Cold brew coffee is the best way to kick start your summer days and your winter ones. You know what? It’s an all-year-round delight. Any coffee connoisseur knows that several factors separate cold brew from french press coffee, mochas, and other forms of coffee typically found in a coffee shop. It’s in the name: Cold brew is prepared cold. Coffee lovers might also be interested in learning that it takes 14 hours to make. 

Cold brew is not as bitter as regularly brewed coffee. Steeping coffee with cold water produces a different viscosity and sweetness in addition to other flavor notes compared to the acidity or brightness that hot water brings out in coffee.

While we’re just scratching the surface of this chilled, caffeinated beverage’s illustrious history, one thing we understand is the difficulty people have in choosing which cold brew coffee is best. So if you’re one of those coffee lovers who wants to get over your decision paralysis, look no further. Here are the 16 best cold brew coffee brands to fuel your day. 

Grady’s Cold Brew Coffee

Enjoy gourmet iced coffee straight from your fridge! Grady's Cold Brew is locally brewed by hand with all-natural ingredients, including water, coffee, spices, and chicory for natural sweetness. One 16-ounce bottle stays fresh for a month and makes four cups of coffee, iced or hot. When mixed with water, Grady's Cold Brew has only 10 calories per serving.

La Colombe Cold Brew Brazilian Medium Roast Coffee

Get into this bold and rich cold brew. With single-origin, fully washed and sun-dried coffee beans from Brazil, this medium/dark roast retains the naturally bold and nutty flavors of Brazilian coffee. Cold-pressed coffee with filtered water, 100% Arabica Coffee.

La Colombe Cold Brew Colombian Light Roast Coffee 

Here’s a bright and flavorful cold brew to fill your cup. With single-origin, fully washed and sun-dried coffee beans from the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Colombia, this coffee is roasted lighter to retain the naturally sweet effervescence of high-quality Colombian coffee. Cold-pressed coffee with filtered water, 100% Arabica Coffee.

Starbucks Unsweetened Black Cold Brew Coffee

It's always cold brew season. You can enjoy cold brew at any time. With Starbucks’ unsweetened product, you can make it as fancy or as basic as you like. A little coconut syrup? Sure! Want it black and cold? You got it.

RISE Brewing Co. Original Black Nitro Cold Brew Coffee

RISE Nitro was created when its founders grew tired of the coffee products they saw on the market — loaded with sugar, calories, harmful chemicals, and words they couldn’t spell. Its mission is to make the best coffee products on the planet and make them accessible to everyone.

Califia Farms Double Espresso Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk

Wake up with a jolt of energy thanks to a delicious mix of smooth cold brew from 100% Direct Trade Arabica Beans and our even smoother almond milk — no espresso machine or barista required. Bottled up in an easy, grab-and-go size for your on-the-go mornings.

Stumptown Coffee Bottled Cold Brew

Stumptown’s Original Cold Brew is bottled up, so it’s ready to go wherever you are. Enjoy straight out of the bottle or pour over ice. Cheers! 

Stumptown starts with the highest quality coffee, cold brews it without heat for over 12 hours, then uses a double filtration process to procure the end result: a complex, smooth, and full-bodied brew with low-acid and a chocolate finish. Feelings of invincibility and euphoria are likely to follow.

Starbucks Cold Brew Vanilla Sweet Cream

Not even a marching band can wake you up this morning. Don’t let yourself down — grab a Starbucks Cold Brew Vanilla Sweet Cream for bold flavor and a swift kick in the pants to start the day.

Chameleon Cold Brew Organic Cinnamon Dolce Whole Milk Latte

Delicious coffee takes careful craft, and we deliver low acid, super-smooth coffee — every time. Indulge in the warming cinnamon spice of this cold brew latte made with organic whole milk.

Stumptown Horchata Cold Brew with Oatly

A little sweet, a little spicy — Horchata Cold Brew with OATLY is a surefire crowd-pleaser. Inspired by your favorite taquerias in Los Angeles, Cold Brew and Horchata is the combination you didn’t know you needed, but now you'll want it all the time. 

Stumptown starts with the highest quality coffee, cold brews it without heat for over 12 hours, then uses a double filtration process to procure the end result: a complex, smooth, and full-bodied brew with low-acid and a chocolate finish. Feelings of invincibility and euphoria are likely to follow.

