The 12 Strongest Coffees in the World (And Their Benefits)

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world and for some people– the stronger the better. The strength of coffee is determined by the caffeine content, not the flavor. The more caffeine a cup of coffee has, the stronger it is.

There are a variety of ways to look at the strongest coffees in the world:

• The strongest coffee drink by serving
• The strongest coffee drink by ounce
• The strongest coffee brands

Depending on how you like to drink your coffee, whether by stopping by a chain store or brewing your own at home, there is always a highly caffeinated option for you. Below you will find a discussion of what type of coffee is the strongest per serving, what type of coffee is the strongest per fluid ounce, and ten of the strongest coffee brands in the world.

Drinking stronger coffee doesn’t just have to be for the thrill of it, however. Because you are drinking stronger coffee, that means you are inevitably consuming more caffeine. There have been studies upon studies done that show the benefits of caffeine for the human body.

Benefits of Drinking Caffeine:

• Lower Risk of Serious Disease
• Protect Your Mental Health
• Boost Weight Loss
• Decrease in Pain

Read below to take a closer look at these incredibly strong kinds of coffee and their benefits.

How Strong Coffee is Defined

When people think of the strength of coffee what often comes to mind is the strength of the flavor. Dark roasts are stronger than light roasts because they have that deeper, sharper flavor to them. But this isn’t really the case.

The strength of coffee actually boils down to one simple thing– caffeine content. The more caffeine a cup of coffee has in it, the stronger it is. 

There are a few ways to boost caffeine in coffee. Caffeine content can change depending on the roast and the type of coffee beans used to make it. Different kinds of coffee use different ratios in order to create their unique blend and control how much caffeine ends up in their coffee.

Coffee Beans

There are two types of coffee beans that can be used to make coffee.

Arabica beans are the most popular beans to use. These beans produce a better-tasting coffee with a smoother flavor. They are higher quality beans.

Robusta beans are cheaper and easier to farm to bean. They are much more bitter in flavor and considered the lower quality choice.

On average, robusta beans have twice as much caffeine content as arabica beans. The added caffeine contributes to the harsher flavor they provide. If a certain brand of coffee wants to up the punch of their beverage, they might add robusta beans to their blend.

Roast

Putting flavor aside, the strength of light roast coffee vs dark roast coffee is often a confusing matter. The amount of caffeine you end up within a single cup of either roast will depend on how you go about measuring out your coffee.

If you measure your coffee by volume, like with a tablespoon, then the light roast is going to have more caffeine. Lighter roasts have denser beans and a higher concentration of caffeine.

If you measure your coffee by weight, then the dark roast is going to have more caffeine. Dark roasted beans are much lighter in weight than lightly roasted beans. If you measure the same weight of each roast, you will end up with more of the dark roasted beans, thus more caffeine.

You don’t really have to fret much about the caffeine content of a particular roast. Chances are you have your preference on what flavor suits you more, and that’s the one you’re going to drink. Determining light or dark roast solely based on the caffeine content probably isn’t on the top of your list.

The Strongest Coffee Drinks

When you’re looking at all the different kinds of drinks you can choose from you may start to wonder which one packs the most punch. There are a couple of ways you can look at the amount of caffeine in different drinks. 

You can consider the caffeine in a serving. This will tell you how much caffeine is in the entire drink. If you were to drink the whole thing, how much caffeine are you getting?

Or you can consider the caffeine per ounce. This will let you know which coffee drink is the most concentrated with caffeine. So if you were to drink the same amount of each drink, which one would give you the most caffeine?

The problem with the latter is that traditionally you don’t drink the same amount of some coffees as you would others. While you’re happy enough to drink a full 8oz mug of regular coffee, you probably aren’t going to consume that much espresso in one sitting.

Even more challenging is the fact that every brand of coffee and commercial coffee stop is going to vary on how much caffeine is in their drinks. There are a number of reasons caffeine content can change. On average, however, you can expect the results to be the same.

Strongest Coffee Per Serving

Serving sizes change depending on what kind of coffee you are consuming. Sometimes you are drinking 16oz and sometimes you are just taking a 2oz shot. When you compare different types of coffee by one serving, it’s easy to see which kind of coffee comes out on top.

A 16oz serving of nitro cold brew coffee comes in at an average of 300-325mg of caffeine. Despite the fact that cold brewing generally yields less caffeine than hot brewing, the higher coffee to water ratio helps give it a boost.

As a comparison, a single 8oz serving of regular hot brewed coffee only comes out at an average of 95mg of caffeine. 8oz of drip coffee comes in at just about the same amount.

Espresso, while it may seem the obvious choice, only has on average 80mg of caffeine per 2oz serving. Taking one espresso shot isn’t going to leave you with the same amount of coffee that is drinking a full serving of another kind of coffee would. It would take a few shots to get up to the same amount of caffeine offered by a single serving of nitro cold brew coffee.

