Before we begin, let’s do away with the illusion that we all drink coffee purely for the taste. Yes, it is delicious, but for many it is also a vital tool for, well, life.
And whether for sheer curiosity or because your usual cup just isn’t performing, there will come a time when you may wonder exactly what is the strongest coffee in the world? Lucky for you, we too have had such thoughts and today we will be looking at all the adjacent questions around this topic, from what coffee has more caffeine, to which coffee roast is the strongest, and everything in between.
What Is The Strongest Coffee: Taste Vs Caffeine
First of all, let’s be clear about what we mean when we ask what is the strongest coffee. Technically we mean what coffee has more caffeine than all others, but there’s also the consideration of literal taste. While many people may mistake a coffee's strong, bold taste to mean high caffeine, the two are not always actually related.
The ‘strong tasting’ coffee is most likely a dark roast, brewed for longer or it could even be prepared incorrectly, giving it an intense, bitter taste. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the beans used are a strong variety.
For a true measure of coffee strength we need to take a look at the caffeine content. This is a quantifiable, measurable metric that will truly determine the physiological kick that you get from your morning brew. The search for the most potent then, surely begins here.
The Science of Caffeine & Its Effects
Before we delve into what is the strongest coffee, let's take a moment to learn about how caffeine actually works, and the way it affects the human body.
In its simplest terms; caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It works by blocking a neurotransmitter called adenosine, which is responsible for making you feel tired. By effectively blocking adenosine receptors in your brain, caffeine is able to promote feelings of alertness and reduce feelings of fatigue.
The intensity of physical effects of caffeine vary from person to person, but they can look like increased heart rate, improved focus and a significant boost in energy levels. Unfortunately, over time your body will build a tolerance for caffeine, meaning that you will need a slightly higher dose to achieve the same effect. Which leads us nicely back to why we are here: to learn what the strongest coffee is, and how we can get hold of it.
What Coffee Has More Caffeine? The Role Of Robusta
The two most common types of coffee beans are Arabica and Robusta.
They are both prized for their unique properties, with Arabica being preferred slightly, for their complex aroma and taste profiles. However, Robusta beans are the real powerhouses when it comes to caffeine. This is primarily due to the Robusta being a hardier plant, and with this raw, rough earthy nature, comes a real punchy caffeine hit.
- Caffeine content: Robusta beans generally have twice the caffeine content of arabica beans.
- Flavour profile: They tend to taste more bitter, less nuanced. When roasted properly they can produce a powerful, satisfying brew, and are sometimes blended with arabica beans in espresso blends as they create a wonderful thick crema.
If you are looking to create your own potent blend, our Vietnamese Green Robusta beans are a great place to start. As they are raw, you can mix them with other bean types, such as your favourite arabica single origin variety, to create a wonderful blend to roast at home, that combines the taste of the arabica with the kick and crema of the robusta.
What coffee roast is the strongest?
We all know that dark roasts, especially French and Italian, taste strong. Yet, in terms of pure caffeine content, a light roast coffee is technically the strongest. The longer a coffee bean is roasted, the more the caffeine content is cooked out. So, while a dark roast has a powerful, bold flavour that's often associated with strength, it actually has slightly less caffeine than a light or medium roast. The robust, smoky flavour of a dark roast comes from the caramelisation of sugars and the breakdown of certain compounds, which is why it tastes so intense, not because it has more caffeine.
How to Make a Genuinely Strong Coffee at Home (without it tasting bitter)
Want to recreate that high-octane coffee experience? It's not just about using the right beans. Here are some pro tips for brewing a genuinely strong cup:
1. Start with the right beans: Choose a high-caffeine blend, or a robusta only variety. Our Indian Tiger Stripes Blend is a great option, with a dark chocolatey taste and a bold earthy flavour.
2. Adjust your coffee-to-water ratio: Use more coffee grounds for the same amount of water. A good starting point for strong coffee is a 1:15 ratio (1 part coffee to 15 parts water by weight).
