The 5 Best Robusta Coffee Brands (How To Choose)

Last Updated on May 16, 2022 by John Moretti

With the growing popularity of Arabica coffee, Robusta coffee brands have taken a back seat or have failed to receive the credit they are due. However, even though Robusta beans might not be the most flavorful, they can still make brilliant coffee in the hands of an expert and coffee lover. Below is a list of the best brands that use only Robusta or have pure Robusta blends.

The five best Robusta coffee brands include the Biohazard Coffee company, Heirloom Coffee LLC, Top Shelf Grind Coffee Company, Dead or Alive Coffee Company, and Nguyen Coffee Supply. These five brands either use only Robusta beans or have a 100% Robusta bean pack for sale.

best robusta coffee brands

If you are looking for the best Robusta coffee brands, this is the best place to start. Not only will I review each highly rated coffee company, but I will also include a link to Amazon where you can have a look and purchase a small bag of coffee to try. It is essential to remember that the best coffee is not universal and will depend on your experience and expectations.

Biohazard Coffee Company

Biohazard Whole Bean Coffee, The World's Strongest Coffee 928 mg Caffeine (16 oz)


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  • Bag sizes: 1 pound or 5 pounds
  • Roast: Light to medium
  • Bean type: Robusta
  • Climate Pledge Friendly: Not Stated
  • Perks: High caffeine content

The Biohazard coffee company prides itself on its high-caffeine and lab-tested coffee roasted in Brooklyn. This brand ensures a 928mg dose of caffeine in every 12-ounce serving, making it one of the highest caffeine content coffees on the market. 

The Biohazard coffee company claims that their coffee is the best to help you kickstart the day and can also help you with late-night work. The chart included on their coffee’s selling page shows that the caffeine content of their coffee is even higher than most energy drinks, allowing you to “skip the sugar” and the extra calories. 

Though this coffee has high caffeine content, most agree that it is pretty smooth compared to expected. This coffee is also not a dark roast but a light-to-medium roast. The smooth taste is collaborated by user reviews and comments.

The Biohazard Coffee shop page on Amazon allows you to choose between ground coffee and coffee beans, allowing you to buy and make precisely what you want. 

The Biohazard coffee comes with a 4.5-star Amazon rating and has mostly positive reviews to back up this rating. Though some buyer reviews claim that the coffee lacks the caffeine stated on the packaging, there are four times more reviews raving about how well this coffee works and that it does pack the punch it claims.

However, I do have to mention that there is one thing most of the reviews and reviewers agree upon. Though this coffee is smoother than expected, it doesn’t have the most flavor. This coffee claims to pack a punch without being excessively bitter, and it does precisely that, but don’t expect the most beautiful tasting coffee from this brand, and you won’t be disappointed.

Dead Or Alive Coffee

  • Bag sizes: 1.1 pounds or 2.2 pounds
  • Roast: Dark roast
  • Bean type: Robusta
  • Climate Pledge Friendly: Yes
  • Perks: High caffeine content

The Dead or Alive Coffee company is another company with serious claims about caffeine in their coffee. This brand claims that in one 12-ounce serving, you will receive a dose of up to 1869mg of caffeine, which makes perfect sense if you look at the name of this coffee.

This coffee brand roasts its beans in Italy and uses a roastery that reportedly has over 100 years of experience in coffee roasting. They also say that the slow roasting method allows for a dark roasted coffee with an intense and full-bodied feel with a note of dark chocolate. 

The beans sold by this brand are also said to have little to no bitter notes, making them great for any coffee lover. This company is also so sure that you will love their beans that they offer a complete, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee for any customer unhappy with their purchase. Money-back guarantees are nearly unheard of in the coffee industry.

Due to the higher caffeine content, this brand also uses pure 100% robusta beans with only natural caffeine. If this brand did not stand out enough, they are also climate pledge friendly, allowing you to buy coffee beans from a place trying to lower their carbon footprint and take care of the earth.

The Dead or Alive coffee shop page on Amazon also offers you the choice between buying your coffee ground or in bean form.

The most highly rated of their coffees, the no3, also sports an Amazon rating of 4.5 stars and the majority of the reviews are of the highest tier. Some of the reviews say that the taste of the beans is less than ideal. However, these beans are again made for caffeine and not necessarily for the best flavor.

As also stated in the reviews, these beans are a bit pricey. If you are worried about trying these beans because of the possible taste and the price tag, it is good to remember that you can get all your money back if you are unhappy with the taste or quality.

Nguyen Coffee Supply

  • Bag sizes: 12 ounces or 5 pounds
  • Roast: Light to Medium
  • Bean type: Vietnamese Robusta
  • Climate Pledge Friendly: Not Stated
  • Perks: Higher caffeine content and helps promote Vietnamese coffee

Nguyen Coffee Supply is a Millenial-owned Vietnamese coffee supplier in Brooklyn, New York that prides itself on its freshly roasted beans imported straight from Vietnam. The owner, Sahra Nguyen, is a first-generation Vietnamese-American who takes pride in her fair trade coffee business. 

