The market size of the coffee industry is around $495B, with only $10-12B in organic and clean coffee. If you are serious about optimizing your wellness routine, consider switching to one of the certified mold free coffee brands in this article.
From the Editor: As an MBA at NYU Stern School of Business and startup founder, coffee is a major part of my daily routine. My typical day starts at 4:30 am and a b-line for the kitchen to hit “brew” on my coffee maker. I spend the first 3 hours of the day with coffee in hand, studying for the Credentialed Financial Analyst (“CFA”) Level 1 exam.
This is followed by a walk with Gustav (dog) and starting actual work around 9 am. The work day ends around 5 pm when I head to campus for evening classes. With coffee #3 (or 4) in hand, I am in class from 6 pm to 9 pm. I’ve written this article for all of the high-achievers burning it on both ends to get to the next level. Discover the difference between clean coffee brands and why you should care about mold free coffee.
This article contains affiliate links. The Klubb earns a commission, which is paid by the brand, if a purchase is made after clicking through one of the links.
A Harvard study cites that “moderate coffee intake – about 2-5 cups a day – is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver, and endometrial cancers, Parkinson’s Disease, and depression. However, if mold toxins are in the coffee, these health benefits could be in jeopardy. Mycotoxins (mold toxins) in coffee are usually insufficient to cause significant harm, but drinking mold is not ideal and could have adverse health effects.
According to the World Health Organization (“WHO”), mycotoxins usually appear on crops that grow in warm and humid conditions. The mold can appear both before and after the harvest of coffee beans.
By purchasing certified clean coffee, you can avoid the chances of having mycotoxins in the coffee beans. In general, most “commodity coffees” lack clean certification. This is bulk coffee that is traded on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) or New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Purchasing from independent organic coffee producers is a good way to ensure you’re getting mycotoxin free coffee.
In this article, we break down the best mold free coffee brands that are certified to be clean.
Sources:
Is coffee good or bad for your health? – Harvard School of Public Health
Mycotoxins – World Health Organization
Because of the massive demand for coffee (over 60% of Americans drink coffee daily), there is a lot of pressure on coffee farms to mass-produce coffee. As with other commercially farmed products, operators often overlook environmental factors to grow more. As I mentioned in the section above, this is most common for ICE and NYMEX traded bulk coffees.
Drinking organic coffee is not only better for the environment, but also for your own health. Organic coffee beans are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, so you can be sure that what you’re drinking is pure and uncontaminated.
Furthermore, studies have shown that organically grown coffees contain higher levels of antioxidants than non-organic varieties, which means they may help to protect against certain diseases and illnesses. In addition to this, organic coffees often taste richer in flavor because they come from more nutrient-dense soils.
When broken down to the simple facts of how coffee gets from farm to filter, it is easy to realize why drinking organic coffee and clean coffee are important. Organic coffee is grown without the use of toxic chemicals. This means that there is no residue on the beans when they are roasted and ultimately packaged. This pesticide free coffee is then ground and put into your coffee filter to be brewed. Now, on the other side of the spectrum, we look at coffee which is grown with pesticides. If some of these chemicals end up on the beans you are essentially brewing pesticides along with your coffee. According to an article on Frontiers in Public Health
“However, time-temperature steps determine the chemical composition and characteristics of coffee such as flavor, aroma, and color. Prior to roasting the green coffee beans, they are dried at a temperature < 160°C. Then, roasting takes place by increasing the temperature up to 260°C. Important chemical reactions take place when the temperature reaches 190°C such as pyrolytic reactions including hydrolysis, decarboxylation, oxidation, and reduction. Even after these steps, studies have shown that pesticides have the capacity to still exist in commercial coffee. This makes pesticide residues in coffee a major health concern and monitoring the pesticides is crucial since unintended exposure to pesticides can occur via consuming coffee.” Yang, X., Wang, J., Xu, D.C. et al. Simultaneous Determination of 69 Pesticide Residues in Coffee by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry. Food Anal. Methods 4, 186–195 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-010-9155-3A. Oosterveld, A.G.J. Voragen, H.A. Schols,Effect of roasting on the carbohydrate composition of Coffea arabica beanshttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0144-8617(03)00164-4.
