Coffee became an essential part of our lives. For example in the States alone, around 62% of people drink coffee daily. And there are so many different ways HOW we drink it. Some people like black coffee; others prefer to add milk or cream, etc. And a lot of people like it very strong – especially in the morning to give you that energy boost.
But let’s be honest, it is not always simple to find out which coffee is stronger. With so many brands and types of coffee available, it becomes a real challenge at times. So to sort out this issue, we’ve decided to conduct a little research, and find out – which is the strongest coffee.
How Strong Coffee is Defined?
When we only started our research, a surprising realization hit us: all this time, we were looking for the strongest types of coffee without really understanding what it means. Same as many others we were convinced that the strength of coffee depends on whether it is a dark or light roast. After all, a lot of people wonder – which coffee is stronger light or dark roast. Yes, dark roasted one is less acidic, but the lightly roasted coffee beans are actually a lot stronger. But there’s more to it…
As it turns out, the strength of the coffee depends on the caffeine content. And caffeine, being a natural stimulant, has tons of benefits, supported by science. So let’s take a quack look at some of them.
Benefits of Drinking Caffeine: What Science Says?
- Coffee helps you to live longer: Studies compared groups of healthy coffee drinkers, non-coffee drinkers. The astonishing results showed that consumption of 3 -5 cups of coffee per day, lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 15%.
- Coffee contains essential nutrients: Yes, we know we drink coffee to be energized and enjoy the flavor. Even though we don’t think about it, a cup of coffee is packed with vitamin B and magnesium, and potassium.
- It reduces the risks of Parkinson’s: People who regularly drink coffee have lesser risks of developing Parkinson’s disease, studies show. But more than that, caffeine can also alleviate and slow down the progression of the disease.
- Coffee protects the liver: Research shows that caffeine has a protective effect on the liver and promotes the production of liver enzymes. Even heavy drinkers, who have more than two cups of coffee per day, have lower risks of developing fibrosis.
- Coffee can help you fight depression: According to a Harvard study conducted in 2012, women who drank 4 cups of coffee per day had a 20 % less risk of depression
What is Strongest Coffee: Comparing Coffee Parameters
Type of Beans
In order to find out what coffee has the most caffeine, we need to look at the beans. There are two main types of coffee beans – Arabica and Robusta. Generally, speaking, Arabica is a more popular, higher quality coffee. It usually has a smoother, sweeter taste with notes of sugar and chocolate. Robusta plants are easier to farm, and the beans are cheaper. Moreover, robusta is famous for its harsher, more bitter taste. One of the reasons why Robusta beans have a harsher taste is that they contain a higher caffeine level. The caffeine content for Robusta is 2.7% and for Arabica 1.5%. We guess that answers your question what coffee has the most caffeine in it?
Type of Roast
Сoffee strength has nothing to do with the length of the roasting process. People are surprised, but light roast coffee is by far the most caffeinated coffee. Which, in turn, makes light roasted the strongest coffee. And here is another thing. When coffee beans are roasted, they lose about 90% of water, nutrients, and caffeine. So logically, the less you roast it, the more caffeine it retains. When you think, it is about the same as with anything else. Burned meat will lose all the nutrients, same as dark roast coffee will lose oils, minerals, and caffeine.
Type of Beverage
So when we are talking about which coffee is stronger, we also need to consider the type of beverage. What do you think about which coffee has higher caffeine content – drip coffee or espresso? A lot of people would answer that an 8-ounce cup of drip coffee has less caffeine than espresso. However, they would be wrong! This amount of drip coffee has 94.8 mg of caffeine. One ounce espresso shot comes with 62.8 mg of caffeine. In general, there are lots of differences in caffeine content depending on the brewing method. It is essential to know that it is possible to extract more coffee if you increase the coffee to water ratio.
Coffee Types Coffee Content Comparison
Before you look at the table, we want to remind you to try and stick to recommended daily dose of caffeine. That is because, although caffeine is quite beneficial, it does come with some side effects. In case of jitters, nervousness, increased heart rate, etc., experts recommend decreasing the daily dose. The general recommendation is that it is safe to drink up to 400 mg of caffeine per day.
| Type | Serving size | Caffeine per serving | Caffeine per ounce |
| Decaf (instant) | 8 fl oz | 2-3 mg | 0.25-0.38 mg |
| Decaf (brewed) | 8 fl oz | 3-4 mg | 0.38-0.5 mg |
| Drip coffee | 8 fl oz | 65-120 mg | 8.13-15 mg |
| Brewed | 8 fl oz | 95 mg | 11.88 mg |
| Cold-brewed | 16 fl oz | 200 mg | 12.5 mg |
| Nitro coffee | 16 fl oz | 325 mg | 20.31 mg |
| Espresso | 2 fl oz | 60 -102.67 mg | 30-51.34 mg |
| Highly caffeinated coffee | 12 fl oz | 702-928 mg | 58.5-77.33 mg |
Strong Coffee Brand: A brief Overview
Black Label Devil Mountain Coffee
If you are wondering which coffee brand has the most caffeine, then the answer is Devil Mountain. It is by far the strongest coffee you can find on the market, and it has 1,555 mg of caffeine per 12 ounces. We have to remind you that the recommended and safe dosage of caffeine is 400 mg daily. And that includes not only coffee but also tea, and many foods.
Very Strong Coffee
It is another brand that makes pretty strong coffee. However, it is not as extreme as to Devil Mountain, with 1350mg per 12 ounces. It’s 100% Robusta.
High Voltage Coffee
It is third on the list and the strongest coffee you can find in Australia. It is maybe not as strong as the previous two, with only 95.83 mgs per ounce. Strong enough to satisfy the taste buds of every real coffee connoisseur!
Death Wish Coffee
This brand comes with incredibly high caffeine content – 708 mgs. per serving. What sets it apart from other brands is that it offers a mix of Arabica and Robusta Beans.
Conclusion
Hopefully, that answers your question about which coffee is stronger. As you see, the obvious winner here is the Devil Mountain coffee, which has a caffeine dose about 3 times higher than safe daily dosage. So we strongly advise you to be very careful with drinking it, and avoid it if you have any medical conditions, like heart problems, anxiety, high cortisol levels e.t.c. Remember – while giving a lot of benefits, caffeine can also be very negative on your health, if you go too heavy on it. So don’t go all the way, and you can fully enjoy some delicious java AND stay healthy and happy!
So, have you ever tried this strongest coffee? If so, what can you tell us about it? How much have you enjoyed it? Feel free to share with us in the comments – we would love to know!