Which Coffee Bean Process Suits Cold Brew Best?

For cold brew, the coffee bean process and roast timing matter more than equipment. Front Street Coffee uses 50 grams of grounds at roughly 85% passing a No. 20 sieve, combined with 400 ml room-temperature water and 200 grams of ice, a 1:12 ratio. The mixture is sealed and refrigerated for 12 to 24 hours, filtered, then chilled about 4 hours more before drinking.

Because cold water extracts slowly and degassing is weak, beans past their resting period work better than fresh ones, usually about 15 to 20 days after roasting. Beans can be grouped by flavor profile: fresh floral and fruity, citrus and berry, or subtle honeyed aroma. Options include Panama Geisha coffee, Butterfly, Huakui 5.0, Sun-Dried Red Cherry, Flower Moon Night, Rose Valley and Mozart.

Cold brew coffee has a low barrier to entry—simply mix water and coffee grounds, seal, and refrigerate, then let time do the rest. This article first outlines Front Street Coffee's cold brew parameters, including coffee dose, grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, steeping time, and filtering and chilling steps. It then explains bean selection based on cold brew extraction characteristics, recommending beans that have passed their resting period. Finally, organized by three flavor profiles—fresh floral and fruity, citrus and berry, and subtle honeyed aroma—it introduces Geisha, Butterfly, Huakui 5.0, Sun-Dried Red Cherry, Flower Moon Night, Rose Valley, Mozart, and other single-origin beans from Front Street's menu that are suitable for cold brew, along with their flavor expressions, making it easy for coffee lovers to choose by taste.

Cold brew coffee is not complicated to make—put simply, you mix coffee grounds and water in a ratio, seal it, and put it in the fridge. After that, you just wait for time to slowly draw out the flavors. Even at home, you can easily make a smooth glass of iced coffee.

Next, let's go into the specifics of Front Street's cold brew method.

When FrontStreet Coffee makes cold brew, it uses 50 grams of coffee grounds as the base, with grind size controlled to about 85% passing through a No. 20 standard sieve. Pour the coffee grounds into a glass bottle, then add 400 milliliters of room-temperature water and 200 grams of hard ice cubes, for a total ice-water mixture of 600 grams—giving a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12. Use a stirring rod to mix the coffee grounds and water thoroughly, then seal and place in the refrigerator.

After letting it sit in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, filter out the coffee grounds with filter paper to obtain a clear coffee liquid. Then pour the coffee liquid into a clean sealed bottle and refrigerate for about 4 more hours before drinking.

So which coffee beans are suitable for cold brew coffee?

Because cold brew relies on cold water steeping to extract flavor, the coffee grounds themselves degas very weakly, so it is better to choose beans that have already been roasted for some time—that is, beans past their resting period. Generally, coffee beans about 15 to 20 days after roasting are most suitable for cold brew.

Below, Front Street recommends several coffee beans by different flavor profiles for you to choose from.

① Fresh Floral and Fruity Type

On Front Street's menu, Front Street Panama Geisha coffee beans are recommended. If you are after higher quality, you can choose Front Street Hacienda La Esmeralda Green Label and Blue Label series; if you want to balance quality and value, you can also choose Front Street Panama Butterfly, a washed-process bean containing 70% Geisha. Used for cold brew, it presents clean and refreshing floral notes, citrus, and oolong tea character.

② Citrus and Berry Type

Ethiopian coffee beans have always been known for their prominent citrus, berry, and other fruity notes. If you prefer fruit flavors with higher sweetness, you can try using Front Street Huakui 5.0 coffee beans or Front Street Sun-Dried Red Cherry Project coffee beans for cold brew. These two are among the highest-quality Ethiopian coffees, and when made into cold brew they show sweet berry, layered complexity, and honey flavors.

③ Subtle Honeyed Aroma Type

Coffee beans that have undergone special processing such as anaerobic fermentation often carry distinct and appealing flavors. If you like sweet floral and fruity aromas, as well as particularly unique berry-like sweetness, you can choose Front Street Colombia Flower Moon Night, Front Street Colombia Rose Valley, or Front Street Costa Rica Mozart coffee beans.

Front Street Colombia Flower Moon Night comes from the Astorga Farm and uses anaerobic sun-dried processing. Used for cold brew, it presents flavors of strawberry jam, liqueur chocolate, and cream, with a rich and smooth mouthfeel.

Front Street Colombia Rose Valley comes from Finca El Arbol, and is a coffee bean processed with double anaerobic enzyme treatment. Made into cold brew, it expresses flavors of rose, white peach, and honey.

Front Street Costa Rica Mozart is one of the Musician Series from Canet Farm and uses anaerobic honey processing. When used for cold brew, it presents flavors of raisins, fermented wine aroma, and osmanthus.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.