As you can see from this research article, pesticides can still be on coffee beans after the drying and roasting process. If you are focused on optimizing wellness, opt for organic coffee beans only to reduce any consumption of pesticides. Source: Frontiers in Public Healt
Leading contaminants in coffee include potentially hazardous chemicals such as nitrates, which are commonly found in fertilizers; and sulfates, another common fertilizer. The majority of these contaminants come from the soil where the coffee plants are grown. Additionally, pesticides can also be used in coffee farming to protect coffee plants from the insects, fungi, viruses, and bacteria that can cause a decrease in yield or quality.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain types of fungi, such as Aspergillus and Fusarium species. These fungi can be found in various food sources and other agricultural commodities, including coffee plants. Mycotoxins are highly toxic to humans and animals and can have significant adverse health effects. They can cause a range of illnesses, from acute infections to long-term diseases.
Farmers can adopt preventative measures such as using resistant varieties of coffee plants or applying fungicides before harvest season begins. After the beans have been harvested, roasting them at an appropriate temperature for an adequate amount of time can help reduce levels of mycotoxin contamination significantly.
Mold contamination in coffee beans is a major concern for farmers and consumers alike. Not only does the presence of mold have potential health risks, but it can also significantly reduce the quality of the coffee. Mold spores are always present in the environment; however, under certain conditions such as high humidity and warm temperatures, they can quickly multiply and contaminate entire crops.
Finding clean organic coffee has become more accessible, with more brands recognizing the importance of mold-free coffee. Driven by the wellness industry’s expected growth from $4 Trillion (2023) to $7 Trillion (2030), brands are focusing more on quality over quantity. Certifications like Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee are significantly improving the quality of coffee beans.
Aside from certifications, the region and elevation in which the coffee is grown play a major role in the cleanliness of the coffee beans. Hot and humid environments generally promote mold in coffee and other foods. Coffee that is grown and stored in these environments is more susceptible to mold.
Clean coffee is coffee that has been farmed, processed, and stored in a manner that ensures it is free from any foreign contaminants or toxins. This includes the absence of mycotoxins, which are naturally occurring toxins produced by fungi that can have adverse effects on human health if consumed in large amounts.
Kona coffee is an exceptionally special and unique type of coffee that comes from the Kona region on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is highly prized for its smooth, delicate flavor and aroma, as well as its rarity. The Kona region has ideal growing conditions that are unlike any other place in the world. With soil rich in minerals from volcanic ash, Hawaii has a unique advantage for growing premium coffee. Combined with mild temperatures and a generous amount of sunshine all year round, the resulting coffee crop is one-of-a-kind.
What makes Kona coffee even more special is the fact that it is harvested and processed by hand. This ensures that only the most perfect beans are selected, which helps to preserve their flavor notes and aroma. Furthermore, due to its limited availability, Kona coffee also usually fetches a higher price than other types of coffees.
In addition to its exceptional taste, Kona coffee is also known for being free from mycotoxin contamination. This is thanks to strict production regulations implemented in the region. These regulations ensure that farmers take steps such as using resistant varieties of plants or applying fungicides before harvest season begins. These practices help to guard against mold growth and mycotoxin contamination.
For 2024 we called in additional help to provide a more well rounded perspective. Based on the feedback of the three new reviewers, and my own, I have updated the list of the best clean coffee brands. It was extremely helpful for me to hear other perspectives on what others consider to be the best coffee. I have my personal preferences for coffee and know that these are unique to me. By brining in additional researchers, I feel even better this year about sharing with you the top clean coffee brands. I’m a strong believer in the benefits of drinking coffee daily and enjoy working on articles like this one.
