The Best Mushroom Coffee Brands 2024 Review

You’ve seen the ads on social media.

Whether it’s Ryze, Mud WTR, or some other funny-looking — yet kind of intriguing — brown liquid, you’ve probably heard of mushroom coffees by now. Which means you’re definitely curious.

What do mushroom coffees taste like? Are they worth the hype? And what are the best mushroom coffee brands, anyway?

Trust me, coffee lovers, it’s worth giving these mushroom coffee products a try. It may not be your traditional cup of coffee, but it’s a worthwhile experience.

Here’s your guide to the best mushroom coffee brands — and why you may want to trade your morning cup for an instant mushroom coffee.

What Does Mushroom Coffee Taste Like?

‘Shroom coffee tastes different from regular coffee, but not by as much as you’d think.

The overall flavor — slightly bitter, earthy, a little herby, rich — has some overlap with that of normal coffee.

But of course, since mushroom coffee comes from mushrooms, it has its own flavor. It’s more mild than coffee and it doesn’t have fruity, acidic, or chocolate notes. It tends to stick to the milder, earthy and herb-like part of the coffee flavor spectrum.

Mushroom coffee does taste like mushrooms, but not overwhelmingly so, although this is a matter of taste. For me, it’s easy to ignore how “mushroomy” it is, especially since it’s often so creamy when you brew it.

It tastes like a really mild shiitake (the kind on your pizza) crossed with a really light black tea. But somehow, that combination translates into something that really does remind you of light coffee, with just a bit of milk added to lighten the bitterness.

Even though it sounds weird, it’s worth giving mushroom coffee a try. It will probably surprise you with how drinkable it is — and, like a lot of healthy things, it tends to grow on you quickly!

Best Mushroom Coffee Brands

Most mushroom coffees are basically instant coffee. Just add hot water to the powdered mushroom mix, stir, and voila! Instant mushroom-y energy boost.

So if you’re ready to expand your horizons to include this coffee alternative, here are the best mushroom coffee varieties out there:

1. RYZE Mushroom Coffee

A little bit of Ryze goes a long way.

This 100% organic drink comes from California-grown mushrooms. Each serving (one scoop per 8-10 oz of water) is packed with mushroom-y goodness. It’s made with cordyceps, lion’s mane, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms.

Ryze was invented as an alternative coffee blend to help drinkers wake up and energize — and enjoy the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms — without the crash associated with regular coffees.

Ryze also has some neat recipes for lattes and coffee drinks, breakfast muffins, oatmeal, cookies, and other treats. So if you can’t get past the idea of mushroom coffee, you can put that mushroom powder to delicious good use.

2. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee

Mushroom coffees may seem like a new trend, but they aren’t to the people behind Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee. Their grandparents were brewing a chaga mushroom-based coffee in World War II.

Four Sigmatic refers to the 100 most-nutrient dense foods in the world. And the magic ingredient in the Four Sigmatic blend? The chaga mushroom, one of those 100 super-superfoods.

Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee is actually a mushroom-coffee blend. Their coffees contain organic, fair trade coffee and one or more mushroomy-ingredients like chaga mushroom, mushroom extract, cordyceps, L-theanine, etc.

They offer different mushroom coffee blends by goal (“think, defend, chill”) and have both caffeinated and decaf options.

3. Mud WTR Mushroom Coffee

You’ve totally seen an advertisement for this one before. It’s time to give it a try.

Mud WTR is all about maximizing coffee’s focus, energy, and immune health benefits without the anxiety, jitters, or energy crash some people experience with coffee. Oh, and since it’s usually made with tea, it often tastes more like a chai than shiitake.

Mud\WTR blends are made with American-made, organic ingredients and packaged with sustainable materials. It’s made with chai, cacao, reishi, chaga, Lion’s mane, and cordyceps, plus a few flavor additions like cinnamon.

Their caffeine-free MUD\WTR:rest is a relaxing blend of rooibos-based chai, turkey tail and reishi mushroom, turmeric, cinnamon, and more. So if you can’t take the caffeine of other mushroom coffees, or just want to really zen out, this may be your new best friend.

MUD WTR the ultimate ultra-healthy tea-coffee combo. If you’re looking for a health drink that’s a lot more fun than a kale smoothie, you’ve found it.

4. Laird Superfood Mushroom Coffee

Laird Superfood is a healthy foods and products brand that offers a couple of mushroom-coffee blends.

Their medium and dark roast mushroom coffees are made with either a dark or medium Peruvian roast, plus a lion’s mane, cordyceps, and chaga mushroom blend. Those Peruvian coffee beans are also high altitude grown, which means they’re likely to be less acidic, too.

Laird mushroom coffees are a great choice for someone who wants the health benefits of mushroom powder coffee, but doesn’t want to give up the flavor of good ol’ java.