Strongest Coffee Per Ounce

If you’re more concerned about how concentrated your caffeine is in your coffee, then you should be looking at how it boils down per a single fluid ounce.

The clear winner when it comes to this category is the espresso. Because of the way espresso is made, an ounce contains an average of 40mg of caffeine. This is quite a lot of caffeine in such a small amount of coffee, especially when compared to the others.

Regular hot brew coffee has only about 12mg of caffeine per ounce. Drip coffee has a very similar amount. Stacked up against an ounce of espresso, these drinks don’t even come close to having the same concentration of caffeine.

Even a nitro cold brew coffee, which offers the most caffeine per serving, only boasts half as much caffeine per ounce as you can get from espresso. 

The high concentration of caffeine in an espresso is the reason it packs such a hard punch of energy so easily. All you have to do is drink it down in one go and you have yourself enough caffeine to fuel you for a good while. A shot of any other kind of coffee wouldn’t do the same.

The Strongest Coffee Brands

There are some people who look at coffee and think “could be stronger.” Those people probably decided they were the ones that could make it stronger, and the ten brands below are the result.

Each of these coffee brands is strongest when brewed hot like any regular cup of coffee. They all yield outrageous amounts of caffeine per 12oz serving. These coffees were made to appeal specifically to those people in the world that have built up a high tolerance to caffeine or that have a naturally low sensitivity to the caffeine molecule.

In most cases, you probably aren’t going to want to drink the full 12oz of any of these coffees. A safe daily limit of caffeine for most humans is 400-450mg, and all of these brands hit or even more than double that amount in those 12oz. Make sure you know your limitations before taking the plunge.

Black Label Devil Mountain Coffee – 1555mg

Without a doubt, Devil Mountain Coffee’s Black Label is the strongest coffee brand in the world. They boast so much caffeine in their coffee that not even drinking a 6oz serving would be safe for most people. With the tagline “So powerful… it’s a sin.” they are firmly planting their flag at the top of the mountain.

Caffeine per Ounce – 130mg

Type of Beans – Unlisted

Very Strong Coffee – 1350mg

Based in the UK, Very Strong Coffee makes good on its claim to be a very strong coffee. While it doesn’t touch the Black Label coffee, it is a close second. They claim “Right from the moment you open your first bag of Very Strong Coffee; you will know you have something special.” This coffee was developed for people that have a strong tolerance to regular coffee, something they make plain to their customers.

Caffeine per Ounce – 113mg

Type of Beans – Robusta

High Voltage Coffee – 1150mg

High Voltage Coffee is the strongest coffee in Australia. They come in at a close third to the other brands, still boasting over 1000mg of caffeine in a 12oz serving. Made by coffee lovers for coffee lovers, High Voltage Coffee claims they have a unique roast on their hands that “packs a punch without the bitterness that is usually associated with high caffeine coffee brands”.

Caffeine per Ounce – 96mg

Type of Beans – Unlisted

Black Insomnia – 1105mg

With a name like Black Insomnia, it’s hard to deny that this coffee is going to keep you awake for whatever you’ll be facing during your day. Their newest formula is their strongest version to date, most probably to keep up with the competition. Originating in South Africa, Black Insomnia says it is made with love and passion, but without any of the frills. “Pure, unadulterated, and insanely strong.” 

Caffeine per Ounce – 92mg

Type of Beans – Robusta and Arabica

Cannonball Coffee Maximum Charge – 1101mg

Rounding out the top half of these incredibly strong brands of coffee is Cannonball Coffee’s Maximum Charge blend. They say they have a superior tasting coffee because they use a lighter roasted bean. Only just topping the 1000mg per 12oz mark, Cannonball Coffee has made an incredibly potent blend without utilizing any scary names or packaging to seem cooler. They make “strong coffee for strong people”.

Caffeine per Ounce – 92mg

Type of Beans – Robusta

Biohazard Coffee – 928mg

Despite having less caffeine than others, Biohazard Coffee still claims to be the strongest coffee in the world. They even make it clear that it’s not particularly safe for everyone to drink with the name they chose. Biohazard Coffee says it has it’s focused on a bold, rich taste while eliminating any additives or preservatives. They want to give you the strongest coffee in the world.

Caffeine per Ounce – 77mg

Type of Beans – Robusta

Death Wish Coffee – 728mg

Death Wish Coffee is often credited with starting the World’s Strongest Coffee talk when they won the chance to air a commercial during the Superbowl. Started in 2012, Death Wish Coffee’s main goal was to provide a delicious tasting coffee that packed more of a punch than any others. With such a clever name, it’s hard to resist giving this coffee brand a try.

Caffeine per Ounce – 61mg

Type of Beans – Robusta

Killer Coffee – 645mg

What’s unique about this Australian coffee brand is the fact that they are able to get such a high concentration of caffeine from only using arabica beans. With a name like Killer Coffee and a skull on the front of their packaging, it’s no wonder they are said to be Australia’s deadliest brew. Their motto is simple enough – Really. Strong. Coffee.

