What you’ll learn in this article:
- Which types of coffee beans and origins are best for cold brew
- How your choice of brewing equipment affects cold brew flavour and consistency
- Why brewing processes like grind size and extraction control are critical
- Key safety and quality factors to consider when scaling up cold brew production
The process of making high-quality cold brew is a long one, with plenty to consider. There are two main factors that foodservice and hospitality businesses need to bear in mind: the coffee they use and the equipment they source. That leaves two questions: what is the best coffee for cold brew, and how important is equipment?
To make exceptional cold brew that resonates with your customers, both the coffee and equipment need to be up to the task. This means sourcing the best coffee for cold brew from producers and origins with flavour profiles that align with your ideal drink, or choosing your equipment wisely. Making these decisions, however, requires a lot of thought.
To learn more about the best coffee for cold brew, I spoke to Nicola Abbatescianni. He is the Head of People & Coffee Training at Noxy Brothers, a coffee business with locations across London. Read on for his insight.
Which is the best coffee for cold brew?
Before you make your first batch of cold brew, you should consider how you want it to taste. By determining the flavour profiles and tasting notes you have in mind, you can choose the best coffee for cold brew that suits your needs.
“The first thing to figure out is what your cold brew is for,” Nicola says. “If it’s just an iced Americano alternative – something smooth, simple, and easy to drink – then you’ll want to stick with a coffee that’s crowd-pleasing and cost-effective.”
For complex flavour notes that make your cold brew premium – especially when infused with nitrogen for a foamy mouthfeel – other coffees are more suitable. “Use something with a unique fermentation, origin, or story behind it,” he advises. “Those tend to cost more, but you can reflect that in the final price because you’re offering something special.”
Evidently, choosing the best coffee for cold brew requires a lot of thought. Consumer preferences for cold brew are constantly shifting, so there’s no single best coffee to use. Instead, you’ll need to decide based on how you want the cold brew to taste, and what your customers want.
Catering to consumer demand is a big consideration as you choose your coffee. Studies show that smoothness, lower acidity, and perceived sweetness are the key characteristics of cold brew. This is why many roasters favour arabica beans from high-profile origins like Colombia and Brazil. Compared to robusta, arabica has a less bitter flavour profile and sweeter flavour notes, making it ideal to meet your customers’ expectations.
“We’ve found that beans with lower acidity and round, chocolatey, or nutty notes tend to perform well,” Nicola says. “That said, there’s growing interest in using more adventurous beans, including natural or anaerobic processed coffees, or even those aged in whiskey barrels.
“We once tried a Thai coffee that had a slightly spiced, fermented profile. It was surprisingly refreshing and complex when brewed cold. Cold brew is such a forgiving method that it really lets these experimental flavour profiles shine.”
Is equipment more important than the best coffee for cold brew?
While choosing the best coffee for cold brew is essential, your cold brew’s ultimate quality heavily depends on how it’s brewed. According to Nicola, high-quality equipment and consistent processes may actually have a greater impact on the final cup than the coffee itself.
“While both the bean and the process matter, I’d say the process edges out slightly – especially with cold brew,” he says. “Even a fantastic coffee can taste flat or unpleasant if it’s over-extracted or brewed inconsistently. On the flip side, even a modest bean can shine with the right process.”
If you choose the best coffee for cold brew but have inconsistent production methods, your final product may disappoint your customers. For example, inconsistent extraction as the coffee is steeped can lead to extremely bitter flavour notes, which are generally unpopular.
Consider that up to 53% of coffee drinkers consider taste to be their main concern when buying coffee. If they don’t like the bitter flavours caused by imprecise cold brew equipment and techniques, you may lose sales.
Beyond flavour, brewing parameters like pH also play a major role in the cold brew experience. Cold brew usually has a pH between 4.85 and 5.13, making it less acidic than hot coffee. This reduced acidity contributes to its smooth, mellow character.
However, deviations in pH due to poor control over grind size, brew time, or ratio can throw off balance – making the final beverage taste dull or unexpectedly sharp. Understanding and managing these extraction variables helps ensure each batch meets your flavour goals.
