There is much hype in the coffee world about Death Wish Coffee, and it is touted as being one of “the world’s strongest coffee brands.” Their coffee has even made it to the International Space Station in a freeze-dried version of its coffee aboard the SpaceX rocket with the Dragon Capsule on July 2nd, 2018.
Death wish coffee is undoubtedly one of the world’s strongest coffee; it will surely get you going in the morning. The company itself doesn’t disclose any caffeine-content figures. However, third-party results reveal that the coffee contains between 650 to 728 milligrams of caffeine in a Starbucks tall cup size. By contrast, Starbucks blond, their most caffeinated coffee, contains 270 mg of caffeine in the same sized cup.
This brand is relatively new to the coffee industry, and naturally, people will want to know if Death Wish Coffee is safe to drink. However, before answering this vital question, it would help to know about the company, how it started, and the work that goes into producing this coffee to make it unique.
When Did Death Wish Coffee Come About?
The Death Wish Coffee Company started its journey in the small town of Saratoga Springs, New York. In 2012, the founder, Michael Brown, developed his concoction.
His mission was to make the world’s strongest coffee. He won a contest for small business owners to advertise their business during the Super Bowl. The cost of the commercial was $5million for 30 seconds, and it helped the company grow exponentially in the subsequent short years.
In 2013, “Good Morning America” started their show drinking Death Wish Coffee while visiting the coffee shop. From there, their customer base doubled.
Death Wish Coffee is quite strong in caffeine and flavor because of the beans they use and their unique roasting process. The company prides itself on utilizing only the highest quality beans and the best equipment.
The company sources Arabica beans with carefully cultivated Robusta beans. They have experimented with different Robusta beans in the past before discovering the Indian Robusta. Using a small percentage of Robusta adds caffeine and more complexity to the flavor of their coffees.
A popular coffee myth abounds that light roasted contain more caffeine than darker roasts, which isn’t always true. Knowing this, the Death Wish brand began using the roast shade to enhance the flavor of their coffee without any hesitation.
They wanted to produce a coffee with the highest caffeine content and strongest flavor. So, after testing several shade and bean combinations, the French Roast was clearly the winner.
The company uses the best roaster on the market; it is the Loring Kestrel. This roaster uses very little oxygen, protecting the natural flavors of the beans.
Death Wish Coffee is never burnt or scorched like many traditionally roasted coffees because there is no direct heat on the beans. As a result, the blend has high acidity and a dark body that is strong without the bitter flavor.
What Makes Death Wish Coffee Special?
Death Wish Coffee is super strong, it is a whopping 200% stronger than your average cup of coffee, and there are a few key elements that help to make Death Wish Coffee one of the world’s strongest coffees.
This brew is not for wimps. It packs a punch but only in a good way. So if your professional or academic life is plagued by fatigue, Death Wish Coffee is just what you need.
A coffee bean’s strength is not as straightforward as “dark” or “light.” So the company roasts its coffee using a unique technique involving time and temperature variation.
The beans are slowly roasted dark to produce a brew that has low acidity but twice the strength of your average cup of java. This slow roasting method produces a bold and smooth flavor that sets Death Wish Coffee apart from the rest.
The brand ensures that they use only USDA-certified Fairtrade and organic coffee beans, so no additives or extra caffeine are added to the blend.
In addition, they source their beans from Peru and India, which have nutrient-dense soils, and they consistently source the highest-quality Arabica and Robusta beans to create the perfect blend.
The coffee industry largely snubs Robusta beans, but they have twice the caffeine of Arabica, and they add depth of flavor to every brew.
Is Death Wish Coffee Safe To Drink?
The words “death wish” and a skull and crossbones in a company’s logo will incite a feeling of danger. So naturally, people will wonder if Death Wish Coffee is safe to drink.
So far, nobody has been sick or died from consuming the coffee. The main side effect is that you might stay awake for quite a long time.
Before you try this coffee, you must be aware that it is recommended not to exceed 500 mg of caffeine per day, so it’s not ideal for drinking more than one cup of Death Wish Coffee per day if you’re used to drinking three or four cups.
Death Wish Coffee is packed with caffeine; in fact, it delivers a staggering 54.2mg of caffeine per oz. In a cup of coffee, Death Wish contains about 600 mg of caffeine, compared to 100 to 200 mg found in many average black coffees. Watch out for signs that your caffeine intake is too high such as a fast heartbeat, restlessness, insomnia, and muscle tremors.
Caffeine stays in our systems between four to six hours on average, and it still has a half-life of around five hours. So, if you consume 200 mg of caffeine, 100 mg of caffeine will remain in your body even after five hours.
You must be aware that caffeine affects every individual differently, and most people have three sensitivity levels to caffeine – determining how well you metabolize caffeine.
By the end of the four to six hours, you may experience a terrible caffeine crash and feel extremely tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate. Clearly, you must avoid this coffee at all costs if you are on heart medication; otherwise, it’s perfectly safe to drink.
How Do You Brew Death Wish Coffee?
The techniques to brew strong coffee like Death Wish Coffee can differ from how you brew regular coffee. You must master how strongly you want to brew your coffee, what method you plan to use, the quantities of beans and water required.
- Slightly increase the coffee to water ratio, as more grounds mean more caffeine in your brew.
- Grind your coffee beans finer than with your usual coffee, as this extracts more caffeine. Beware not to grind it too finely.
- Use hotter water than usual, but not so hot that it’s up to a rolling boil that you immediately pour all over your grinds. About 205 degrees is sufficient to heat the water; any hotter and the beans will burn.
- Use the French press method or another manual brewing tool for a longer extraction time while still giving you control to avoid making a bitter brew.
Death Wish Coffee can be ground to a fine grind and used in an espresso machine. This method brings out many great mochas, dark cherry, and almond flavors that you may not taste when using other brewing techniques.
This is because the pressurized brewing process of espresso creates concentrated flavors. You can use Death Wish Coffee espresso as a base for beverages like lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, or macchiatos.
Death Wish Coffee contains around the same caffeine per fluid ounce as espresso. However, the serving size of Death Wish Coffee is much larger, so you would get about times more caffeine from a tall 12 oz cup than from an espresso.
How Much Death Wish Coffee Should You Use?
You must get the water to coffee ratio correct, so an optimum balance of 2.5 tablespoons of coffee grinds to 6 oz of water works best. The ratio of coffee to water will affect the caffeine hit, including the flavor.
You could compare the brewing process to that of following a baking recipe. As the average coffee pot can hold 45 to 50 ounces of water, this means you will need about 18 to 20 tablespoons of coffee per pot.
Flavor
This coffee is far from underwhelming, delicate, or intricate; it is tasty enough to drink without adding a sweetener. It has a fresh and rich taste without any excessive bitterness you will likely find in other high-caffeine drinks. There is a boldness to the flavor, and you can pair it quite nicely with almond milk and brown sugar.
Should You Try Death Wish Coffee?
You should definitely try Death Wish Coffee; it’s perfectly safe to drink, it has a great taste, it’s bold, not too bitter, and provides a long-lasting caffeine kick.
In addition, the beans are certified Fair Trade and sustainably sourced. If you fancy a regular supply of coffee, it’s a good idea to get a subscription and avail of their offer of 15% off your first coffee order and free shipping.
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