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Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the entire world, and people around the globe look to different styles of coffee to give them the energy they require to be productive.
There is a good amount of confusion within the coffee community as to which style of coffee is the strongest let alone what is the strongest coffee in the world. So, in this article, we will take a closer look at the caffeine content of some of the most popular coffee drinks in the world.
After reading this helpful guide, you will have all the information you need to make the right choice when it comes to style of coffee, and also have a better understanding of caffeine in general.
Guide to the Strongest Coffee in the World
Caffeine and Coffee
While it is a well-known fact that drinking a cup of coffee helps to wake people up, not everyone is aware of the science behind how coffee works.
Coffee beans are naturally high in caffeine, a naturally occurring chemical that is also present in the leaves and beans of other plants.
Caffeine is the number one drug in the world, and cultures from around the world enjoy caffeine regularly in the form of coffee, tea, and soft drinks. Caffeine works to keep people awake and alert by blocking a neurotransmitter that lets the brain know it is tired.
Caffeine is technically a psychoactive drug, as it has a direct effect on the brain. While other psychoactive drugs are often considered taboo and heavily regulated in many parts of the world, caffeine is very socially acceptable and holds the title of the number one drug in the world.
This socially acceptable stimulant is a major part of many people’s mornings, and coffee is the most popular beverage containing caffeine in the United States. Many people drink coffee every morning without actually knowing how much caffeine they are consuming.
Keeping an eye on the amount of caffeine that you consume each day is a great way to avoid any unwanted mix-ups. Drinking too much caffeine can have a number of unpleasant side effects, such as nervousness, sweating, and general anxiety.
Brewed Coffee
Brewed coffee has been the standard coffee beverage in the United States for many decades, and it is the drink you will receive when simply ordering a “cup of coffee” at a traditional American diner, restaurant, or coffee shop.
In simple terms, brewed coffee is made by pouring very hot water over a bed of ground coffee beans, which allows them to brew as the hot water passes through the grounds. It is most often served with cream and sugar on the side, allowing people to “dress up” their coffee however they like best.
While there are many different factors that have a significant impact on the final product including the specific type of coffee making and the amount of roast on the coffee beans, the most important factor when it comes to the caffeine content in any traditional cup of coffee is the type of coffee bean used.
Oftentimes, coffee shops will offer two different styles of brewed coffee, which are generally referred to as “light” and “dark” roasts. Both options will usually contain a fairly similar amount of caffeine, and the difference between them is the amount of roast on the beans which changes the overall taste profile.
The two most popular types of coffee beans that are used for making traditionally brewed coffee are arabica and robusta beans. While other types of coffee beans exist, these two styles dominate the coffee market and are used in the vast majority of different coffee blends.
The arabica coffee bean contains nearly double the amount of naturally occurring sugars compared to the robusta bean, as well as more than double the amount of naturally occurring essential oils. Both of these factors contribute to the overall taste of coffee, making arabica the more flavorful coffee bean.
While it is a widely accepted fact that the arabica bean is more flavorful when compared to the robusta bean, the robusta bean holds a major advantage when it comes to caffeine content. It contains roughly double the amount of caffeine compared to arabica beans and is also more cost-effective to produce.
For these reasons, the robusta bean is often used to make affordable coffee that is very high in caffeine. Many coffee producers will also produce different blends containing both beans in an effort to find the perfect balance between strength and taste while also using various roasting levels.
While different coffee beans will affect the overall caffeine levels in brewed coffee, a general rule is that each cup contains 10 and 12 milligrams of caffeine per ounce. This means that the average eight-ounce cup of coffee contains between 80 and 96 milligrams of caffeine.
Decaf Coffee
Decaf coffee is another popular style of coffee that is commonly found across the United States, as well as the rest of the world. It is used as a low-caffeine alternative to traditional coffee and is not completely free of caffeine despite what the name might suggest.
Decaf coffee is made by removing the caffeine from the coffee beans by soaking them in either pure water or a mixture of water with different solvents. This works to extract the caffeine from the coffee beans without removing a significant amount of the flavor from them.
Many people choose to enjoy decaf as their second cup of coffee each day in an effort to keep their overall caffeine intake lower compared to the second cup of regular coffee. Decaf is also often served after dinner as a dessert beverage that does not keep people awake at night.
Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for a long period of time, leading to a cup of coffee that is both strong and low in acidity. Many people prefer cold brew compared to regular coffee each morning due to its strength and smooth flavor.
It is estimated that cold brew coffee contains anywhere between 12 and 14 milligrams of caffeine per ounce, making it a bit stronger compared to traditionally brewed coffee. This is due to the extended steeping period, which allows more caffeine to be extracted from the coffee beans.
