I tested organic coffee brands to find which ones make the best tasting cold brew! In my experience, the best coffee for cold brew has been a coarsely ground dark roast made with freshly roasted, certified organic beans tested to be free of mold, mycotoxins and pesticides.

With the warm summer months ahead, I’m so excited to share how to make a damn good cup of cold brew and the way I like to drink mine!

Is Organic Coffee Better for Cold Brewing?

• Using organic beans yields a cleaner, more distinct taste
• Higher in antioxidants
• No pesticides or fertilizers used so it’s healthier for the planet and your body

What is Cold Brew?

Cold brew is a method of making coffee through cold water extraction, which basically means allowing ground coffee to steep in cold or room temp water for an extended period (12-24 hours).

It’s different from iced coffee in that iced coffee is just regular hot-brewed coffee poured over ice, while cold brew is never exposed to heat. Heat is what causes a lot of the acidity in coffee to come out, so cold brew ends up tasting smoother, richer and less bitter. It’s much lower in acidity, so it’s great for sensitive stomachs. Just remember cold brew is a concentrate with higher levels of caffeine, so if you don’t dilute it after brewing it will be super strong!

It’s also so easy to make in big batches at home and lasts in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I love being able to just grab and drink it right away versus with hot coffee I need to make a new cup from scratch each time. On the downside, you do have to wait that initial 12 hours for it to be ready.

Best Types of Coffee Beans for Cold Brew

1. Roast Level

Dark roast coffee beans are best for cold brew because they bring out all the wonderful notes that taste rich and smooth when cold. But super dark roasts can start tasting bitter.

2. Grind

Always choose a coarse grind. Nerding out on coffee here, but the larger granules slows down the extraction process and prevents over-extraction, which leads to a bitter taste. If it’s too fine, the grinds also leak through the filter and you end up drinking a gritty cup of cold brew.

3. Freshly roasted

Freshly roasted beans produce the best flavor versus stale beans. If they’re stale, it won’t matter whether they come as pre-grounded or whole bean. But if you get freshly roasted whole beans then that would make for the most flavorful cold brew.

4. Arabica vs Robusta

The bean type makes a noticeable difference and Arabica is the better choice. Most specialty coffee is 100% Arabica already, but this bean is sweeter, smoother and more complex. Robusta is more common in cheap supermarket blends and tastes more acidic.

4. Single Origin vs Blend

Single origin is fancy coffee lingo for beans that come from one specific farm or country. This can be great for a more nuanced cold brew or if you’re a coffee enthusiast who wants the distinct flavor profile of a certain country. A blend is totally fine if you’re making large batches and you’re adding milk or sweetener anyway, since that would mask the nuanced origin notes.

How to Make Cold Brew

1. Grind your beans coarsely or get pre-ground coffee specifically for cold brew.
2. Add the coffee to the cold brew maker and pour filtered water over the coffee grounds. If you don’t have a cold brew maker then pour into a large jar or French press. Use a 1:4 ratio to make a concentrate that you can customize to your liking (ie 1 part coffee to 4 parts water) or for more dilution a 1:8 ratio.
3. Steep in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
4. Pour and dilute the concentrate with equal parts water or add milk over ice. If you didn’t use a cold brew maker then pour the mixture into a fine mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth or paper coffee filter into a separate bottle. With a French press you simply press the plunger down and pour.
5. Store the rest in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

I tried Purity Coffee Cold Brew

Purity Coffee’s new Cold Brew is roasted specifically for cold brewing so the slow, cold extraction brings out the best flavor. It’s a medium roast, single-origin Brazilian coffee that’s rich in antioxidants and prebiotic compounds, and is third party tested for mold, mycotoxins, and pesticides – something no other coffee brand offers. This is one of my new favorites and has such good flavor depth with notes of peanut butter and cocoa. Purity recommends combining 3/4 cup of cold brew grounds with 4 cups of cold water in a French press for 6-7 hours for maximum caffeine and antioxidants. I always update this post with new cold brew coffee I’m testing and Purity’s is definitely a winner.

