Is your usual brand of coffee not waking you up in the mornings? Do you like a super strong brew? Are you a bit of a masochist and want to punish yourself with caffeine? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then this is the article for you! Here we take a look at some of the strongest coffees we could find. Brace yourselves for the jitters…
What is strong coffee anyway?
Strong coffee could be construed a couple of ways. Some people may just take it to mean any coffee without milk, but what we are referring to here is caffeine content. The more caffeine in your cup, the stronger we deem your coffee to be. Caffeine is typically measured in milligrams (mg). A typical cup of coffee contains 250ml of liquid and of this, a standard coffee might contain 100mg – 150mg of caffeine (so 10 – 15% of a gram – a tiny amount).
As an example of how much stronger these strong coffees are compared to an average cup, take number 3 on our list – Son’s of Amazon. This coffee has 485mg of caffeine per 250ml – so around 4 times as strong!
How strong is too strong when it comes to coffee?
Well the British Heart Foundation say
“a moderate amount of tea or coffee (four or five cups a day) should be fine for most people”
so that is approximately 500mg and I would suggest you keep that as your daily limit. As such, one standard cup of this super strong coffee should be your daily dosage. Ideally, it may be better to brew a smaller quantity of this stuff and then you may be able to have a couple of cups of regular coffee during the day as well and still stay under the maximum recommended amount. Just be cautious.
With all that said and done and the disclaimer out of the way, let’s get on to 10 of our favourite strong coffees…
Death Wish Coffee
No list of strong coffees would be complete without Death Wish. I don’t know if this was the first of it’s type on the market, but it was the first I heard of and it certainly feels like it is the most well marketed. The black packaging and skull and crossbones really jumps out and if it was the first then it really set the packaging design trend! It is dark and strong but still has a great rich taste and would be equally as good iced as piping hot.
Our rating: 4/5
Silat Energy Coffee
It’s nice to see a super-strong coffee without the ominous black packaging (indeed this is the only coffee on our list that isn’t all in black). Silat’s beans come from Java in Indonesia and are roasted in Italy – so some really good coffee pedigree here. Silat claims to be 170% stronger than Death Wish (which I personally don’t believe) but it is certainly strong, whilst still pleasantly rounded in taste.
Our rating: 4/5
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Sons of Amazon Coffee
Sons of Amazon is made in Glasgow using beans from South America sourced through the Rainforest Alliance – so you sip in the comfort of knowing that your coffee is completely fair-trade. Founders Marco and Eric claim it to be the UK’s strongest coffee and who am I to doubt that claim. It certainly is strong without any of the bitterness that can accompany some strong coffees.
Our rating: 5/5
Psycho Coffee
Really nicely packaged, this coffee uses a blend of Indonesian, Robusta and Kenyan beans. Taste-wise, this is very deep with a slight fruitiness to it and of course a real caffeine kick. Many other products in the psycho range use chilli as an ingredient, but this coffee is an exception – although, that sounds like an interesting idea…
Our rating: 3.5/5
Nuclear Coffee
Nuclear coffee is another 100% ethical, fair-trade coffee, which is nice to see. Information on this is a little limited but judging by their website this uses a blend of beans from Brazil, Papua New Guinea and Mexico. This comes pre-ground which some coffee purists may turn their nose up at, but it tastes great – really smooth with just a slight bitterness.
Our rating: 4/5
Strong Coffee to Wake the Dead
Strong Coffee to Wake the Dead seems to be following along with Death Wish with their skull and crossbones adorned packaging. This coffee is brewed and packed in the UK and has a wonderful aroma and a lovely deep, smoky flavour.
Our rating: 4.5/5
Knockout Coffee
Claiming to be twice as strong as regular coffee, Knockout is available as whole beans or pre-ground – and it is nice to have the choice between the two. A medium roast, this is rich and intense, but not the strongest out there in my opinion.
Our rating: 3/5
Rocket Fuel Instant Coffee
A bit of a unique one as this is the only coffee on this list that is an instant. Before you dismiss it entirely, it is worth trying. The coffee has added Guarana for an energy extra energy kick, and while (unsurprisingly) not as tasty as most of the whole bean coffees, this is still decidedly palatable. Worth a go if you are often short of time in the morning and don’t want the faff of an espresso machine.
Our rating: 3/5
Genghis Energy Coffee
Genghis energy is another pre-ground coffee. The taste is claimed to be dark chocolate in character and I certainly got chocolate notes, even if it is slightly bitter when served warm – but absolutely delicious when made up as a cold brew.
Our rating: 3.5/5
Cannonball Coffee
Cannonball coffee bills its Maximum Charge blend as ‘The world’s strongest coffee’ and backs that claim up with lab tests that declare a whopping 235mg of caffeine per 100ml.
The robusta used to make Maximum Charge is a single-origin speciality grade bean that has a smooth and mellow flavour.
The beans are roasted in small batches and the sample we test drove landed on our desks just days after leaving the oven – making for a very aromatic and tasty cup.
It’s rocket fuel, but it tastes like coffee and good coffee too.
Great for lifting hangovers, smashing through a Friday afternoon slump
or taken pre-workout when going in search of a personal best.
Be warned: this stuff is seriously strong. Expect restless legs after drinking!
Our rating: 4/5
there is a new one,lab tested to be the world strongest. 7th psycho available in south africa
Lab tested.
Black Insomnia Coffee
1105 mg caffeine
Smooth taste, medium roast