Microbiological safety is another key concern, especially when brewing in large volumes or for bottling. Unlike hot coffee, cold brew isn’t pasteurised by heat, which means it can become a breeding ground for bacteria if handled improperly.
Pathogens like Listeria or Bacillus cereus can thrive if the brewing system is exposed to ambient temperatures or lacks proper sanitation. That’s why closed brewing systems with sanitary components and quick-chill or nitrogen-infusion processes are crucial in commercial setups. Following food safety regulations and performing regular microbial testing are non-negotiables when producing cold brew at scale.
Fortunately, there are a number of brewing systems available that can improve consistency and safety. They range from immersion buckets that allow you to steep large quantities of cold brew at once to automated machinery like the Hardtank.
These options are favourable for foodservice businesses because they speed up the process, producing up to 18 litres in one batch in less than an hour. Compared to regular immersion methods that take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, you can produce much more cold brew each day. With automated agitation and extraction technology, it also removes concerns around inconsistent extraction and bitter flavour notes.
It means that even if you have the best coffee for cold brew, inadequate equipment can limit its quality. You need to strike a balance between unique and high-quality beans with equipment that does them justice.
How to balance equipment and ingredients for the best cold brew
To achieve the perfect balance of the best coffee for cold brew and equipment that prepares it properly, you need machinery that eliminates human error. After all, cold brew is an extremely sensitive drink that needs meticulous preparation and storage methods to be safe for consumption.
First and foremost, once you’ve chosen the best coffee for cold brew, you need to determine the grind size. If the grounds are too small, it can lead to over-extraction or clogging. You should opt for a coarser grind size, between 450 to 500 microns, for the most efficient extraction.
Next, consider the best cold brew equipment for your needs. Hardtank 20 systems are capable of producing up to 250 litres a day, making them ideal for high-volume coffee shops, bars, or restaurants. The Baby Hardtank, on the other hand, is suitable for countertops and makes up to 60 litres a day. Determine the equipment you source based on your volume and daily cold brew demand.
Another thing to consider is consistency. While you can easily achieve this in your ingredients by purchasing the best coffee for cold brew from the same producer, doing so with equipment is more complicated. “When you’re brewing at scale or prepping in advance, the process becomes even more critical,” Nicola says. “It’s what ensures consistency across every batch, every shop, every cup.”
To guarantee consistency across each batch, equipment with built-in memory systems is particularly useful. By selecting pre-determined recipes and saving new ones as you launch new drinks, you can remove any human error so each drink is as delicious as the last.
In conclusion, there is no singular best coffee for cold brew. In fact, industry experts believe that equipment and brewing processes are just as, if not more important, to high-quality cold brew. Therefore, you need to combine your ideal coffee with equipment that does it justice during production.
Discover how Hardtank’s equipment can help you offer the best cold brew on demand while saving time and space.
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Cold brew coffee FAQ: Beans, equipment, and brewing tips
What is the best coffee for cold brew?
There isn’t a single best coffee for cold brew, since the coffee you use will depend on your ideal flavour profile. However, arabica beans are generally favoured over robusta due to their smoother, sweeter flavour notes. Origins like Colombia, Brazil, and Ethiopia are popular choices.
Which matters more for cold brew – ingredients or equipment?
While both are important, the equipment and methods behind your cold brew extraction are more important than the coffee you use. This is because even the best coffee for cold brew will taste bitter or sour if your process leads to uneven extraction.
What is the best grind size for cold brew?
You should aim for a coarse grind between 450 to 500 microns for cold brew. It prevents clogging or over-extraction across large batches.
How do I ensure cold brew is safe for consumption?
Use closed, sanitary brewing systems, chill or serve immediately, and avoid room-temperature storage. For commercial setups, follow local food safety regulations.
What do I need from cold brew equipment?
The primary feature to look for in equipment for cold brew is consistency. This means repeatable results and batches that taste the same each time. Therefore, you should source equipment that has built-in memory functions and pre-set brewing profiles.