3. Use a finer grind: A finer grind exposes more of the coffee's surface area to water, leading to a more efficient extraction of both flavour and caffeine.
4. Consider your brew method: Espresso machines and the AeroPress, which use pressure, are excellent for creating very strong, concentrated coffee. A French press or Moka pot, which allows for a longer steeping time, can also produce a more robust brew.
5. Use hot (not scalding) water: The ideal water temperature is around 90-96°C (195-205°F). Hotter water extracts more of the coffee's solids, giving you a stronger cup.
Strongest Coffees Around the World
Have you ever been on holiday somewhere exotic, looking to relax and take in a bit of the culture, only to have the strongest coffee of your life? You are not alone. Even our now every-day coffees like the Americano only came to the western world after soldiers wanted to recreate the intensity of the drink when back home.
Many countries and cultures pride themselves on their preferred form of coffee beverage, and a lot of the time this doubles with a boast about the strength of caffeine found in them. Here are some of the strongest coffees from around the globe:
Italian Espresso
Many Italian espresso blends use a significant percentage of Robusta beans to achieve a high caffeine content and a rich, persistent crema. The small, concentrated shot packs a powerful punch. These are the coffee types usually found in your average coffee shop chain, as the strong flavour is the perfect base for popular drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos and americanos.
Turkish/Greek Coffee
This method involves boiling finely ground coffee and water together, resulting in a thick, unfiltered brew that is incredibly potent, made all the more so by leaving the grounds in the coffee, instead of filtering them out.
Vietnamese Coffee
Traditionally made with a phin filter, Vietnamese coffee often uses a high Robusta content, resulting in a brew that is both intensely strong and often balanced with a small amount sweetened condensed milk instead of regular milk, resulting in a shorter (therefore stronger via volume) drink overall.
Is Vietnamese coffee stronger than Turkish coffee? Vietnamese coffee is generally stronger than Turkish coffee when it comes to caffeine content, primarily due to their preference for robusta beans, whereas Turkish is usually made with Arabica.
Strongest Coffee FAQs
Q: What is the caffeine content of the Coffee Bean Shop's Vietnamese Green Robusta?
A: Our Vietnamese Green Robusta is not a finished product but a raw, unroasted bean specifically for blending. It contains approximately 4.5% caffeine by weight, which is about double the caffeine found in most Arabica beans, making it ideal for creating your own high-caffeine blends.
Q: Does dark roast coffee contain more caffeine?
A: This is a common misconception. In fact, dark roast coffee can have slightly less caffeine than light or medium roasts. The roasting process burns off some of the caffeine. A dark roast simply has a bolder, more robust flavour profile that is often mistaken for higher caffeine content.
Q: Can I use Robusta beans for an espresso machine?
A: Yes, Robusta beans are excellent for espresso. A small percentage of Robusta in an espresso blend is what gives it a rich, thick crema and a bold flavour. Many traditional Italian espresso blends use a mix of Arabica and Robust beans for this reason.
Q: What coffee has more caffeine?
A: The coffee with the most caffeine is made from Robusta beans. These beans naturally contain about twice as much caffeine as the more common Arabica beans. If you're looking for the maximum kick, a blend with a high percentage of Robusta beans is your best option.
Q: What coffee roast is the strongest?
A: This is a common question, but it's a bit of a trick. Dark roasts are not the strongest in terms of caffeine. In fact, a dark roast has a little less caffeine than a light roast because some caffeine burns off during the longer roasting process. A dark roast simply has a bolder, more intense flavour that people often associate with strength.
The Verdict: Strong is What You Make It
So there you have it, a definitive, if not totally expected, answer to what is the strongest coffee in the world.
Ready to brew your strongest cup yet? Shop our high-caffeine Robusta beans and start blending today.
Looking more for what types of coffee beverages are the strongest? We’ve got a blog post that covers the caffeine content of your lattes, long blacks and flat whites too.