Groundwork Organic Nitro Cold Brew Classic

Groundwork's Nitro Cold Brew is everything you’ve already come to know and love about our cold brew, but with an added creaminess and richness.

Groundwork Coffee is certified organic, fairly traded, and ethically sourced, so you know you’re contributing to a more sustainable future with every purchase.

Blue Bottle Coffee Bold Cold Brew

Deep and rapturous, Bold Cold Brew is a night sky without its moon, ribboned with notes of chocolate and textured like smooth velvet. Grab a can on the go and get perked up for your next meeting.

Zingerman's Cold Brew

This is an exceptionally sweet and rich beverage with hints of chocolate. The cold water brewing process produces a cup with virtually none of the acidity found in traditional hot coffee. It’s rich and smooth with a delicious and complex flavor and a refreshing intensity. This Cold Brew coffee is shelf-stable for up to one year and free of additives and preservatives of any kind.

The process of creating that simple cup involves a surprisingly intricate journey across the globe. Zingerman's cares about every facet of the journey — from the producers, to you, the customer. You really can taste the difference!

Intelligentsia Cold Coffee

This cold coffee is brewed hot to express depth of aroma and complexity of flavors, then flash chilled to preserve its natural sweetness. The blend is made of Ethiopian coffee from direct trade partners, supplemented by coffee from Peru, and features caramel, lime, and cherry notes.

Intelligentsia is a specialty coffee pioneer, rising from humble Chicago roots to a company driven by curiosity, empowerment, and the never-ending quest for the most extraordinary coffee in the world.

Corvus Coffee Rwanda Cold Brew

If you’re seeking a cold brew with ties to a worthy cause and business initiative, this is it. Corvus sources its single-origin cold brew coffee from women-owned cooperatives in Rwanda.

Rebbl Maca Cold-Brew Elixir 12oz

Anything but ordinary, Maca Cold-Brew elevated brew boasts Peruvian maca root with creamy coconut milk and a hint of vanilla. With the power of the superfood maca mixed with caffeine, you’ll be buzzing after this drink.

FAQs

What is the best cold brew coffee?

Cold brew coffee has become more popular than ever, so it’s no wonder coffee drinkers want to know which option is best. 

We suggest that the best store-bought cold brew award has been rightfully claimed by Stumptown Coffee Bottled Cold Brew. Several qualities went into consideration to decide on the best cold brew, including quality of ingredients, taste profile, price, and caffeine concentration. 

In terms of ingredients, this offering is brewed with only water and coffee. As a result, it’s a clean option that can be customized with sugar, dairy, or milk alternatives to suit your personal preference. 

We love the refreshing yet subtle notes of dark chocolate you can taste in each sip of this cold brew option. And stacked at 279 milligrams of caffeine per 10.5 ounces a serving, it outranks several other cold brew brands. Overall, this brand is the perfect value for money option. 

Is cold brew stronger than coffee?

The strength of coffee is often measured according to the ratio of coffee to water. Cold brew is brewed with a high coffee to water concentration. For context, the ratio of coffee to water in hot coffee is between 1 part coffee to 16–20 parts water. Caffeine enthusiasts might be pleased to know that cold brew’s ratio is between 1 part coffee to 4–8 parts water. Since this is clearly a more concentrated drink, many people consider cold brew more substantial than regular coffee.

We know that cold brew generally has 200 milligrams of caffeine per 16 ounces, but when measuring its strength compared to regular coffee, there are many elements to consider. Several factors will impact the strength, like how many coffee beans are used, how finely they were ground, and how long the batch of cold brew in question was actually brewed for. 

While it’s evident that cold brew is made with more coffee beans than hot coffee, the resulting mixture may have less caffeine depending on certain elements. But if you want a simple answer, we can confidently tell you that cold brew has more caffeine than espresso and iced coffee. If you want a jet-fuel strength coffee drink, you can mix some cold brew concentrate with water over ice cubes. Be prepared to be buzzing. 

Is cold brew the healthiest coffee?

Cold brew is just as healthy as regular coffee. As you may or may not know, drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of developing dangerous health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and premature death, according to a Harvard study. 

However, since cold brew is less acidic than regular coffee, people might be less likely to tweak the taste with caloric milk and extra sugar. Cold brew on its own is healthier than coffee with sugar and cream. 

Truthfully, we think that deciding whether cold brew coffee is better than hot coffee or not comes down to personal preference. But we think cold brew coffee isn’t just better: it’s also cooler.