We Found the Best Coffee for Cold Brew, From Whole Beans to Brew Bags

1. Bizzy Cold Brew, Smooth & Sweet Blend

Best for Daily Drinkers

• Value: 16/20
• Ease of Brew: 20/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Aroma: 17/20
• Flavor: 19/20

TOTAL: 90/100

If you’re never without your cold brew, a flavorful-yet-smooth brew is crucial. That’s what we love about Bizzy Brew; it has the rich, roasted flavor we crave, but it isn’t so potent that it’ll give you a stomachache if you drink a glass (or two) every day. Plus, it’s convenient—not only can you have it regularly delivered to your door via Amazon (and save up to 10 percent by subscribing), the organic, ethically sourced beans are already ground and served in bags. Just pop two in a pitcher, add four cups of water, wait 12 hours, add a little more water, and you’re good to go.

2. Illy Classico

Best Classic Espresso Flavor

• Value: 14/20
• Ease of Brew: 17/20
• Quality: 17/20
• Aroma: 19/20
• Flavor: 18/20

TOTAL: 85/100

When you want bold coffee flavor—with the same strength you’d expect from a shot of espresso—search for Illy. Its 100 percent Arabica beans come sealed in a tin container for maximum freshness, and the brand recommends that you use them within 15 days of opening (which, as you’ll realize after the first sip, won’t be a problem). These beans have a rich flavor with a clean aftertaste, and while Classico is readily available ground, it’s very finely ground, making whole beans a better buy for cold brew specifically.

3. Grady’s Cold Brew Bean Bags

Best New Orleans-Style Brew

• Value: 18/20
• Ease of Brew: 18/20
• Quality: 17/20
• Aroma: 16/20
• Flavor: 19/20

TOTAL: 88/100

You don’t need a French press, cold brew maker or even a trip to NOLA to enjoy a killer cup of New Orleans-style coffee these days. Grady’s cold brew bags are filled with coffee, spices and chicory (the Louisiana must-have for giving the java its slightly nutty flavor). All you have to do is drop the bags in a pitcher, add water and let them steep for 12 to 24 hours to create your concentrate. It doesn’t get easier than that. Oh, and if you’re not sure whether you’d like chicory-laced coffee, consider this: Our discerning reviewer drinks it daily and says it’s the best cold brew he’s ever had.

4. Starbucks Honey & Madagascar Vanilla Flavored Coffee

Best Flavored Coffee

• Value: 18/20
• Ease of Brew: 18/20
• Quality: 16/20
• Aroma: 18/20
• Flavor: 16/20

TOTAL: 86/100

If you always order your cold brew with an extra pump (or three) of your favorite syrup, Starbucks’s newest launch is for you. The grounds alone give off the smell of freshly baked cookies, and you immediately notice rich vanilla and caramel notes the second you take a sip. (Some testers thought there might be cocoa in it too.) The end result is sweet, but not cloying; if you use flavored creamer, you can get away with a bit less.

Brewing tip: Try whipping some heavy cream to serve on top, for your own subtle take on the chain’s cold foam-topped cold brews.

5. Counter Culture Hologram

Boldest Flavor

• Value: 13/20
• Ease of Brew: 18/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aroma: 19/20
• Flavor: 18/20

TOTAL: 87/100

Have you ever rolled your eyes at paying $6 for a cup of cold brew, only to take a sip, lean back and go, “whoa, what was that?” The richness and complexity of the brew makes it seem worth the splurge, and after testing half a dozen renowned hipster brands, Counter Culture is the closest we’ve come to replicating that experience at home. We’ve been fans of its dark roast, known as Forty-Six, but Hologram is a whole different beast: It’s a few different coffees blended together, creating a full-bodied drink with layers of flavor. As you sip, the notes change from fruity to chocolatey.

