Some people will tell you that bold coffee is stronger in caffeine content, while others insist that it simply has more flavor.
Much heated online debate has been waged over this topic, with coffee lovers, snobs, and aficionados all turning against one other. Families have been torn apart, friendships ruined, whole cities have been razed to the ground—all over the simple question: Is bolder coffee stronger?
So, what's the truth? Will someone please just tell us already!? For the love of all that is good and holy, somebody please write this article and put an end to the madness!!!
Q: Is Bolder Coffee Stronger?
A: No.
Well... sometimes.
It turns out that both sides are partially right.
(The "No" side is more right—but before someone fires a mortar shot through my window, let's break it down and take a look at what's actually going on here.)
Does the Strongest Coffee Flavor-wise also Have the Most Caffeine?
Bold coffee does have more flavor (i.e. stronger flavor). That's a no-brainer. But it isn't necessarily the strongest coffee in terms of caffeine content.
It's a common misconception that just because a coffee tastes bold it must be stronger (i.e. contain more caffeine) than a coffee of lesser flavor.
While bold coffee may more of certain compounds that can make it appear stronger, like oils and tannins, the actual caffeine content may be comparable to regular coffee.
What Affects Coffee's Caffeine Strength?
The caffeine strength of any given brewed coffee is actually determined by multiple other factors like its bean variety, brewing method, grind size/consistency, and dilution/coffee-to-water ratio.
Now, these things also directly affect the flavor of the coffee. So, it's no surprise that many people mistakenly believe that coffee flavor is directly proportional to caffeine strength.
Of course, there are coffees with a bold flavor that are also high in caffeine. But you can also find coffees with a lighter flavor that pack a bigger caffeine punch.
The Robusta Factor: Why Stronger Coffee May Taste Bolder
Here's the caveat that makes the flavor people partially right: Robusta beans, which are often used in bolder blends, do have more caffeine than Arabica beans. Way more.
So, a coffee blend with more Robusta beans is likely to be both bolder and stronger in caffeine content than one made with all or mostly Arabica beans. So in truth, the people who think that a bolder coffee flavor means more caffeine may be on to something—just not necessarily for the reasons they think.
If you're just trying to find the strongest coffee caffeine-wise, flavor definitely shouldn't be your only criterion. Instead, pay attention to factors like the bean variety (look for strong Robusta blends), brewing method, and grind size.
What is the Actual Strongest Coffee?
Going by the actual data (which is generally a pretty good thing to do), the strongest coffee with the most caffeine is Black Insomnia.
A lot of people are champing at the bit now to say that Wodfee or Death Wish is stronger, but the numbers don't lie. Leave that bit alone.
Compared to Wodfee's 13,809 mg of caffeine per kg, Black Insomnia is 27% stronger, with 17,524 mg of caffeine per kg.
Compared to Death Wish, which has 13,179 mg of caffeine per kg, Black Insomnia is a whopping 33% stronger.
Look at the facts and you'll see that Black Insomnia coffee has the highest caffeine content. So if you're really looking for the strongest coffee, that's the one you should be going for.
The Bottom Line on Caffeine Strength
At the end of the day, there's no one-to-one relationship between coffee flavor and caffeine strength.So, if you're looking for a coffee that's both bold and strong, you'll need to pay attention to a lot more than just the flavor.
Keep an eye out for blends that contain robusta beans, and pay attention to the other brewing factors that affect a coffee's strength. And if you want the strongest coffee in the world, Black Insomnia Extreme Caffeine Coffee is the way to go.
Now we can finally put this whole "does bold coffee have more caffeine" internet debate to rest.
$19.99
The Strongest Coffee in the World Black Insomnia has 6 x MORE CAFFEINE than average coffee - so you can be more than average. Designed for those who drink it black, our medium-dark classic roast is the one that started… read moreExtreme Caffeine - Ground Classic Roast Coffee
