Mushroom coffee is one of the biggest trends in coffee in recent years. There are numerous proposed health benefits to adding ground mushrooms to your morning brew, including boosting energy and the immune system.
However, finding the right mix and concentration of mushrooms can be difficult. To help you out, here are 5 of the best mushroom coffee blends currently available.
What is Mushroom Coffee?
Simply put, mushroom coffee is coffee with mushrooms in it. Rather than culinary mushrooms, such as shiitake, they’re medicinal mushrooms. Common types include Lion’s Mane, Chaga, and Turkey’s Tail.
The mushrooms are dried and ground into a powder, which is then blended with coffee. The ratio is usually 1:1, meaning the coffee is technically weaker than normal. You, therefore, get less caffeine per cup, but most of the mushrooms are believed to offer energy-boosting benefits anyway.
Most people drink mushroom coffee because of its claimed health benefits. The various mushroom types are believed to help with everything from memory to immune health and digestion. If you’re drinking coffee anyway, this can be an easy way to squeeze these supplements into your diet.
5 Best Mushroom Coffee Blends
Top Overall Pick: Four Sigmatic Dark Roast Coffee
Four Sigmatic Dark Roast Coffee
Pros
· Doesn’t taste like mushrooms.
· Organic coffee.
· Decent flavor.
Cons
· A bit pricey.
Four Sigmatic Dark Roast Coffee uses a fairly standard blend of mushrooms in its coffee: Lion’s Mane and Chaga. They’ve been used for centuries for immune and energy-boosting benefits and arguably deliver a “nicer” energy boost than caffeine alone.
The coffee itself is organic and comes from Honduras. It’s a dark roast and standard caffeine. However, you obviously get less caffeine per volume than normal coffee because the grounds are 50% mushrooms.
You brew this coffee as normal, but the grind means you’ll have to use in it a French press or drip coffee machine rather than an espresso maker. One benefit of this mix is that it doesn’t taste like mushrooms (as it shouldn’t). Not everyone enjoys the taste of mushrooms – they just give this mix a certain nuttiness, which makes it taste quite nice.
There’s not much negative to say about this coffee, as it delivers exactly what you’d expect. It’s a bit pricey for the amount of coffee you get, but this is pretty standard with mushroom coffee – you should always expect it to be more expensive than normal ground coffee.
Best for Adding to Coffee: MitoMushroom Mocha
MitoMushroom Mocha
Pros
· Doesn’t contain coffee – gives you flexibility over what coffee you use.
· Includes mocha flavoring.
· All the ingredients are organic.
Cons
· Added sugar won’t work for everyone.
Unlike standard mushroom coffee, MitoMushroom Mocha doesn’t contain any actual coffee. Instead, it’s simply the mushroom mix – along with mocha flavoring – that you can add to your normal coffee. This is a good option if you want flexibility over the roast strength or caffeine level, which is obviously restricted when buying normal mushroom coffee.
You simply add a tablespoon or two of this powder to your coffee (or just milk) rather than brewing it directly. Although most mushroom coffees don’t taste mushrooms, this has the advantage of including cacao to help mask the flavor even further. Of course, this might not make it suitable for use all the time.
All the ingredients it contains are organic, which is another big plus. While you generally expect it of the mushrooms, it’s good to see that the cacao and vanilla are also organic, especially as these are often associated with potential issues for the people who farm them.
In terms of downsides, the biggest one of this mocha mix is that it has added sugar. Granted, it needs it to offset the bitterness of the cacao (and its coconut sugar), but this won’t be to everyone’s taste. If you’re on a low-sugar diet, you’ll want to avoid this product.
Top Pick for Instant Coffee: Om Mushroom Coffee Blend
Om Mushroom Coffee Blend
Pros
· Instant coffee sachets are convenient.
· Contains 4 kinds of mushrooms.
· Flavor is decent.
Cons
· Only 10 sachets in a box.
While instant coffee doesn’t feature a lot on this site, Om Mushroom Coffee Blend is worth a mention. It’s obviously very convenient, as you don’t need to brew a whole pot and you can carry your sachet with you. Plus, instant coffee, has quite a good flavor.