Though the Nguyen Coffee Supply company does not use only Robusta Beans, they have packages of 100% Robusta beans. This coffee company also claims certain benefits to using Robusta beans instead of Arabica beans, such as higher caffeine content, less sugar, and 80% more antioxidants.

This coffee brand sells ground and whole Robusta beans in their pack called True grit. The Truegrit beans are of a medium roast, and this brand prides itself on its freshness. The beans this company sells get roasted fresh every week, meaning that you will never get old or stale beans. 

The Nguyen Coffee supply shop page on Amazon allows you to buy either whole or ground coffee, though the company also sells coffee bags similar to tea. 

The Truegrit pure Robusta claims to have taste profiles including Scotch, grapefruit zest, and bitter melon notes. These notes are probably brought more to the foreground through the medium roast, meaning that the coffee might be a bit more bright, which is usually associated with citrus.

Overall this coffee is rated at 4 stars, and over 70% of the reviews are 4 stars or higher. For the most part, all the less great reviews seem to be about the roast color. Many previous customers claim that the beans are roasted too light but also say that there is little to no bitterness, which is not what they expected.

If you are planning to buy these beans, I should also note that they are said not to taste the same as beans usually served or bought in Vietnam as they have a lighter roast than usual. 

Heirloom Coffee LLC / Len’s Coffee

Dalat Highlands Robusta Whole Bean Coffee, 1lb


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  • Bag sizes: 1 Pound
  • Roast: Full City (Medium+)
  • Bean type: Vietnamese Peaberry Robusta
  • Climate Pledge Friendly: Not Stated
  • Perks: Higher caffeine content and Direct trade

The Dalat Highlands Robusta coffee beans from Len’s Coffee is a bag of coffee that is Vietnamese in origin and is a 100% Robusta product. This coffee brand is proud to use direct trade instead of fair trade, which is said to be even better for the farmers of Vietnam.

This specific bag of coffee is of a medium roast and is said to contain a relatively high amount of caffeine though that is not the focus of this coffee. Len’s Coffee claims that this coffee’s taste profile is rich and dark and focuses mainly on the back of the pallet. 

This coffee bean can be used either by itself to make an excellent espresso or paired with other beans to create a blend. This is a technique that many other Italian coffee companies use to improve the kick and taste of their coffee.

This specific bag of beans has a 4-star Amazon rating, and almost 80% of customer reviews are 4 stars or above. I need to mention that most of the coffee we drink regularly is Arabica and not Robusta. Robusta does not offer the same amount of flavor as most Arabic beans. Do not expect “the best coffee ever” when buying Robusta beans.

However, as far as customer reviews go, this is one of the best Robusta coffees out there. Even lower customer ratings say that this is a good bean. Most just don’t understand why it doesn’t taste like Arabica. The reviewers who know and have tried Robusta beans before love this coffee.

Top Shelf Coffee

  • Bag sizes: 10 ounces
  • Roast: Dark roast
  • Bean type: Colombian Robusta
  • Climate Pledge Friendly: Not Stated
  • Perks: Higher caffeine content and good taste

Though this company does not say that the bag is 100% Robusta beans, the Black Diamond coffee label reads Robusta. However, this Robusta coffee comes with a bit of a twist. Not only is this coffee known for its high caffeine content, but it is also known for being one of the best-tasting Robusta coffees on the market. 

This company claims to have spent years perfecting this coffee to ensure that it delivers a kick and tastes good while doing it. This coffee is also low in acidity while providing a bold taste because it is a dark roast.

Not only is this coffee rated at 4.5 stars, but it is also Amazon’s Choice. The reviews for this coffee are also almost 80% 5-star reviews. The biggest complaints are from people claiming that the coffee does not have a high enough caffeine content.

What To Look For

There are a couple of things to look for when buying Robusta coffee beans. These aspects are crucial to ensure that you purchase the best beans for your needs. 

  • Robusta is different from Arabica – As mentioned a couple of times above, Robusta beans are not like Arabica beans. Robusta beans are generally considered “cheap” coffee beans and have higher caffeine content but less flavor than Arabica beans. It is important to remember that most coffee shops use Arabica or Arabica and Robusta blends.
  • Fair or direct trade – When buying coffee beans of any sort, you must look at the fine print. A couple of companies use non-fair trade coffee or do not source the coffee directly. If you want to provide a difference for the farmers, you should always look for fair or direct trade coffees. This factor can also have an impact on the quality of the coffee.
  • Type of roast – The roast type of your coffee will significantly impact the flavor and perceived strength of the coffee you buy. Darker roasts have a habit of being more bitter, and many claim that they do not have as much flavor as lighter roast coffee beans.
  • Caffeine content – If you are looking for a coffee with a higher caffeine content, you will probably want to get a Robusta bean.

Conclusion

There is only a hand full of coffee brands that sell 100% Robusta beans due to the bad reputation of Robusta beans in coffee culture. However, a couple of brands are willing to sell you some of the best Robusta beans if you want to try or want to make your own blends. Though not necessarily the best tasting, Robusta beans will give you some extra energy in the mornings.