The fact that cold brew coffee is a bit stronger compared to regular coffee is often negated by the fact that cold brew is usually served over ice. As the ice melts, the drink becomes slightly more diluted which helps to “level out” the beverage while enjoying it.
Nitro Cold Brew
Nitro cold brew is a very popular and trendy beverage that has risen to prominence both domestically and worldwide over the past decade. It involves the infusion of nitrogen gas into the drink which gives it a uniquely smooth texture with tiny bubbles.
It is often served on draft, making it quick and simple for baristas to pour on the fly each morning, though there are also options to make it at home. Nitro cold brew contains a higher ratio of caffeine compared to traditional cold brew due to the higher concentration of coffee beans to water.
The average amount of milligrams of caffeine per ounce of coffee with nitrogen-infused cold brew drinks is somewhere around 20, making this one of the strongest coffee-based beverages on the menu of many different coffee shops.
Espresso
Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage that is extremely popular in Europe and has risen dramatically in popularity across the United States over the past few decades. It is a very strong drink both in terms of taste and caffeine content, and it is served in a small cup that holds around two ounces.
When served “straight up” as a shot, there are three different ways that espresso is often prepared. These are called the “espresso,” the “lungo” and the “ristretto.” The difference between these three beverages is the amount of hot water that is pulled through the espresso beans.
The ristretto is the “shortest” and most concentrated style of espresso, as it uses the least amount of water for a very concentrated shot in terms of both taste and strength. The espresso is the most common pull, while the lungo is the “tallest” option with the most water and volume.
Espresso is the coffee base used in some of the most popular coffee shop drinks in the world, including lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos. All of these beverages are made by adding various levels of steamed and frothed milk to an espresso base.
Espresso is one of the most concentrated styles of coffee in the world, and it is the strongest option on the market today in terms of caffeine content. It contains around 60 milligrams of caffeine per ounce, making it roughly six times stronger compared to brewed coffee.
Each pull of espresso contains about one ounce, making it very easy to accidentally consume too much in the morning. Be sure to check with your barista how many shots of espresso are in a beverage when ordering, as many coffee shops will serve two servings in each drink as a standard.
Cuban Coffee
Cuban coffee, most often referred to as “cafecito” is a very strong coffee beverage that gained popularity in the South Florida area. For this reason, Cuban coffee is sometimes referred to as “Miami style,” and it is a drink that is gaining popularity across the rest of the United States.
Cafecito is made by adding raw sugar to very strong espresso beans, which works to cut the acidity and natural harshness of the espresso.
This “softening” of the flavors and tasting profile is necessary for many, as the blend of coffee beans used is one of the strongest on the market.
High Caffeine Coffee Brands
While espresso is by far the strongest and most efficient coffee beverage on the market when it comes to caffeine content, there are also ways of getting more caffeine into your system using traditional styles of coffee brewing.
There are many different companies that are currently producing “extra strong” coffee beans, which can be used with traditional coffee grinders and machines to brew traditional-style coffee.
They use strong coffee beans as a base, which are hand selected specifically for their caffeine content.
Death Wish Coffee
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- STRONG COFFEE GROUND: Enjoy the best ground coffee you'll ever taste! Made with premium arabica & robusta beans that are roasted to perfection. Every ground dark roast coffee is bold with notes of...
- SMOOTH DARK GROUND COFFEE: Brew our best coffees made with a slow batch roasting process. This coffee ground bold is low in acid. It feels like a gourmet ground coffee that's fresh without bitter or...
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Death Wish Coffee Company is the industry leader when it comes to producing coffee beans that are specifically formulated to maximize caffeine content. It contains around 60 milligrams of caffeine per ounce, which is roughly equivalent to the standard cup of espresso.
This means that drinking one six-ounce cup of Death Wish Coffee would give you a boost of roughly 350 milligrams of caffeine, which is more than a standard cup of coffee combined with one shot of espresso and a 5 Hour Energy drink.
This high-octane style of coffee beans is not for the faint of heart, and there are many people who are wary of the extremely high caffeine content.
It should be enjoyed in moderation, if at all, and it is important to drink plenty of water and cut back compared to your regular portions of brewed coffee.
Strongest Coffee In The World – Conclusion
There are many different styles of coffee on the market today, and knowing the difference between each of them is the best way to dial in your caffeine intake each morning.
Some people prefer the subtle and smooth caffeine buzz of a moderate cup of traditionally brewed coffee, while others would rather have the quick and strong effects associated with espresso-based drinks.
