The 15 Strongest Coffee Brands You Should Check Out

A modelof the caffeine molecule as it looks in the strongest coffee

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If you’re a coffee-lover, then this article is for you. Here we will review the 15 strongest coffee brands on the market and help you decide which one to get for your next brew.

We’ll also tell you if they come in K-cups, how many milligrams of caffeine each one has, and the best way to brew them.

Devil Mountain Coffee Company—(Best for espresso) Black Devil: 1555 mg of caffeine (per 12oz cup)

Great British Trading— (Best for drip coffee makers) Very Strong Coffee: 1350 mg of caffeine (per 12oz cup)

High Voltage Coffee: 1150 mg of caffeine (per 12oz cup)

Black Insomnia: 1105 mg of caffeine (per 12oz cup)

Biohazard : 928 mg of caffeine (per 12oz cup)

Of course, no list of Strongest Coffee Brands would be complete without Death Wish Coffee, which claims about 728 mg of caffeine per 12oz.

Top Ten List Of The World’s Strongest Coffee

Black Label – Devil Mountain Coffee

1550mg of caffeine per serving for every 12oz brewed

Black Label-devil mountain coffee K-cups

Very Strong Coffee – Great British Trading

1350mg of caffeine per serving for every 12oz brewed

No K-cups Available

Black Insomnia

1105mg of caffeine per serving for every 12oz brewed

Black insomnia k-cups

Maximum Charge Cannonball Coffee

1101mg of caffeine per serving for every 12oz brewed

No K-cups available

Biohazard Coffee

928mg of caffeine per serving for every 12oz brewed

No K-cups available

Death Wish Coffee

728mg of caffeine per serving for every 12oz brewed

Deathwish coffee k-cups

Sons Of Amazon Coffee

660mg of caffeine content for every 12oz brewed

No K-cups available

Killer Coffee

645mg of caffeine content for every 12oz brewed

No K-cups available

Military Grade Coffee

645mg of caffeine content for every 12oz brewed

Military-grade K-cups

Gunpowder Coffee K-cups

644mg of caffeine content for every 12oz of brewed

Only available in K-cups

Wake The Hell Up Ground Coffee

632mg of caffeine content for every 12oz brewed

Wake the hell up K-cups

Banned Coffee

474mg of caffeine content for every 12oz brewed

Banned K-cups

Blackout coffee

The manufacturer doesn’t say how many mg of caffeine is in it, but I can vouch that it kicks you in the ass.

No K-cups are available

Shock Coffee

The manufacturer only tells you that it has 50% more caffeine than average coffee, but if you look at the reviews, people speak highly and say it makes them zing

Shock coffee k-cups

Bones Coffee High Voltage

Says it has 50% more caffeine than the average cup of Joe and the reviews back it up

Not available in K-cups

a latte in a clear glass on a white background with a trail of the strongest coffee beans in the shape of a heart beat

How Much Caffeine Does the Average Coffee Have

The average eight-ounce cup of coffee has between 95-150 milligrams of caffeine, about one-quarter of the recommended safe daily caffeine consumption for an adult.

When compared to other caffeinated beverages on the market, that’s actually a lot.

Strong black tea comes in around half of that and caffeinated soda at around a quarter. An energy shot, however, offers more than 200 milligrams of caffeine.

Strong = Highly Caffeinated(Most Of The Time)

“Strong” doesn’t actually have a consistent meaning across the industry, so it’s important to specify if you’re on the search for high caffeine content or a robust taste.

Very often the two go hand-in-hand, but it’s not uncommon to sacrifice one for the other.

The strength of caffeine and taste are related to the type of beans, roasting, and brewing methods required to make your next cup—and some of them are pretty extreme.

Most coffee drinkers aren’t caffeine addicts so the taste and body of the drink is more important than the amount of caffeine.

picture of a semi-automatic espresso machine with a cappuccino in front of it in a white glass

What Is The Strongest K-cup Available

Black label devil mountain is the strongest coffee globally, with 1555mg of caffeine for every 12oz of brewed coffee, and they also sell their coffee in k-cups.

So these are obviously the strongest k-cups you can buy.