Price: $30 for 12 oz
Origin: Brazil
Notes: peanut butter and cocoa nibs

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I tried Bulletproof The Original Cold Brew

I tried Bulletproof’s Original cold brew coffee in the medium roast and it has a lighter, slightly sweeter taste. They also make a medium-dark roast specifically for cold brew, but I find the medium still does the trick for me. It’s smooth and clean tasting with no bitterness. For a budget friendly organic coffee brand available in stores, I think they offer decent cold brew. For super rich, complex flavor I would skip them though. Bulletproof is Rainforest Alliance Certified, uses sustainably sourced beans, and is 3rd party tested for mold and mycotoxins. Making cold brew requires a TON of coffee grinds, so I appreciate an affordable option. I did experience a small amount of sediment using this.

Price: $18.99 for 12oz
Origin: Central and South America
Notes: cinnamon, plum, orange

I tried Lifeboost Wild Fermented Wine Infused Coffee

If you feel life’s too short for boring coffee, let me present with you Lifeboost’s Wild Fermented Wine Infused Coffee (and their Whiskey Barrel Aged Coffee). The slow, cold extraction really brings out of the unique aromatic flavors so well. Their Wild Fermented Wine infused coffee combines wine wildly fermented in Israeli vineyards and South American coffee and has notes of wine with just a hint of oak-iness. It comes in whole bean for only, so I have to coarsely grind the beans myself which I feel helps bring out the bold flavors more. Lifeboost is low acid, easy on the stomach and uses 100% USDA certified organic beans that have been 3rd party tested for mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides. I feel like one of the coolest things about cold brew over hot brew is being able to infuse it with other ingredients like fruits and spices (I love adding dates!) and Lifeboost has taken it a step further.

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I tried Fabula Cold Brew Dark Roast

I was drinking Fabula’s regular dark roast before, but I specifically tested their Cold Brew coffee, which is a coarsely ground dark roast with sweet notes and full bodied flavor profile. I prefer using the version specifically sized for optimal cold brew preparation. The taste is so smooth and rich, possibly overly rich for some, and has that crispy quality I love so much about cold brew. My absolute pet peeve is sediment, and I get a clean grit-free cup every time I pour. This makes excellent concentrate that I can dilute in whatever way I want and still have flavorful coffee. When I really need to wake up immediately, a tiny splash of milk over this and I feel like I can take on any task.

Fabula uses single origin beans from Peru, are USDA certified organic and are 3rd party tested to be mold and mycotoxin free with test results available. Every bag is freshly roasted – they use a roast-to-order model meaning they ship out immediately after roasting. I would buy directly from them instead of a 3rd party to ensure you’re getting that freshness.

Price: $29.99 for 12 oz
Origin: Peru
Notes: chocolate, roasted nuts

I tried Four Sigmatic Focus Cold Brew Ground Coffee

I find this mushroom cold brew to be such a wonderful twist to my normal cold brew and I will keep repurchasing. It’s so convenient to grab in stores too. The addition of lion’s hand and yacon powder gives this cold brew a really unique and interesting flavor profile. It does have the classic richness and smoothness of a dark roast, but it’s got a wonderful sweetly earthy taste. I like making sure I steep this particular blend for more than 24 hours to really extract all the flavors, since there’s a smaller ratio of actual coffee grounds. There’s absolutely no bitterness or acidity hooray! If you get jittery with coffee, this is a great alternative. No one wants a mouthful of coffee grinds and I did not experience any sediment.

Price: $20 for 12 oz
Origin: Honduras
Notes: dark chocolate, mushroom, yacon
Recommendation: Use 2 Tbsp coffee grounds per 8 fl oz (1 cup) of water

I tried Bizzy Cold Brew

I wanted to test cold brew from an organic coffee company that literally only makes cold brew and found Bizzy. They offer the full spectrum of cold brew offerings, including pre-made liquid concentrates and pouches. I love how smooth this tastes and the sweet notes really do shine. What I found great about Bizzy is they’re really affordable and are the only cold brew offered in a 5lb bag. Their pouch version is also convenient and requires no cleanup like with regular cold brew making. They’ve also offer a ton of variety specifically for cold brew, like decaf, espresso and breakfast blend in a coarse grind.

Bizzy doesn’t have the same purity standards as my favorite organic coffee brands but they do use USDA Organic beans. To really ensure the best cold brew in every cup, they microsift their coffee after grinding. I didn’t experience any sediment at the bottom. They don’t have the same purity standards as my fave organic coffee companies, but that explains why they’re about half the cost.

Price: $17.99 for 16oz / $59.99 for 5lb
Notes: caramel, hazelnut