Purity FLOW Coffee is a specialty coffee from Ethiopia that has bold, fruit flavors and a sweet finish. It is 100% organic, fair trade certified and shade grown to ensure that the coffee beans are of the highest quality. This coffee is roasted in small batches to preserve freshness and flavor and is vacuum-sealed in airtight packaging for optimal freshness.
The result is a smooth cup with citrus notes and bright acidity. Purity Coffee’s FLOW also delivers a rich aroma with hints of berry, melon and dark chocolate. It is an ideal choice for those seeking intense flavor without sacrificing smoothness or complexity.
I love this coffee and can tell the difference in quality over other brands. With a price tag of $24 to $26 per 12oz bag, I like to spoil myself occasionally with a 4-Pack of bags. Note that the 4-Pack reduces the price per 12oz bag to a reasonable $20.5/bag. Considerations in ranking Purity Coffee, FLOW blend:
Bulletproof’s coffee is a premium blend of the finest Arabica coffee beans. This flavor-packed coffee contains polyphenol antioxidants, healthy fats, and energizing caffeine that work together to give you a boost in focus and energy throughout the day. Bulletproof’s coffee has a smooth taste with hints of chocolate and caramel for a truly enjoyable cup of coffee.
Unlike regular coffee, this blend does not contain mycotoxins – toxins created by mold contamination – so you can enjoy your coffee knowing it’s safe and pure. As an added bonus, it is also gluten-free and dairy-free, making it suitable for those with special dietary requirements.
Bulletproof is a health and wellness company founded by Dave Asprey that provides products and services designed to help people achieve optimal performance. The company specializes in providing functional foods, dietary supplements, clean coffee, and other products that support healthy weight loss, energy levels, cognitive function, mental clarity, endurance, and overall well-being.
Bulletproof also provides virtual coaching programs designed to help people reach their goals through personalized diet plans, customized exercise routines, lifestyle tips and guidance on how to build resilience.
In addition to their products and services, the company offers educational content such as books, podcasts and blogs on topics including nutrition science, biohacking, intermittent fasting and stress management. Bulletproof’s mission is to help people take control of their health so they can live a life of abundance and joy.
This is by far my favorite day-to-day clean coffee. I am a big fan of adaptogens and having Lions Mane in the blend already gives me an advantage for the day. I’ve found that most “enhanced coffee” costs closer to $20 per 10oz. At $13.59 for 10oz (Subscribe & Save), the High Achiever coffee by bulletproof is a great deal. I enjoy the taste of this blend so much that after over 6 months of drinking it, I still can’t get enough. And, best of all, Bulletproof has provided me with an exclusive offer of 20% off when you use code KLUBB20 at checkout, click here to shop Bulletproof Coffee and save 20%.
Some of the main factors for ranking Bulletproof The High Achiever as the best clean coffee are:
I recommend checking out my recent post on Bulletproof coffee kits as well. If you’re looking to start a new kind of morning routine, these coffee kits are a great first step.
As I continue to try new coffee and learn more about what makes the best clean coffee brand, I plan to continue to update this post. Over the last few weeks, our team has tested four new coffee brands. I am excited to share with you additional clean coffee brands to help you choose the perfect clean coffee bean for your morning brew. As an athlete, I am a stickler for keeping a routine and optimizing my performance. Having the right coffee in the morning helps me perform better throughout the day.
I tried to find new varieties of clean coffee like “Low Acid Coffee” and “Half Caf” to round out this article. Along with some of these new varieties, I also included one new brand that has a great local story. As always, we purchased each brand on our own to help eliminate any bias.
VitaCup Perfect Coffee is an organic, low-acid, single-origin brew sustainably sourced in the high altitude regions of Guatemala.