Strongest ESE Pods

Lavazza espresso ESE pods are one of the strongest coffee pods you can buy.

ESE pod manufacturers don’t post how much caffeine is in many individual brands but when we reviewed ese coffee pods, these were one of the few that made me feel like cleaning my house, so that says a lot.

Is dark Roast The Strongest

The common belief is that a regular dark roast has a higher caffeine count, the opposite is actually true.

Dark roast coffee has a stronger flavor oftentimes because it’s spent more time getting roasted. This added time under heat means a slightly reduced caffeine content—kind of.  

It’s important to note that light roast coffee only has more caffeine when you measure by scoops because added heat means a reduction in mass.

When you measure by volume, dark roast coffee is technically higher in caffeine.

That said, the difference between dark roasts, medium roast and light roasts isn’t very large—and may not be noticeable at all. Go ahead and grab the brew you like the most.

Is Death Wish Coffee Really the Strongest

Death Wish coffee was one of the first coffee companies to produce extremely high-caffeine content coffee with 728 mg per 12oz

The branding preempted the trend of punk and dangerous coffee flavors that came with health warnings and led to the forming of several companies and new, potent coffee types to follow.

While it may have been one of the first, it’s no longer considered the strongest coffee on the market, having been surpassed by brands that boast three or four times the recommended caffeine intake for the day.

A few different companies like Cannonball coffee and devil mountain coffee have made stronger products for coffee lovers using arabica coffee beans for a higher caffeine content.

a man pouring coffee from a mocha pot with an excited look on his face

Can Too Much Caffeine Kill You (What Is Too Much)

Short answer—yes, if you’re not careful. 400 mg is the maximum daily recommended amount of caffeine you should consume, but it’s not something you want to aim for.

In fact, drinking coffee brands with that much caffeine every day can have very adverse effects over time.

You also want to space out how much caffeine you consume over the course of the day since too much all at once can put strain and pressure on your heart, the most extreme outcome of which can be fatal.

And while you’re limiting caffeine intake, also consider what you’re mixing it with.

Drinking high caffeine coffees and alcohol in tandem can stress your heart and lead to alcohol poisoning, thanks to a false sense of alertness.

But when you consume responsibly, maintain a healthy diet, and hydrate regularly, you’ll be fine. Average coffee drinkers don’t have anything to worry about.

 a pile of arabica beans sitting on top of a metal table with a metal scoop sitting on top of them

What is the Caffeine Content in Arabica and Robusta Beans

If you’ve always wondered about the differences between Arabica and Robusta coffee beans, there are a few!

The biggest one is that Arabica coffee beans have about half of the amount of caffeine content as Robusta ones, which means there’s a large difference in taste.

This stems from the coffee bean’s evolution to protect itself against insects and pests during growing—by producing the toxic caffeine chemical.

Arabica coffee also tends to be sweeter and makes up about three-fourths of the coffee beans produced around the world.

How Does The Brewing Method Affect The Strength

The way we brew our coffee has a significant impact on how it tastes and the ultimate caffeine content. Here are a few different brewing methods to consider.

French Press (For every 12 oz 160mg caffeine)

The French press is an excellent way to get both a delicious coffee cup and the high level of caffeine you’re looking for.

The French press extraction method is pretty severe and there’s no filter to soak up any of the oils or compounds from the coffee beans, as in other brewing methods.

You’ll find that a regular half cup of French press coffee has close to the caffeine content of 8oz of drip coffee.

Be careful, though. If you allow your French press coffee to steep for too long or don’t use the proper grinder to get a coarse grind size, you’ll end up with a very bitter taste.

Turkish coffee in a pewter cup on a silver tray

Turkish Coffee (For every 12 oz 145mg caffeine)

Turkish coffee is an intense stronger coffee, both in flavor and caffeine content.

When you brew Turkish coffee, you create extremely fine grounds that then get poured into the coffee cup, meaning you’re actually consuming the coffee grinds directly, along with the sugar that is traditionally mixed in.

Espresso (the average 1oz shot has 64mg of caffeine)

Espresso makers use very fine grounds, though not quite as fine as Turkish coffee.

