What is organic coffee? It alludes many experts, and asking for it at the local cafe certainly earns an interesting look back from the barista. Skepticism aside, if you can’t visit a coffee plantation to make a determination on your own time it’s best you keep reading.
Since finding a reliable brand of coffee can be difficult we’ve taken the leg work out and found the best options for getting that organic goodness into your cup. First, know that organic coffee is coffee produced without the aid of artificial chemical substances, such as certain additives or some pesticides and herbicides. Second, know that you’re in for some seriously impressive coffee.
These are our Favorite Organic Coffee Brands
Our customers love them too!
Koffee Kult
The Koffee Kult from Hollywood, Florida is a true artisanal passion, roasted in small batches, by hand, to ensure quality. Thunder Bolt Whole Bean Coffee creates an exceptional cup of gourmet coffee that has inspired a cult-like following. The company prides themselves on delivering pure Arabica coffee beans, for a strong, not bitter taste. There’s no filler robusta coffee being used here.
If we’re discussing organic, attention-to-detail coffee producers, this discussion wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Koffee Kult and their process. The dedication starts with direct trade relationships with their coffee farmers around the world, support for micro-lot farms, and finishes in house when they apply the iconic Koffee Kult label. Don’t forget the impressive roasting process.
Death Wish Coffee company
If playing guitar for Ozzy Osborne wasn’t enough, Zakk Wylde has decided to take his obsession for impenetrable blackness to the coffee world. Working with Death Wish Coffee Company to create potent brews, they’ve developed two roasts that are worth ranting about.
First, the Valhalla Java Blend, a dark chocolate and smooth coffee. This coffee is certified organic and arguably some of the most potent on earth. That’s the company mission anyway. They’re proud of the high caffeination that the brews will deliver. Yes, this blend is incredibly potent and highly caffeinated but you’ll be surprised at the well-balanced and flavorful taste the comes along with it, quite a coffee roasting feat.
Second, the Worlds Strongest Coffee, is an extra kick of caffeine that is sure to get your day going. Some cower at its marvel, other simply sip with confidence, knowing that their brew is stronger than yours. This may be a bold tasting coffee but the bolder move is the amount of caffeine it’s packed with.
Kicking Horse Coffee
On the other side of the caffeinated spectrum, the Canadian brand, Kicking Horse Coffee has been creating organic, Fair Trade coffee for several decades now. Proud of their place of business, they roast these premium beans to perfection, three-thousand feet above sea level, near the headwaters of the mighty Columbia River. Whether it’s the fresh air of the Rocky Mountains or the altitude, something about their process delivers incredible flavors.
Regardless, Kicking Horse makes sure to bring properly roasted beans to whomever is searching for them. What you’ll find with their signature blend, Kick Ass, is mainly Arabica beans sourced from top growers in South America and Indonesia, and roasted to a light perfection. Lighter on the spectrum than others on this list, if you’ve been disappointed at the darkness on the list thus far, search no further.
Lavazza Coffee
One of the oldest coffee producers to make this list, the Italian Lavazza company is sure to have the know-how when it comes to finding the beans that makeup the crossroads of organic and quality. Bold claim to start off with? Yes, but further, they claim to have created the concept of blending coffee beans for proper flavor profiles, altogether.
For a mild roast that is something on the wild side, try out their Super Crema Blend, which is great for drip coffee or espresso. It’s packed with atypical notes of honey, fruit, and dried almonds, making it fall on the medium side of the spectrum but with more taste than a typical Folgers pack, by far. Over 120 years of dedication to the art of coffee can’t take coffee lightly.
Peets Coffee
Alfred Peet has been shaping the craft coffee movement for decades. He’s helped transform what Americans have come to expect from their cup of coffee, as he mentored the founders of Starbucks at one time, but continually worked to seek better coffee for humanity. Created for Peet’s 50th anniversary this signature blend celebrates Mr. Peet’s legacy, obviously it has quite the name to live up to.
The Big Bang is a Latin American and East African blend, that celebrates Peets innovative spirit. Coming from a time when ‘Americans drank WWII rationed coffee’ well after the wars, he made sure to change that. Revel in this blend of greatness, and decide for yourself if the tribute to Alfred Peet is enough, or should you seek your own coffee path.
Don Pablo
Don Pablo, a family business, has provided dedication to the organic process for several decades now, delivering robust coffees from the source. Subtle Earth Organics is an exceptional Honduran coffee from the family’s specific farming region. The growing process is very important to this product as the fruit of the coffee bean go back into the soil as compost and fertilizer. High altitudes provide that no insecticides are necessary.
This high altitude coffee is also very dense, and thus has intense depth of flavor. Also responsible for the magic of these coffee beans is the slow roast that happens in small batches for maximum quality control.
Stumptown
What discussion of organic (fair-trade, vegan, gluten free) coffee beans without Portland’s own Stumptown coffee making an appearance. Stumptown Holler Mountain Coffee is the signature organic blend that lends to their popularity since the roasters humble beginnings. This popular organic offering uses peak conditioned Latin American and East African coffees to maintain a balanced, elegant and consistent profile throughout the seasons.
Stumptowns Mountain Coffee is of course, an organic blend but really shines through the pack with an offering of blended fruit and chocolate flavor notes. This brand is very serious about their coffee, it’s reported that they once held the record for paying the most for a batch of coffee beans and often pay their farmers three to four times the value for coffee beans. They truly appreciate the farms that produce for them, and that’s a huge part of what the organic initiatives are trying to accomplish, beyond just labeling a package of beans.
Happy farmers + better farms = quality coffee.
Things to keep an eye out for in other coffees is that it’s certified organic, major pluses include fair trade indicators and rainforest alliance certified markings, and the extra step is that the lot is shade grown. Shade grown implies, greater biodiversity and less need for cutting down trees to plant beans.
Regardless of your preference for roast, light or dark, you’re certain to find an organic coffee in any of these selections that meets your quality demands.
