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The 6 Best Black Owned Coffee Brands

Will Beck
Last Updated: February 28th, 2023

About two billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide each day. There are more than 50 countries that produce coffee, but what about all the different coffee brands?

It can be difficult trying to find the best coffee brands to support. We’ve compiled this list of black owned coffee brands for you that not only offer some great coffees but also support a number of causes.

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Supporting Black Owned Coffee Brands

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There are so many coffee brands that source their beans from major coffee producers around the world. Buying coffee from certain brands can help support different communities and small-scale coffee producers.

Many black owned coffee brands give back to their communities. Supporting these brands can make a huge impact on these communities. A number of black owned coffee brands support small-scale coffee farmers that produce high-quality beans.

Each brand has a different mission, but a consistent goal amongst black owned coffee brands is bringing people together to enjoy one of the most well-loved beverages in the world.

Some brands give back to their community by donating part of its proceeds to different causes. Others focus on uplifting coffee farmers by participating in direct trade agreements. When you buy black owned coffee brands, you’re supporting a minority business and its mission.

What to Look for When Buying Black Owned Coffee Brands

It can be hard picking the best possible brand of coffee. When you’re shopping for black owned coffee brands, you can start by considering what kind of coffee you like most. 

Some brands offer coffee beans from specific countries, while others branch out to several different farms from all over the Bean Belt.

Many black owned coffee brands support different causes and might donate some of their proceeds to local community projects. You can look into black owned brands that may support your community or favorite causes.

Sustainability has become a popular standard for coffee brands. You can look out for black-owned coffee brands that are certified organic or support coffee growers that practice sustainable farming.

High-quality coffee beans are always something we coffee lovers want to look out for. Coffee grown on small-scale farms practicing sustainability is always a good start in your search for a good coffee brand. 

Arabica beans are considered higher quality than Robusta. Beans grown at high altitudes are also considered high quality.

The Top Black Owned Coffee Brands

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1. Caribbrew Haitian Coffee

Pros

  • Direct trade
  • Beans grown at high altitudes
  • 100% Arabica beans

Cons

  • Slightly pricey
  • May have a slightly bitter aftertaste

Caribbrew Haitian Coffee is a Haitian and female-owned coffee brand founded by Beverly Malbranche. Caribbrew participates in direct trade with small-scale farmers in Haiti. 

The coffee is grown in the Caribbean country’s mountainous landscapes. The beans come from Arabica coffee plants that are free of pesticides and grown at high altitudes in a shaded environment.

Caribbrew’s goal is to share Haitian coffee with the world while creating opportunities for everyone involved in the process. This brand offers cold brew, K-Cups, a variety of Haitian coffees, and Jamaican coffee is grown in the Blue Mountains.

We suggest trying their Organic Haitian Coffee consisting of 100% Arabica beans grown 1,200 meters above sea level. It’s a strong medium-dark roast that produces a full-bodied cup with low acidity.

Its tasting notes of nuts and chocolate compliment the darker roast well, although it can have a slightly bitter aftertaste. 

2. BLK & Bold 

Pros

  • Economical
  • Portion of proceeds donated to good cause
  • B-Corp certified

Cons

  • Not very bold for a dark roast

BLK & Bold is a micro-roaster and direct trade coffee company that offers a wide variety of coffee beans and products. The company’s co-founders Pernell and Rod are self-taught roasters who grew up in Indiana. 

Pernell and Rod pledge that 5% of BLK & Bold proceeds go toward non-profit organizations that help at-risk youths. Their coffee business is also B-Corp certified, which means their business practices are meeting high standards.

If you’re looking for a dark roast, you might like their Smoove Operator coffee. It’s a blend of beans from Ethiopia and Central America. This coffee has creamy notes of caramel and toffee that compliment the darker roast well.

Other coffees offered include single-origin roasts from Ethiopia and Honduras, K-Cups, cold brew, and steeped coffee. Their coffee is 100% Arabica beans, available ground or whole. It’s also kosher certified.

3. Kahawa 1893

Pros

  • Highest Kenyan coffee bean grade
  • Small-batch roasted
  • Sourced directly from farms

Cons

  • A little pricey

Kahawa 1893 is a woman and black owned coffee brand that supports women coffee farmers in East African countries. 

Founder Margaret Nyamumbo grew up around coffee producers in Kenya and traveled to the US to study business abroad. Upon returning home, she decided to start a coffee business that would share Kenyan coffee with the world while helping women coffee farmers.

The company’s name is symbolic of the beginnings of coffee in Kenya. Kahawa means coffee in Swahili, which is one of the official languages of the African Union. 1893 stands for the year that coffee was planted in Kenya.

Kahawa 1893 offers a wide variety of coffee blends, single-origin and traceable coffees, and high-quality peaberry beans. The beans come from several East African countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Uganda.

If you’re looking for a lighter medium roast coffee from East Africa, we suggest trying Kahawa 1893 Kenyan Coffee. The beans are Kenyan AA, which is known for its fine quality.