5. NeuRoast Mushroom Coffee

NeuRoast also offers mushroom-infused ground coffee.

Like Ryze, NeuRoast is packed full of their mushroom extract blend, about 1000 mg per serving (2 tablespoons). NeuRoast blends vary, but will likely contain most or all of: lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, reishi, and turkey tail.

NeuRoast comes regular or decaf (but be careful; it’s really just a reduced caffeine blend!) or flavored — caramel pecan and chocolate hazelnut.

Mushroom Coffee Buying Guide

Mushroom Coffee Benefits

Mushroom coffee is made with, well, mushrooms, which are a great food. Mushrooms are full of fiber, protein, and antioxidants without a ton of calories, and they work well in many diets.

There are plenty of benefits of fitting mushrooms in your diet, so it’s no surprise there are many benefits of ‘shroom coffee, too.

Specifically, mushroom coffee has

• Polyphenols — which help regulate blood pressure and circulation
• B-vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid)
• Carotenoids and polysaccharides — which boost your immune system
• Other helpful minerals like iron (yes, really!), phosphor, copper, potassium, and selenium

Many mushrooms are also what’s called adaptogens, which reduce the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your blood. So mushroom coffee may help you handle your stress better if it’s made with adaptogenic mushrooms.

Since mushrooms have antioxidant properties, mushroom coffee is also believed to be an antioxidant. Likewise, mushroom coffee may help ease inflammation since mushrooms tend to have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Mushroom Coffee Vs. Regular Coffee Benefits

A key difference between mushroom coffee and traditional coffee beans is that mushroom coffee has a much lower caffeine content.

The average 8 oz cup of coffee has 100-180 mg of caffeine (that number varies a lot by the brew method and how strong you make it).

The caffeine content in an average cup of ‘shroom coffee? About 50-60 mg. It’s no decaf coffee, but it is low. Much of the energy you gain from mushroom coffee comes from the iron and regular food-based energy you get from eating unprocessed foods.

Mushroom coffee is also more likely to be easier on your stomach. Although everyone’s different, the acid in actual coffee can be hard on your digestive tract, but mushrooms are tolerated well by most people.

You’re less likely to suffer from acid reflux, ulcers, or other stomach complaints because you had a glass of mushroom coffee.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Mushroom coffee still has caffeine — a lot more than decaf coffee does. That’s a difference of 50-60 mg (mushroom coffee) vs. 2-10 mg (decaf coffee) in an 8 oz cup.

So if you have reactions to caffeine like a stomachache, headache, or acid reflux, mushroom coffee may not be much better than caffeinated coffee.

Mushroom coffee may be easy on most stomachs, but it may not be the easiest on your kidneys. Mushrooms are high in oxalates, which have been associated with an increase in kidney stones.

So there’s a chance sipping ‘shroom coffee could increase your chance of getting a kidney stone.

A Caution On Chaga Mushrooms

Chaga mushrooms, which are a common ingredient in many mushroom coffee brands, may be a concern for people with certain medical conditions and medications.

For example, chaga mushrooms can pose a problem for people who take insulin or blood-thinning medications. They can also cause unusual reactions in some with autoimmune diseases, making their immune system too active.

Who Should Try It?

Most people tolerate ‘shroom coffee well.

If you handle some caffeine well, don’t have any food sensitivities or allergies to mushrooms, and have made sure the ingredients don’t counteract with any medications you’re taking, you are probably safe to try mushroom coffee.

Those who want to reduce, but not totally avoid, caffeine; who want potential anti-inflammatory and immune health benefits; and who want less acid in their morning cup of coffee, are all good candidates for mushroom coffee brands.

Is It Really A Decent Alternative To Coffee?

Although this is a matter of opinion, sure, mushroom coffee is a decent alternative to coffee.

It’s lower on caffeine, offers significant immune health benefits, and is less likely to cause digestive discomfort. You’re less likely to experience an energy crash after drinking it, too. The best mushroom coffees are made with organic ingredients, too.

Mushroom coffee is also comforting and often a little frothy, like regular coffee. The taste may take some getting used to, but then, the same is true of traditional coffee beans! How many of us loved black coffee the first time we tried it?So if you can’t drink coffee coffee, mushroom coffee is probably a good alternative.

Final Verdict

If you’re going for a full mushroom powder, you can’t beat Ryze for its healthy simplicity.

But if you want a fancy, super mushroom tea, you may want to upgrade to MUD WTR.

For those not ready to give up their coffee altogether, there’s always a mushroom-and-ground coffee blend, like Four Sigmatic, that combines the best of both worlds.

Whether they’re still coffee based or totally plant-heavy, the best mushroom coffees can’t be beat.

Frequently Asked Questions