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Robusta’s reputation in the coffee industry is slowly, but surely, evolving into something much more positive. Previously compared to Arabica as more bitter and harsh, it’s standing on its own feet as a bean variety worthy of consideration.
While Arabica has a milder flavor and lower caffeine content, Robusta has powerful flavors and much more caffeine. This approach makes this bean variety popular for instant coffee and energy drinks, though you can also find specialty Robusta on the market.
Vietnam is the largest producer of Robusta, though you can also find a hefty amount of exports from Brazil and Indonesia.
There’s much conversation going on today about how Robusta might eventually replace Arabica as the most traded coffee in the world. Whether for reasons of price or larger coffee yields, there’s a lot of exciting developments ahead for this bean.
What do today’s best Robusta coffee brands have to offer? We’re going to dive into this previously maligned bean and explore what makes it seriously special with some brand recommendations.
The Top 5 Robusta Coffee Brands
Nguyen Coffee Supply
Let’s start off this list with a roaster we’ve touched on in our previous Best Vietnamese Coffee Brands list. With Vietnam today’s top Robusta supplier, it stands to reason they’ll have some of the best products on the market.
This specialty roaster is dedicated to the art of traditional Vietnamese brewing. This portfolio has Robusta, Arabica, and blend options alongside phin filters and brewing devices so you can brew coffee the Vietnamese way.
Unlike pour overs, phin filters brew coffee a little slower to create a thicker, stronger brew.
When you want the full spectrum of Vietnamese coffee and Robusta coffee, Nguyen Coffee Supply is a smart choice.
Our Top Coffee Recommendation: Truegrit
Ever had Robusta peaberry? Contrary to popular belief, peaberry isn’t its own coffee variety. This unique coffee form is a mutation that causes a single bean to grow inside of the cherry instead of the usual two.
This medium roast is stated to have twice as much caffeine as Arabica, as well as more antioxidants and less sugar.
We Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Are eager to try traditional Vietnamese coffee brewing methods
- Want to try Vietnamese Arabica, Robusta, and blends
- Want to support direct trade roasters
We Don’t Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Exclusively want Robusta coffee beans
- Want more fast options like instant coffee or steeped coffee
Copper Cow Coffee
Let’s hear it for Copper Cow Coffee! We’ve also brought up this brand before in our Best Vietnamese Coffee Brands, but we’d be remiss to leave them off our Best Robusta Coffee Brands list.
Copper Cow Coffee is a woman-owned coffee roaster with a focus in Vietnamese Robusta, as well as convenience for the buyer.
Their entire portfolio comes in steeped coffee form to give you amazing coffee with minimal effort. They offer both flavored and unflavored coffee to ensure you’ll find a compatible match with your tastebuds and lifestyle.
Need a little decaf on the side? They have a Classic Black and a Classic Black decaf option that’ll knock your socks off.
Our Top Coffee Recommendation: Churro Coffee
Want to try coffee that’s a little different, but not too unique? Their Churro Coffee bags add a pinch of spice to a classic flavor.
Just like all their coffee, each bag comes with a built-in paper filter that you place over the top of your mug. Pour, wait a few minutes, then enjoy!
We Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Love flavored coffee
- Prefer Robusta Arabica blends
- Want a fast and convenient option
We Don’t Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Exclusively want Robusta coffee
- Want whole bean options
Shock Coffee
This roaster puts its most intense foot forward with a powerful name. Shock Coffee was founded on the goal to bring as much caffeine to the table as possible without losing flavor or convenience.
The result is a portfolio that’s divided into different strengths and convenient levels. You have whole ground beans for traditional levels of brewing, right alongside quick K-cups and trial samples.
Shock Coffee’s products have up to 50% more caffeine than the average bag or cup, so you won’t have to worry about your buzz wearing off.
Unlike the other samples on our list, Shock Coffee prefers to blend their Robusta with a little Arabica to adjust the flavor. Make no mistake: most of the caffeine is still coming from Robusta.
Our Top Coffee Recommendation: Ground 1lb Bag
Get started on your new caffeine kick with their simple single-pound ground bag. This blend leans toward a medium-dark to push the toasty, smoky flavor to its limits.
Fun fact: this roaster regularly supplies bags to American military bases all across the world.
We Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Still want a little Arabica in their Robusta
- Want the highest amount of caffeine possible
We Don’t Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Want less caffeine
- Are curious about exploring multiple origins
Biohazard Coffee
Think Shock Coffee is strong? Another contender for the most powerful brew comes in the form of Biohazard Coffee, a roaster that prides itself on maximizing its caffeine content.
Each cup of coffee offers up to 928 grams of caffeine, which is music to the ears of any drinker who wants help staying up late.
Similar to Shock Coffee, Biohazard Coffee offers a straightforward portfolio of ground coffee and whole beans. If you find yourself a little overwhelmed by large roaster portfolios or a million subscription models, the simplicity here will be refreshing!
Our Top Coffee Recommendation: Biohazard Coffee
You don’t have to worry about choice fatigue with Biohazard Coffee. Their single offering is a bag of single origin, 100% Robusta beans.
If you want extra convenience, consider choosing their ground coffee option so you can head straight to your Mr. Coffee. Keep your coffee fresh by bagging it tight and keeping it in a cool pantry.
We Recommend This Brand For People Who:
- Don’t want to be overloaded with options
- Crave as much caffeine as possible
- Want solely Robusta beans
We Don’t Recommend This Brand For People Who:
- Want a portfolio to choose from
- Want Arabica and Robusta blends
Cannonball Coffee
Last but not least, we recommend giving Cannonball Coffee a try. Their Robusta is unique in that they don’t harvest from Vietnam, but instead from Rwanda and Ethiopia.
How’s that for variety? If you’re curious to try different origins, you’re already off to a great start with Cannonball Coffee.
Their portfolio offers a nice balance of variety in terms of flavor notes, caffeine count, and roast levels. Alongside coffee bags, they offer brewing equipment, merchandise, and subscription models.
This brand was founded with the express goal to support people’s active lifestyles. Whether you’re serving in the military or want to go out hiking more, Cannonball Coffee has the fuel you need.
Our Top Coffee Recommendation: Iron Bar Espresso Blend
If you’re a fan of espresso-based drinks like lattes and Americanos, you’ll love this blend. Cannonball Coffee combined Rwandan and Ethiopian Robusta for a result that’s seriously delicious.
Expect an earthy flavor profile with hints of chocolate and fruit sweetness. This coffee would make a brilliant macchiato to balance out its bitter notes.
We Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Want some variety, but not too much
- Are curious about other Robusta origins
- Want easy access to equipment and subscription models
We Don’t Recommend This Brand For Drinkers Who:
- Want decaf or half caf options
- Only want Vietnamese Robusta
Best Robusta Coffee Brands Conclusion
Robusta deserves a better reputation than it gets. Thanks to the efforts of these hardworking roasters, this bean is going to continue enjoying rising popularity.
To reiterate: the top producers of Robusta beans are in Vietnam, though you can find African and other Southeast Asian origins.
Robusta is a coffee bean variety known for a more earthy and bitter flavor profile than its dainty Arabica cousin. It also has higher caffeine content, making it popular for instant coffee brands or roasters who want to give their customers a productive boost.
Expect to find this bean roasted dark to really push its flavor to the limit.
While you can find Robusta blended with Arabica, 100% Robusta bags are becoming easier to find. We have no doubt that Robusta-focused businesses are going to have a firmer foothold in the global coffee industry a few years down the line.