6. Ivory Tusk Coffee Frenchie’s Roast

Smoothest Brew

• Value: 17/20
• Ease of Brew: 18/20
• Quality: 17/20
• Aroma: 16/20
• Flavor: 18/20

TOTAL: 86/100

This medium-dark roast coffee has an earthy, roasted flavor, but it’s not overpowering—nor does it taste bitter. Those two factors alone make this small business’s beans worth snatching up, especially for anyone who has a tendency to sip on an empty stomach. It’s gentle enough that our testers said they didn’t feel that “um, did I just chug gasoline?!” feeling later in the morning, even if they skipped the most important meal of the day.

7. Bulletproof French Kick

Cleanest Aftertaste

• Value: 12/20
• Ease of Brew: 17/20
• Quality: 17/20
• Aroma: 17/20
• Flavor: 18/20

TOTAL: 81/100

It only makes sense that the founder of Bulletproof Coffee—i.e., the practice of infusing your coffee with MCT oil and grass-fed butter for a keto-friendly, sustained energy boost—would have his own line of beans. French Kick is a dark roast, and it doesn’t contain MCT oil or butter (you’ll have to add that in yourself), but what impressed our testers was what a clean aftertaste it had. There’s no hint of coffee breath afterward, and the smoky, chocolatey notes are so subtle that they won’t compete with whatever you’re having for breakfast.

8. Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Coffee Bags

Most Affordable

• Value: 20/20
• Ease of Brew: 17/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Aroma: 20/20
• Flavor: 18/20

TOTAL: 93/100

Trader Joe’s does it again. The supermarket chain is known for selling unexpected dishes and snacks you can’t find anywhere else (hello, dark chocolate-drizzled plantain chips), but you shouldn’t sleep on its more run-of-the-mill fare. Case in point: Its Cold Brew Coffee Bags. Like Grady’s, you simply toss the bags in a pitcher of water and let them steep (TJ’s recommends doing so for eight to 12 hours, BTW) and what you wind up with is a bright, smooth drink with subtle notes of molasses.

Pro tip: Trader Joe’s recommends brewing two bags in seven cups of water, but our reviewer found that brewing one in three cups of water made for a stronger, more satisfying cup of cold brew.

9. Speedwell Cold Brew

Best to Gift

• Value: 13/20
• Ease of Brew: 18/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aroma: 20/20
• Flavor: 18/20

TOTAL: 88/100

These small-batch beans are specifically made for cold brew, and it shows. The resulting flavor is bold, a little chocolate-y and not too bitter. Though our reviewer didn’t quite taste the raisin-y finish the company mentions on its packaging, she didn’t miss it either. “Who wants raisin coffee?” she asked. But she did love its quality, and how the aroma reminded her of a cup you’d linger over at a fancy café. Plus, it makes for a great gift: The packaging is sleek, and you can order it as a three- or six-month subscription.

10. Laird Superfood Boost Medium Roast Coffee

Best Vitamin-Enriched Coffee

• Value: 11/20
• Ease of Brew: 17/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aroma: 15/20
• Flavor: 17/20

TOTAL: 79/100

Admittedly, we had our reservations about testing ground coffee with maitake mushroom and olive leaf extracts in it. But it lent a toasty, earthy flavor to the brew that wasn’t overtly mushroom-y (though the scent was a bit intense). What really got us was the fact that each 12-ounce cup boasts 15 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin D. Sometimes, enriched coffees can have a filmy or chemical-ish taste; not so here. It made for a rich cold brew that made us feel like we were starting off the day on the right foot.

One caveat, though: Like Illy, the ground coffee is a bit fine, so you’ll need to use a spoon to stir it around in the filter a bit to ensure the beans get saturated with water.

Best Decaf Cold Brew

• Value: 12/20
• Ease of Brew: 20/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aroma: 15/20
• Flavor: 18/20

TOTAL: 84/100

Initially, we didn't declare a winner for the decaf category, simply because the ones we'd tried tended to be...watery. And disappointing. Not so with Erebus's Ground Coffee in Cold Brew Bags. They're incredibly easy to brew (simply pop one in a pitcher, add water and let it steep for 24 hours), then dilute to your liking. We preferred adding half a cup of water for every cup of concentrate, but that's just because we like a strong brew. With its robust flavor and smooth finish, our testers had no idea they were drinking decaf.