French press, so make sure to use two cups (470 ml) of water for every four oz (110 g) of coarsely ground coffee.
Add your coffee grounds to a French press and cover with water.
After letting it soak for 14 to 18 hours, press the plunger lid down until the grounds are entirely submerged, and then strain the liquid.
Now, you have a cold brew concentrate that can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. To serve, add equal parts of concentrate and water or milk.
You can also use an AeroPress to make cold brew coffee, which I cover in detail here.
Other great coffee beans
Not sure yet about making cold brew coffee with the coffee beans mentioned in this article? Or just curious to see which coffee beans are out there?
I've got you covered! Check out the lists below to find great coffee beans for different brewing methods and recipes:
- Best Coffee Beans for Cappuccino
- Best Coffee Beans for Chemex
- Best Coffee Beans for Espresso
- Best Coffee Beans for French Press
- Best Coffee Beans for Latte
Conclusion
There are many easy options for making cold brew at home, but the best cold brew depends on your preferred coffee bean.
When choosing a roast, consider the flavor profile you typically enjoy and select a dark roast that matches it.
Or even better, try something new!
Cold brew is a wonderful option for home baristas of all skill levels.
As long as you have coarse-ground coffee and a place to let your cold brew soak, you're on the right track for finding a roast you'll love and brewing a delicious, refreshing summer drink.