The result is a bold and robust flavor profile with a silky smooth texture and subtle notes of fruit, nuts, and roasted caramel. Its natural flavor is smooth enough to be enjoyed on its own, releasing bitter-sweet hints of earthy cocoa in every sip.
Unlike most other brands found in stores, VitaCup’s Perfect Low Acid & Organic blend is completely mycotoxin free coffee – a naturally occurring mold-bourne toxin that may have negative health effects. For this reason, it is considered to be one of the cleanest coffee brands.
VitaCup’s whole, perfectly roasted beans are not only free from pesticides, chemicals, and mycotoxins, but they’re also low acid. This makes VitaCup Perfect Coffee one of the best clean coffee choices, especially for folks with sensitive stomachs or coffee related oral health concerns.
VitaCup’s clean organic coffee contains potent antioxidants known to boost heart, brain, digestive, and immune function. So, you can enjoy each sip knowing VitaCup coffees are not only clean and delicious, but they’re a more healthy coffee choice as well.
When you enjoy VitaCup’s silky and rich coffee blends, you’re enjoying coffee as it was meant to be enjoyed — rather than potentially consuming contaminates frequently found in lesser-quality coffees.
I was surprised by the taste and quality of this affordable mold free coffee blend. I felt as if I was experiencing the pure taste of clean organic coffee without the distraction of other flavors or pollutants.
Due to the low-acid content of this blend, it didn’t have the characteristic bitterness commonly found in most other store-bought roasted coffees. However, I actually enjoyed that trait about this blend. The low acidity in this toxin free coffee allows you to enjoy cup after cup of pure coffee bliss without experiencing any stomach sensitivity.
With a price tag of less than $15, an 11oz bag is likely within a reasonable price range for most people as an everyday brew compared to other clean coffee brands. This may be an especially great choice for those just discovering the benefits and taste of clean, healthy coffee.
Chamberlain Coffee Original Family Blend is a clean, organic, mold-free coffee blend. The beans are responsibly sourced in remote regions of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Sumatra.
Chamberlain creates certified organic, mycotoxin-free coffee blends made using 100% Arabica quality beans. With the high quality and variety of the beans they source, Chamberlain Coffee is able to create many unique and exciting blends. This clean coffee company has two roasting locations in the USA and one in the EU to supply their customers with the freshest roasted beans.
Because of how much work goes into this coffee, the result is a cup with a smooth, soft, and sweet flavor profile. It’s well-rounded with flavor notes of red fruit, cocoa, amaretto, and just a touch of familiar bitterness. The taste has been described by Chamberlain Coffee as being similar to taking a bite out of a chocolate-covered cherry.
Buying a bag of Chamberlain Coffee may not be as affordable as most normal bags of store-bought coffee, but it’s a good daily brew for those interested in experiencing a high-quality, mold-free coffee made by one of the cleanest coffee brands. At $16.00 for a 12 oz. bag, Chamberlain Coffee Original Family Blend is a great deal compared to other clean and myotoxin-free coffees.
Chamberlain Coffee offers high-quality, responsibly sourced, clean-tasting coffee. I enjoyed every sip and I plan on purchasing another bag to try soon!
Lifeboost Coffee is a clean coffee brand known for their organic, mold free coffee beans. Each bag of packaged coffee contains sustainably sourced beans from some of the best high-altitude growing regions in Central America.
Their single-origin, non-GMO, pesticide free coffee beans are shade-grown and sun-dried before going through rigorous third-party testing for mycotoxins, molds, heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminates.
The final result of this careful process is a clean, low-acidic, and full-bodied taste with hints of cream, nuts, and dried fruit. Lifeboost medium roast organic mold free coffee is aromatic, smooth, and easy on the stomach and teeth.
With its unique combination of delicious flavors, antioxidants, and health benefits, Lifeboost whole bean medium roast brews a beautiful cup of clean, healthy coffee.
