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The Strongest Coffee Might Be Gold [Caffeine & Brew Methods]

The Strongest Coffee Might Be Gold [Caffeine & Brew Methods]

Clark Clark
10 minute read

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The strongest coffee in the world is the highest caffeine coffee. Good news! The strongest coffee does not have to be dark and bitter. In fact, light roast coffee (like gold coffee) tastes smooth andcontains a lot of caffeine.

Of course, some coffee brands infuse extra caffeine into their coffee products. If you’re a caffeine addict who doesn’t mind consuming more than the FDA-recommended maximum daily amount, you may want an ultra-high caffeine coffee, like Biohazard Coffee.

What are the benefits ofstrong coffee? The main benefit of strong coffee with high caffeine content is a huge energy boost, possibly even a metabolism boost.

Below, we’ve listed the coffee brands with the most caffeine. Also, we’ve rounded up the brewing methods that produce the highest caffeine levels.

What’s the strongest coffee blend? It just might be gold.

Which coffee is highest in caffeine?

Gold roast coffee (the lightest roast level) is typically highest in caffeine.

There’s been debate, and even scientific studies, about which type of coffee is the most caffeinated.

The caffeine content of coffee is determined by several factors:

  • Roast level
  • Grind size
  • Brewing style
  • Type of beans

Roast level

The roasting process is one of the most significant factors when it comes to caffeine content.

The “strength” of coffee is largely determined by the roasting method; longer and hotter roasting methods break down the compounds within coffee, or its physical properties.

Grind size

The grind size can have an effect, with a finer ground coffee producing more caffeine, particularly when it comes to espresso.

Brewing style

The brewing style of coffee is another important factor in its caffeine content.

In fact, many would say that it’s the most important aspect in determining strong coffee. We’ll unpack, and rate, each brewing method below for its strength next.

Type of beans

The type of beans used also contribute to a coffee's strength. Robusta beans have a higher caffeine content than the more commonly used Arabica beans. Conservative estimates put Robusta coffee beans at 2.2 mg of caffeine each, with Arabica beans coming in at 1.5 mg.

The origin of the beans also matters — beans grown at lower altitudes are often slightly more caffeinated.

What is the strongest type of coffee? The strongest type of coffee by roasting and brewing style is gold roast coffee. Espressos and light roast coffee will contain the most caffeine per scoop, but espresso is served in much smaller amounts.

That’s why gold coffee, one of the lightest roasts on the market, has such a high caffeine content. One cup of gold coffee boasts 50% more caffeine per gram than a cup of regular coffee.

Plus, with gold coffee’s smooth flavor profile and low acid content, it doesn’t need any additives like cream or sugar that could dilute the sweet caffeinated goodness.

Another very light roast is white coffee, which boasts roughly the same caffeine content. However, many coffee drinkers would prefer a bit more flavor.

via GIPHY

The Truth About Dark Roast

Roasters have bad news: The heat of the roasting process actually burns caffeine off of coffee beans over time.

That’s right. The longer the roasting time, the lower the mg of caffeine per whole bean.

This ranks dark roast coffee at the bottom of the pile in terms of caffeine content. While some coffee lovers enjoy a bold and bitter cup of dark roast coffee, this coffee blend is actually giving you the least caffeine jolt per sip.

And that’s the dark truth about dark roast — the most bitterness does not equal the most caffeine. Quite the opposite.

What type of beans are used to makestrong coffee? Light roast beans are the type of beans used to make strong coffee in terms of caffeine. A light coffee such as gold roast will contain more caffeine than dark roast coffee.

Strongest Coffee Brands [Highest Caffeine]

Some coffee brands add caffeine to their product to create a high caffeine coffee for the most caffeine-tolerant addicts.

Strongest coffee brands include:

  • Black Label (Devil Mountain Coffee Company) — 1555 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz brewed
  • VeryStrong Coffee — 1350 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz brewed
  • High Voltage — 1150 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz brewed
  • Black Insomnia — 1105 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz brewed
  • Biohazard Coffee — 928 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz brewed
  • Gunpowder Coffee — 644 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz brewed
  • Valhalla Java — 608 mg caffeine per 12 fl oz brewed

However, these coffee brands have injected caffeine into their coffee beans. Plus, the FDA only recommends up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. A lot of these coffee brands are USDA Certified Organic coffee, but they can give you the jitters and worse.

If you’re looking for coffee beans with a high natural caffeine content, the best kind of coffee is hot brewed gold coffee. Gold roast coffee tastes great and contains about 10% more caffeine than a standard cup of joe (105 mg vs. 95 mg).

Strongest Brewing Method

Determining the strongest brewing method sounds simple, but there are a few variables to consider.

First, remember that not all coffee serving sizes are the same. A standard serving of espresso is only 1.5 ounces, while drip coffee typically comes in a full 8-ounce cup (or more).