It uses extremely hot water and high pressure to ensure the coffee is strong and high in caffeine content.

That said, espresso, like Turkish coffee, is consumed in small quantities, so a regular cup of coffee will still have more caffeine, but the traditional espresso shot will give you a quick caffeine punch.

a black mocha pot on a grey table with two glasses of coffee

Moka Pot (2oz Moka potshot has 105mg of caffeine)

A Moka Pot is an iconically designed coffee pot with a unique and beautiful geometric look.

There are both electronic and stovetop models. It uses the pressurized steam from hot water to brew the coffee, similar to how espresso is produced, but some important differences exist.

The Moka Pot has a much lower pressure rate than an espresso machine, which means a variation in taste, strength, and caffeine content.

The 2oz cup of Moka Pot coffee will provide over 100mg of caffeine.

Cold Brew Coffee (For every 12 oz 150mg caffeine)

Cold brew is a great substitute for drinks with so much caffeine since it is a weaker coffee due to the brewing process that actually diminishes the caffeine content.

As the name indicates, it’s produced without heat. Instead, you’ll let coarse grinds steep in the water for around 12 hours before straining.

A glass of Nitro Cold Brew Coffee on Marble Surface Ready to Serve. Beverage Concept.

Nitro Coffee (For every 12 oz 130mg caffeine)

Nitro coffee takes cold brew a step further, blending coffee brewing with beer brewing for a nitrogen-infused creamy head and a smooth and delicious flavor.

The unique brewing process provides a silky texture to the coffee, itself, without the addition of cream or sugar.

Nitro coffee has the same caffeine content as the cold brew it’s made with.

AeroPress (For every 12 oz 130mg caffeine)

The AeroPress is an innovative and easy-to-use coffee machine that blends all the best parts of a French press, pour-over, and espresso maker for what is largely considered the fastest cup of coffee ever made.

Drip Coffee (For every 12 oz 160mg caffeine)

Drip coffee most often refers to the coffee made in your classic kitchen coffee machine.

A drip coffee maker can be used to make different types of coffees, including decaf, instant, and even lattes, but the average cup will run between 100-200 mg of caffeine depending on the type of coffee used.

a pile of whole coffee beans sitting next to a ground pile of the strongest coffee

Does Grind Affect Caffeine Content

The types of coffee that use finer grounds, like Turkish coffee and espresso, tend to have relatively high caffeine counts, both as a result of the grind and the brewing method.

Science indicates that coffee ground for a little over forty seconds has a high caffeine content, no matter what the brewing method, but that after forty seconds, the caffeine content stabilizes, or even begins to decrease.

Still, not every brewing method benefits from superfine coffee, so this will only work for specific types.

Does Espresso Have More Caffeine Than Coffee

When measured ounce for ounce, espresso has a higher caffeine content than the average cup of drip coffee, around 60 mg per ounce in espresso to around 11mg per ounce.

This is due to the water to coffee ratio.

The difference is balanced out when we consider how much coffee the average drinker consumes—and it’s a lot more coffee than one ounce.

A cup of coffee usually runs around 100-150 mg of caffeine, so you’ll end up consuming more caffeine in eight ounces of drip coffee than one shot of espresso.

Turkish coffee with cookies and flowers in copper cups on a plate as an example of one of the strongest coffee's you can brew

What Are the Health Benefits of Caffeine

There are several reasons to consider adding coffee and other low-sugar caffeinated beverages to your diet.

To start, caffeine gives you a boost of energy that allows you to complete tasks and keep up with everyday needs.

It’s also been shown to actually make you smarter, improving brain function in areas like memory, focus, and reaction time.

Coffee can also help you physically, increasing your physical energy and athletic performance, as well as your ability to burn fat.

Plus, it’s equipped with healthy vitamins from the natural growing process that aid inside and out, reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improving organ function.

Of course, it’s always essential to speak to a healthcare professional, but there are many benefits to consider from a simple cup of coffee.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the strongest coffee, make sure to look at the caffeine content instead of going by the brand’s name or the marketing.

Many companies have used their name or a targeted marketing scheme to make people think they are the strongest coffee on the market, but some of them aren’t even in the top ten.