I made some in my french press I noticed that it lacked the distinct bitter flavor – sometimes called the “bite” – of traditional coffee. Instead, it had a softer, more alkaline taste and tea-like texture that I appreciated and enjoyed until the very last drop. Still, if you’re a fan of very dark, earthy, bitter coffee, you may want to brew this one extra strong!
This coffee feels luxurious to drink. Its smooth enough to drink black, but also tastes wonderful with a splash of cream.
Four Sigmatic is a clean coffee company that specializes in creating mold-free organic coffee infused with adaptogens that may help our bodies manage stress more efficiently.
This infused coffee features a combination of powerful organic adaptogens – like Ashwaganda, eleuthero, tulsi, and chaga extract – to help you stay relaxed, calm, and alert throughout the day.
This half-caf blend is perfect for those who want to experience the benefits and taste of an adaptogen-enhanced, organic ground coffee without full caffeine. Its an ideal blend for those who are sensitive to caffeine or want to simply minimize caffeine consumption throughout the day.
Four Sigmatic sources their organic, mold-free coffee from sustainable Honduran and Peruvian producers. All their beans are USDA Organic, fair trade, and tested for toxins, so you can enjoy the purest coffee available with each new cup. I usually like to grind my own beans, but this clean and adaptogen-infused ground coffee was so tasty, it made me want to try every blend they offer!
Although I’ve tried adaptogenic coffee blends in the past, I was excited to try a cup of Four Sigmatic Organic Coffee with Ashwagandha & Eleuthero with half-caf.
When I opened the bag to brew my first cup of this pre-ground medium roast blend, I didn’t notice a stale or smoky aroma that usually accompanies store-bought pre-ground coffee. It was vacuum-sealed for freshness and smelled woody, earthy, and floral. It had great body and an even grind consistency.
I loved the clean taste and smooth texture of the brewed coffee. The added adaptogens were not obvious at all. I noticed no additional tastes beyond the rich, traditional coffee flavor with a toffee-like, caramel finish. It was one of the best ground organic coffees I’ve tried.
100% Kona Peaberry Coffee is a premium grade of coffee grown on the Big Island of Hawaii. This exclusive and rare variety of coffee is picked from hand-selected plants and roasted to perfection in small batches. The result is a flavor profile that is complex, bold and full-bodied with notes of tropical fruit, dark chocolate, and spice. Its taste has been described as having a smooth finish with slight acidity that lingers on the tongue.
This specialty grade of coffee also offers an abundance of health benefits due to its high concentration of antioxidants. 100% Kona Peaberry Coffee is ethically sourced and certified organic, ensuring maximum freshness and quality for each cup.
I have spent most of my professional career in Hawaii, and am bias to Kona Coffee. I’ve seen the love that Hawaiian farmers put into the coffee. After visiting a few of the Kona Coffee farms, I always leave so inspired by the passion the workers and owners have. I totally agree with the price being what it is. However, $39 for 10oz is far out of the means for most people as a daily brewed coffee.
Find more ways to optimize your wellness routine here.
Also, check out; Develop Healthy Habits – 4 Steps You Can Take Today.
If you are looking for the most potent, cleanest coffee, and strongest blend on the market then Death Wish Coffee is for you. I am a huge fan of Death Wish Coffee. When it comes to organic coffee brands, the team at Death Wish are second to none.
I have been drinking Death Wish Coffee more in recent years because of the health benefits I’ve found from organic coffee. For this review, I decided to try the Blue and Buried blend. I purchased a 12oz Bag for $17.48 from Amazon – order confirmation and product shown below. Use this link to purchase Death Wish Coffee Co. Blue and Buried blend on Amazon.
As a bonus I’d like to share the best mold free coffee k cups. When my schedule gets crazy I go for the Keurig and pop in a Bulletproof pod.
The Bulletproof Coffee Pods are clean, mold free, coffee k cups that taste great. Using the same great coffee mentioned above, Bulletproof offers Keurig compatible k cups for a quick cup of coffee.
