Best Mushroom Coffees: Ranked by Taste
As a die-hard coffee drinker, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with caffeine. My anxiety was getting worse and I was becoming more acutely aware of the afternoon slump and the morning grogginess. On top of all that, I believe coffee has been a contributing factor to my gut problems.
Enter - my search for a new morning beverage that could satisfy my coffee craving and give me the same energy and focus that caffeine provides but without any of the fall out. I wanted to improve my sleep, reduce my anxiety and avoid the infamous caffeine crash at all costs.
After a ton of research I honed in on mushroom coffee, I know - sounds gross right? But after reading countless studies I decided I had to try it. I tried all the best mushroom coffee brands (according to the internet) and I drank each for 12 days straight with a weekend off in between to reset my body and mind.
Here are my top 5 mushroom coffees on the market:
#1 Cuppa
My top pick for taste by a landslide!
This tastes better than any mushroom coffee or instant coffee I’ve tried. It even stacks up next to premium coffees or your local cafe with a rich, robust flavor profile that comes from arabica coffee beans. There is zero mushroom aftertaste or earthy notes like the others. Their mushroom extracts are apparently triple extracted and concentrated at an 8:1 ratio to maximize absorption and minimize the taste of the mushrooms.
This gave me the most energy too. I wasn’t craving another caffeine hit by lunchtime and it kept me going through the workday. I noticed my attention span was better and my mind was sharper. I felt these benefits from day 1 but after drinking for a weeks I’ve noticed a huge improvement to my digestion and sleep too.
Taste: 8/10
Effects: 10/10
Update: They now have multiple new flavors! I’m a big fan of Salted Caramel and just ordered Vanilla.
LIMITED TIME PROMO: 25% off Sitewide for New Customers promo if you buy right now! CLICK to activate
This tasted like traditional coffee, quite strong and bold. You don’t taste mushrooms necessarily but there are some earthy and woodsy notes that may not work for everyone.
The health benefits of this one were not as robust. You choose between focus, energy and gut health which I found challenging because I want them all! I felt alert but not sure if more than regular coffee and didn’t noticed any other benefits.
Taste: 7/10
Effects: 6/10
#3 Everyday dose
It doesn’t taste of mushrooms at all but it also doesn’t really taste like coffee. Now I absolutely LOVE the taste of coffee and crave that flavor daily but if you don’t like the flavor of coffee this could be a great alternative. It’s lighter and more neutral than coffee.
You’ll notice how the powder itself is much lighter because they use a lot of collagen. This acts as a creamer but your mileage may vary on if this helps or hurts the flavor. Yes, it makes it smoother and creamier but it also produces a very distinct aftertaste - sometimes bitter or chemical tasting - as well as a chalky mouthfeel.
I did feel energized and focused until about lunchtime but I noticed no benefits from the collagen and my gut didn’t handle this one as well as the others.
Taste: 6/10
Effects: 6/10
#4 Mud/Wtr
This is for the tea lovers! It tasted like black tea mixed with chai spices. It definitely won’t satisfy your coffee craving but it is a pleasant flavor profile.
This is super low caffeine and though the ingredient list is impressively long that also means that many of the doses are not substantial. I felt very little energy or focus boost so it didn’t deliver on the health benefits for me. It was easy on the stomach and I slept well but that’s expected as I was sleepier during the day.
Taste: 6/10
Effects: 4/10
This smelled quite putrid which was extremely offputting from the outset. Thankfully the taste wasn’t nearly as bad but it still had an off taste and was my least favorite. It’s incredibly earthy with an unpleasant, funky aftertaste and zero coffee flavor.
I didn’t get an energy boost from this or notice a shift in my focus or mental clarity. I did feel like it positively impacted my gut and maybe my sleep cycle too.
Taste: 4/10
Effects: 6/10
The Final Verdict
Cuppa by a landslide! I even did a blind taste test between my top 3 with my sister (a former starbucks barista) and my husband (a self-proclaimed coffee snob) and Cuppa was their #1 choice as well.