Each sachet contains 4 kinds of mushrooms (and ginkgo biloba), which are apparently balanced to give you mental energy and boost your immune system. All the ingredients (aside from the coffee) are grown in the US, so you can be sure they’re all of good quality.
Making the coffee is just as easy as any other instant coffee. You add the sachet to 8oz. of hot water and stir. You can also use it for iced coffee and mix it with milk as needed. Due to the mushroom content, it’s advised that you only have one sachet a day.
The major downside is the number of sachets you get in a box, which is only 10. Price aside, this will last a minimum of 10 days, meaning you’ll need to order them quite regularly. That said, you can subscribe and save to at least make it a bit easier.
Top Pick for Pods: VitaCup Focus Mushroom Coffee Pods
VitaCup Focus Mushroom Coffee Pods
Pros
· Good option if you like to use coffee pod machines.
· Decent concentration of mushrooms per serving.
· Pods are recyclable.
Cons
· A range of roast strengths would be nice.
The VitaCup Focus Mushroom Coffee Pods are, unsurprisingly, designed for coffee pod machines. VitaCup advises they’re compatible with nearly all standard designs, including Keurig models. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a definitive list that states all the machines you can use them in.
Like the Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee above, VitaCup pods contain Lion’s Mane and Chaga. These are arguably the most standard mushrooms to have in mushroom coffee and will provide an energy boost and a decent level of antioxidants. The pods also claim to support immune function, but they contain D3 and B vitamins for that rather than more mushrooms.
The coffee itself is medium-roast and is 100% arabica beans. The flavor is perfectly acceptable and there isn’t an overwhelming mushroom flavor. As with most other blends, there’s an extra nuttiness, but this isn’t a bad thing.
One big bonus of these coffee pods is that they’re fully recyclable. Of course, they still create more waste than, say, a bag of ground coffee, but it’s helpful to know that you can recycle them anywhere in the country. The next best thing would be that the pods are reusable, but they’re a decent compromise if you prefer to use coffee pod machines.
There isn’t much bad to say about this coffee. It would be great if VitaCup offered different roast strengths. However, the advantage of a medium roast is that it’s arguably a good compromise for all tastes. Of course, if you prefer a lighter or darker roast, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Top Pick for Lots of Mushrooms: La Republica Organic Mushroom Coffee
La Republica Organic Mushroom Coffee
Pros
· Decent number of servings in a jar.
· 7 kinds of mushroom.
· Good balanced flavor.
Cons
· No information on amount of mushrooms per serving.
La Republica Organic Mushroom Coffee contains a whopping 7 kinds of mushrooms, which is more than most other brands. The extra mushroom varieties boost the level of nutritional ingredients for immune health but also boost digestion and gut bacteria. The manufacturer claims that each type of mushroom is a different superfood.
It’s another instant coffee, although this one comes in a jar. While it’s not as convenient as the Om Mushroom option, you do get 30 servings, making it better value for money. Plus, the benefit of a jar is that you can add as much to your mug as you want.
Instant coffee can often be a bit bland and acidic, but La Republica has used its mushrooms to help boost the flavor. It claims that the mushrooms help take away some acidity and give this coffee a creamy, earthy flavor. On the surface, this might sound a bit unappealing, but it’s actually a really nice combination of flavors. You should fine you can drink it black or with milk.
A big downside of this coffee is that it doesn’t tell you the amount of mushrooms per serving. Other brands state a milligram amount (it’s usually around 500mg but can be as high as 2000). Considering this coffee has 7 types of mushroom, it’s fair to assume that the concentration of each is lower than a brand with fewer types in it. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence of whether this makes a difference.
Final Thoughts
Choosing mushroom coffee ultimately depends on what benefits you’re looking for. At the very least, mushroom coffee will contain Lion’s Mane and Chaga, as these are the most standard. If you’re looking for more benefits, you’ll have to dig a bit deeper into the available brands.
However, as you can see, there are plenty of options. Hopefully, you’ll find one that’s suitable for your needs and, more importantly, you’ll enjoy the flavor!