Caffeine per Ounce – 54mg

Type of Beans – Arabica

Gunpowder Coffee – 644mg

In 2017 Gunpowder Coffee set out on a mission to create the perfect blend for a high caffeine coffee. They think they have perfected their blend in such a way that it will be the best-tasting coffee you’ll have with such a high caffeine content. They claim to be “better tasting than the bitter competition” and back that up with a money-back guarantee. Even though it boasts less than half of the caffeine per 12oz as the top competitor, it still offers enough caffeine to give you a kick.

Caffeine per Ounce – 54mg

Type of Beans – Unlisted

Banned Coffee – 474mg

Coming in at the bottom, Banned Coffee still packs more caffeine into 12oz than a nitro cold brew coffee does in a full 16oz. It’s about even with an espresso shot when it comes to caffeine per ounce, but you’ll probably be drinking more of this. Banned Coffee claims to be the “strongest most delicious coffee in the world” with its blend of both types of coffee beans. It’s cleverly packaged and would make a nice gift for someone that finds that sort of thing funny.

Caffeine per Ounce – 40mg

Type of Beans – Robusta and Arabica

The Benefits of Caffeine

There have been numerous studies done to determine the benefits caffeine consumption can have on your health. There is a right amount of evidence pointing to the fact that coffee drinkers have a greater chance at longevity due to having a steady stream of caffeine.

In 2017 the British Medical Journal reviewed 201 different studies concerning coffee and health and ultimately found that the benefits of drinking coffee far outweighed any risks that may come along with it.

While consuming too much caffeine can be dangerous, if you keep yourself within a healthy limit regarding your coffee you may be on the right track for these benefits.

Lower Risk of Serious Disease

There is research that links coffee consumption to lower the risk of a handful of serious diseases that could pop up. Having that caffeine in your system may be doing more for you than just keeping you awake during your meetings.

The American Cancer Society conducted a study over a period of 26 years that links coffee to a lower risk of fatal mouth and throat cancer. The study shows that people who drink 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day are up to 50% less likely to develop these types of cancer.

On top of oral cancers, there have been studies conducted on a number of other cancers that may have a lower risk of forming due to caffeine consumption.

• 2-3 cups of caffeinated coffee a day may reduce the total risk or delay the onset of breast cancer in women
• The more caffeinated coffee a person drinks the less likely they are to develop skin cancer
• Drinking caffeinated coffee can lower your risk of developing liver cancer by 27%
• Men who drink caffeinated coffee may have an up to 60% lower chance of prostate cancer

Despite the fact that coffee can raise your blood pressure, a Swedish study conducted over 10 and a half years shows that women who consumed more than one cup of caffeinated coffee a day are up to 25% less likely to suffer from a stroke.

Drinking coffee with caffeine in it has shown a link to better heart health. The high antioxidants in coffee serve to protect your cardiovascular health. Even those that have already had a heart attack can benefit from coffee. One study shows that people who drink at least 2 cups of coffee a day after suffering from a heart attack are less likely to die from one.

Research shows that caffeinated coffee has strong ties to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

• Increasing your coffee consumption by one cup can decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes by 11%
• Caffeinated coffee lowers insulin and sugar levels
• The risk of type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women decreases by 9% for every cup of coffee consumed

Protect Your Mental Health

Though both of these studies were conducted on female subjects, they show a link between drinking coffee and a lower risk for depression and suicide. These are important factors in today’s society and a good reason to have caffeine in your diet.

One 10 year study of female registered nurses show a marked decrease in suicide among those that were regular coffee drinkers. 

Another Harvard study concluded that women who drink 4 or more cups of coffee on a daily basis are 20% less likely than others to suffer from depression.

Boost Weight Loss

You can’t expect to lose a lot of weight drinking coffee, especially if you add a lot of cream and sugar to your drink. But there have been studies conducted that show a positive correlation between caffeinated coffee and weight. 

Research shows that caffeine may boost your metabolic rate by stimulating brown fat cells and that regular caffeine intake helps you keep the weight off.

Decrease in Pain

There have been studies done that link caffeine with certain types of pain relief. While it can’t be used to take care of all types of pain, there are circumstances where it can be useful to drink that coffee.

A 2007 study from the Journal of Pain shows that drinking 2 cups of caffeinated coffee can lower muscle pain post-workout by up to 48%.

This study shows that caffeine consumption can help lower chronic pain due to sleep loss better than some pain relieving drugs.

Test Your Limits with Strong Coffee

Caffeine is a gift to the world and keeps a lot of us going every day. Strong coffee is a good way to get the caffeine your body and mind needs. The stronger the coffee you go for, the more caffeine you get to benefit from.

While strong coffee is a nice kick and a fun experience, it’s good to keep in mind that you may also be benefiting from it as well. Because you drink strong coffee your overall health may just be the best that it can be. So don’t shy away from the strong stuff.

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