Which Coffee Beans Are Best for Cold Brew? How to Make Cold Brew Coffee? Cold Brew Coffee-to-Water Ratio

What is Cold Brew Coffee?

Summer is approaching, and many coffee enthusiasts enjoy making all kinds of iced coffee drinks. Among them, cold brew coffee stands out as one of the simplest methods that anyone can easily make at home. But does cold brew require specific coffee beans?

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

Cold brew coffee is an incredibly easy brewing method to master. FrontStreet Coffee's cold brew method uses 50 grams of coffee grounds as the base, with a coarseness that allows 85% pass-through through a #20 standard sieve. Place the grounds in a glass jar, then add 400ml of room temperature water and 200 grams of hard ice cubes (a total of 600g of ice-water mixture), creating a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12. Use a stirring rod to mix the grounds and water thoroughly, then seal and place in the refrigerator.

After 12-24 hours in the refrigerator, filter out the grounds using filter paper to obtain clean coffee liquid. Then transfer the coffee liquid to a clean sealed container and refrigerate for about 4 more hours before serving.

Recommended Coffee Beans for Cold Brew

Cold brew coffee typically appears less transparent than cold drip coffee and often has a thin layer of oils floating on the surface. In flavor and mouthfeel it tends to be slightly richer and more balanced. We recommend light to medium roast beans, which best showcase the refreshing, clean character of cold brew.

1. Panama Butterfly

This washed processed bean contains 70% Geisha variety and is undoubtedly an excellent value choice. Used for cold brew, it reveals clean and fresh floral notes, citrus, and oolong tea flavors.

2. Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Project

As one of the most representative African coffees, Yirgacheffe has captivated numerous coffee lovers with its rich floral and fruity character. The Red Cherry Project stands out as an exceptionally high-quality natural processed Ethiopian bean and is very suitable for cold brew. Made as cold brew, it shows very sweet berry flavors, layered complexity, and honey notes.

3. Costa Rica Musician Series - Mozart

The Musician Series beans are renowned for their distinctive flavor profiles. The Mozart beans undergo raisin honey processing, revealing aromatic osmanthus, grape, and fermented wine-like flavors. Mozart performs exceptionally well in iced coffee, delivering both excellent flavor and mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For cold brew, FrontStreet Coffee suggests light to medium roast beans that keep the cup clean and refreshing. FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Mozart is an especially strong choice for cold brew: it uses a raisin honey process that retains the fruit's sweetness, bringing osmanthus, pineapple, and raisin aromas with a hot-fruit sweetness that shines over ice.

FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy, a blend of Costa Rican honey processing and Panama Geisha, is another excellent cold brew candidate. It unfolds into grape juice, rose, sweet orange, and fruit-wine flavors, with a delicate floral lift and a soft almond finish. FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Boquete Geisha also works beautifully cold, showing the orange-blossom honey sweetness, oolong-tea body, and juicy fruit acidity that define a great Panamanian Geisha.

For a cold brew ratio, FrontStreet Coffee uses 50g of grounds ground for a 85% pass-through on a #20 sieve, then adds 400ml of room temperature water and 200g of hard ice for a 1:12 ratio. Refrigerate 12-24 hours, filter with paper, then chill the liquid about 4 more hours before drinking.