We’ll be measuring the amount of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup for each blend to keep an even baseline, but noting where that’s not the standard serving size.

As another scale for comparison, an average 8-ounce serving for most energy drinks contains 72 ounces of caffeine.

Common brewing methods for coffee include:

  • Espresso
  • Drip
  • French press
  • Pour over
  • Steeping

There’s also instant coffee, which can be highly acidic. If you opt for this route, go for a low-acid variety.

With these factors in mind, let’s break down the caffeine content.

Method #1: Espresso

Espresso is both a coffee drink and a brewing method. The espresso brewing method uses a fine grind and quick contact with water.

When it comes down to pure weight, espresso ranks at the top of the scale for caffeine content. One ounce of espresso contains perhaps the highest concentration of caffeine of any brewing method: 77 mg per ounce. However, a standard serving of espresso is between 1-2 ounces.

Your barista would look at you in shock and awe if you asked for an 8 ounce pour of espresso, but that serving would yield over 400 mg of caffeine — above the daily recommended limit.

Is Turkish coffee stronger than espresso? Turkish coffee is not stronger than espresso in terms of caffeine content.

Method #2: Drip 

Drip coffee is perhaps the most common brewing method, made by pouring hot water through ground coffee beans. An 8-ounce cup of drip coffee typically contains about 100 mg of caffeine, though light roasts can contain more.

Drip brewed coffee is also where you’ll find some of the most aggressive, caffeine-forward coffee companies like Death Wish Coffee, Black Label, Banned Coffee, Biohazard Coffee, Black Insomnia Coffee, Killer Coffee.

These blends each have over two times the daily recommended amount of caffeine — and slightly terrifying names — so exercise caution if you search them out on Amazon.

Many reviewers say that these shockingly high-caffeine blends can sacrifice flavor for caffeine content. All of them are dark roasts or medium dark roast, which may not suit those avoiding bitterness in their cup of coffee.

For you Keurig coffee maker fans, a K-cup’s strength is roughly the same as traditional drip coffee per ounce. Just be sure to choose a smaller cup of coffee in order not to dilute your final product.

Method #3: French Press

A French press is surprisingly caffeinated for its milder flavor profile. One 8-ounce serving contains an average of 107 mg of caffeine.

One thing to note: the longer you allow your French press to sit before pouring, the more caffeine there will be in the resulting cup of coffee. For the strongest coffee possible, wait 5 minutes or more before indulging.

Method #4: Pour Over

Pour over coffee is aptly named: You pour boiling water in a controlled stream over coffee grounds. A glass of pour over coffee will give you 133 mg of caffeine on average, ranking it solidly above drip coffee.

To get the most power from your pour over, you’ll want to choose a medium grind size, choose a lighter roast of coffee, and use consistently hot water to extract the most caffeine possible.

Method #5: Steeping

Steeping is common in cold brew coffee and in brewing coffee tea bags.

Steeping is also the best way to make gold coffee, whether hot or cold. It’s often said that steeped coffee tastes more balanced and smooth than other varieties.

Cold brew coffee is above average in the caffeine department, coming in at around 230 mg of caffeine for 8 ounces. Typically, you’ll want to steep it overnight for the best coffee results.

One thing to note about this light roast’s brewing method: The longer you steep the pouch, the more kick in your cup of joe. If you’re looking for an extra jolt, Golden Ratio products can steep for up to 10 minutes. Plus, they’re crafted from an extremely light roast.

Get ready for an energy boost! Looking for less caffeine? Shoot for a shorter brew time.

How much caffeine is too much?

Great news for caffeine lovers: The recommended caffeine limit is fairly high. The FDA recommends no more than 400 mg per day for healthy adults, which comes out to roughly 4 standard-strength cups of joe a day.

Most “strongest coffee” brands, like Red Goat, Australia’s High Voltage, or the infamous Devil Mountain Coffee, far surpass this recommendation. Many high-caffeine brands boast caffeine content of up to 3 times what the FDA says is safe.

But that’s not what you’ll want to reach for in a quest for healthy coffee.

Your New Favorite Caffeine Kick

If you’ve been searching for a coffee with a nutty, smooth taste, concentrated caffeine, and no additives needed, you’ve found it. Want something that packs a caffeinated kick but without the bitterness of medium roast coffee? We’ve got you covered there, too.

Golden Ratio gold coffee offers 50% more caffeine with a variety of incredible flavors. We know you can have a caffeine kick — hot or cold brew — without sacrificing delicious flavor.

Start getting your caffeine from low-acid, fair trade beans. Try our Chai Spiced Gold for a rich array of flavors, or Vanilla Coconut Gold for what feels like a day at the beach.

Sources

  1. What kind of coffee do you drink? An investigation on effects of eight different extraction methods 
  2. The Effect of Time, Roasting Temperature, and Grind Size on Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acid Concentrations in Cold Brew Coffee 

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