It’s 100% Arabica beans that have a bright acidity and signature winey notes that are common in East African coffees. Other tasting notes include florals, caramel, and berries. The beans are sourced directly from East African farms and small-batch roasted in San Francisco, California.

4. Red Bay Coffee

Pros

  • Single-origin
  • B-Corp certified
  • Smooth body

Cons

  • Pricey

Red Bay Coffee is an artisan coffee company founded by food entrepreneur and renowned artist Keba Konte. This black owned coffee company is a certified B-Corp business. 

Widely known in the specialty coffee and hospitality industry in the San Francisco Bay Area, Konte brings beans in from all over the Bean Belt. His flagship café and public roastery are located in Oakland, California. 

Some of the countries Red Bay directly sources its coffee from include Kenya, Indonesia, Colombia, Tanzania, and Guatemala. The focus is on bringing in beans from a wide array of climates and high elevations to make high-quality specialty coffees.

If you’re looking for a nice in-between roast, you might want to try Red Bay Coffee Coltrane. This coffee is from a coffee farm in the Colombian department of Cauca. 

These single-origin beans have a cane sugar sweetness complemented by hints of grape and rich dark chocolate notes.

5. Boon Boona Coffee

boon boona coffee

Pros

  • Organic certified
  • Portion of proceeds go toward a good cause

Cons

  • Limited selection of beans
  • Shipping limited to Canada and United States

Founded by Efrem Fesaha, Boon Boona Coffee is a black owned coffee company with a mission to share African coffees with the world while supporting women coffee-growers. 

Fesaha grew up with the traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean coffee ceremony, which inspired him to become a part of the coffee industry. The name Boon Boona comes from different ways to say coffee in East African languages. 

Boon Boona focuses on establishing direct, long-term relationships with various coffee producers throughout Africa. A Boon Boona Roastery and Café located in Renton, Washington offers visitors to experience the special East African coffee ceremony, which is symbolic of hospitality.

The ceremony often takes place in East African households where the woman of the household will pan-roast green coffee beans. The coffee is then brewed in a pot called a jebena. 

Each step is carefully executed to show a sign of respect and a welcome to the guests. It’s common that coffee is continuously served until it becomes weak.

Efrem Fesaha won the 2022 Pacific Northwest and US Small Business Administration Small Business Person of the year award.

Boon Boona offers beans from several East African countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. 

If you’re looking for sustainable coffee, we suggest the Bereka Blend. This coffee is an organic-certified medium roast. It has notes of cinnamon with a subtle sugar cane sweetness. It makes a creamy cup of coffee, ideal for cold brew or espresso.

A portion of the proceeds from the Bereka Blend goes toward helping Boon Boona’s local community experiencing homelessness.

6. Bright Land Coffee

bright land coffee

Pros

  • Supports small-scale farmers
  • Wide selection of beans from around the world
  • Beans grown at high altitudes

Cons

  • Many products are limited-time only

Bright Land Coffee is a black owned coffee roaster and cold brew manufacturer located in Tampa Bay, Florida. Founder Gary Lambert and co-owner Peter Prince collaborate with numerous small and mid-sized coffee farmers around the world.

Coffee beans from Bright Land are roasted in a Bellwether roaster, which helps to reduce environmental impacts and provide more sustainable coffee.

Bright Land sources its beans from a wide variety of climates and environments from African, Asian, and Central American countries.

Several of their coffees are limited release, allowing them to introduce different types of beans throughout the year. 

If you want a fruity and chocolatey medium roast, we suggest trying their Positive Impact coffee. The beans are sourced from Jinotega and Matagalpa, two of Nicaragua’s main coffee-producing cities located in the Central Highlands. 

Positive Impact has peach, cherry, and chocolate cherry notes. The name of the coffee is inspired by helping make a positive impact on the small-scale farmers in Nicaragua.

Overview: Black Owned Coffee Brands

Supporting black owned coffee brands helps uplift minority business owners and their mission to give back to their local community. These brands often support small-scale coffee farmers abroad. 

If you’re looking for coffee beans from African or Central American countries that are roasted and sold by black owned businesses, we recommend trying any of the brands listed above. 

Overall, we suggest trying Red Bay Coffee. This artisan black owned coffee brand is B-Corp certified by meeting high quality and performance standards. Its coffee is sourced from different countries around the world, offering a variety of flavor profiles.

Red Bay Coffee also sources its coffee directly from high-grade specialty coffee farms. Each black owned coffee brand listed has its own unique perks and are also good options to choose from!

About The Author

Will Beck

Will is a true digital nomad, taking his work on the road at every opportunity. His first love is coffee, with whiskey a close 2nd. He loves nothing more than enjoying a perfectly brewed coffee with spectacular scenery whilst he coordinates behind the scenes of the Drink Stack blog!

Just so you know, if you click on a product on DrinkStack.com and decide to buy it, we may earn a small commission.


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