Mushroom coffee has become an incredibly popular drink on the wellness market, with more and more people consuming mushroom coffee every day.
Coffee might be great at giving you that boost of energy and waking you up for the day ahead, but what if there was an alternative that’s much healthier that you are missing out on?
This is where mushrooms come in with their huge rise in popularity.
So, should you use it?
Well, before you decide whether or not to switch from traditional coffee to mushroom coffee, it’s probably a good idea to ask “what is mushroom coffee?” and fully understand the answer!
In this article, we’re going to take a look at what mushroom coffee is, how mushroom coffee is made, whether or not you can consume mushroom coffee, and tell you about the top three mushroom coffees on the market.
What Is Mushroom Coffee?
Mushroom coffee isn’t just a normal cup of coffee that has mushrooms popped into the mix – it’s a fully blended type of coffee that you can use just as you would a traditional coffee mix!
Mushroom coffee is a blend of mushrooms (sometimes several different mushrooms, sometimes specific mushrooms) and coffee beans.
So, mushroom coffee still contains coffee – it’s not an alternative!
The taste of mushroom coffee is quite similar to the taste of traditional coffee but slightly richer and earthier.
You can either buy pre-made ground mushroom coffee or you can add a mushroom powder into your coffee to create a mushroom coffee yourself.
Here are some the brands I have checked out:
What Mushrooms Are Used In Mushroom Coffee?
The mushrooms within mushroom coffee are medicinal mushrooms that have been used for centuries to improve overall health and wellbeing – they’re not typically mushrooms that you would choose to pick up at the grocery store and cook with.
Although you can find mushroom coffee that only contains a specific mushroom, most of the time the coffee contains a variety of medicinal mushrooms.
Typically, mushrooms such as Chaga, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Turkey’s Tail, and Cordyceps are used to create the mushroom coffee blend.
Each of these mushrooms has its own specific benefits associated with them and together they provide essential nutrients, protein, and fiber.
This is why mushroom coffee is said to have much greater health benefits than your average cup of traditional coffee.
How Is Mushroom Coffee Made?
Now you know what mushroom coffee is, let’s take a look at how it’s made.
Regardless of the types of mushrooms used to create mushroom coffee, the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms are taken, dehydrated, ground down, and made into a powder.
This is a typical process of turning any whole food into a powder.
Then, once the mushroom powder is created, it is mixed with already ground down coffee beans. Typically, the ratio of coffee beans to mushroom powder is 1:1, but this differs from brand to brand.
The resulting mix is mushroom coffee and this can either be sold as instant coffee, ground coffee, or in coffee pods.
What Is The Difference Between Mushroom Coffee and Mushroom Coffee Alternative?
When you’re looking to buy mushroom coffee, you might come across both mushroom coffee and mushroom coffee alternatives.
Mushroom coffee is a mixed blend of mushrooms and coffee beans, whereas a mushroom coffee alternative does not contain coffee beans and instead, acts as an alternative to coffee (as the name suggests!).
If you regularly rely on caffeine, you might be best starting off with a mushroom coffee rather than a mushroom blend alternative!
Can Everyone Consume Mushroom Coffee?
Although most people should benefit from drinking mushroom coffee, not all mushroom coffees are suitable for everyone.
Every mushroom coffee, just like every supplement, is uniquely created and therefore before you consume any mushroom coffee, you should always check the label of the coffee first to see if it is safe for you to consume.
Overall though, since mushrooms are potent ingredients, I would recommend seeking the advice of your doctor before consuming mushroom coffee if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
The 3 Best Mushroom Coffees on The Market
If you’re interested in buying and consuming mushroom coffee, let’s take a quick look at the three best mushroom coffees on the market.
1Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee
Four Sigmatic’s Morning Routine Mushroom Coffee is likely to be the most popular on the market. This blend is made up of organic, fair-trade coffee beans and Chaga and Reishi mushrooms.
The brand also offers several other mushroom coffees and mushroom coffee alternatives.
2KOS Mushroom Coffee
KOS Mushroom Coffee is an organic instant coffee mix with a large variety of mushrooms – Reishi, Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Chaga & Turkey Tail Mushrooms.
This is one of the most varied and jam-packed mushroom coffees on the market.
3Top Shelf Mushroom Coffee
Top Shelf Mushroom Coffee is a mix of high caffeine dark roast coffee and Lion’s Mane mushroom.
This is definitely more potent than your average cup of coffee from the store-bought brand, and since it contains Lion’s Mane mushroom, it might be a good choice if you like to drink high-caffeine coffee.
Do You Want To Try Mushroom Coffee?
There may be a good reason why mushroom coffee has become such a huge thing – it has a huge list of benefits associated with it and it seems to work.
So, are you ready to incorporate this coffee alternative into your diet and experience the benefits of mushroom coffee for yourself?