9 Best Organic Coffee Brands for 2023 (Whole, Ground, & Pods)
It may sound too good to be true, but coffee is incredibly healthy for most people! Rich in polyphenols and other protective compounds, quality, organic coffee can be part of an overall healthy lifestyle. This article shares the best organic coffee brands including whole bean, ground, and coffee pods.
Health Benefits of Coffee
Coffee has been shown to help protect against disease. It is rich in a type of antioxidant known as polyphenols, plus other protective compounds.
Research also shows that drinking coffee can help protect against liver disease, colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and more.
Choosing Organic Coffee
But, it’s important to choose quality coffee beans that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. By purchasing certified organic coffee beans, you can rest assured that your coffee is clean and clear.
Some people also like to take the extra step and choose coffee beans that are both organic and fair-trade. Fair-trade means the farmers are paid a living wage.
You can buy organic (and often fair-trade) coffee in whole beans, ground, and even coffee pods now. I’ve included the best organic coffee brands below.
Note: this post is not sponsored; all opinions are my own!
How to Make Coffee Using Beans
If you’ve only purchased ground coffee to make at home before, it’s time to consider buying the beans. By purchasing the whole bean, you’ll also have the oils intact which can lead to a more flavorful result. Then, you’ll just need to use a grinder to grind the beans before brewing the coffee.
After you grind the beans, place the ground coffee into a filter. Then, run hot water through the filter by using a coffee maker or a drip-device. Either way, you’ll be rewarded with the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had, right in your own kitchen!
See my related recipes for how to make butter coffee or my Maca Coffee recipe. For those on a dairy-free diet, don’t miss my round-up of the best non-dairy creamers without sugar.
Additionally, see my recipes for Iced Americano and Iced Coffee if you want a cold drink instead of hot. Or, feel free to transform your coffee into dessert with these Coffee Popsicles!
Best Organic Coffees
In this article, I’ll share the best coffee beans that are certified organic. I’ll also offer some organic and fair-trade options. For the best results, buy the roasted beans and a quality coffee grinder.
1. Best Overall Organic Coffee Value: Lavazza Organic ¡Tierra! Whole Bean Coffee Blend
If you don’t have a huge budget for coffee, then these whole beans are a great value at a fair price! They are organic and fair trade and made using 100% Arabica beans from Africa and Central and South America. They have the organic label with organic certification.
This is also a sustainably-sourced product from coffee plantations using organic practices.
2. Best Organic Dark Roast: Allegro Coffee Organic French Roast
This dark roast coffee is both organic and fair-trade certified, and a fantastic choice for dark roast lovers!
Dark roasts are also lower in acid which can help reduce heartburn after coffee. See my related article on the best low-acid coffee from Starbucks.
You can also buy the Allegro organic dark roast ground coffee.
3. Best Organic “Half Caf” Blend: Lifeboost Coffee Whole Bean Half Caff Coffee
This organic whole bean coffee goes above and beyond. Not only is it organic, it is also single origin, non-GMO and 3rd party tested for mycotoxins and pesticides.
While the company has several blends, their half-caffeinated blend with low acidity is a winner.
The bag also has a zip top, making it easier to stay fresh. One of the hardest parts about good coffee is keeping the beans fresh once you open the bag.
4. Best Organic Medium Dark Roast: Jose’s Whole Bean Coffee
This one is a “medium dark roast” so it is billed as being strong but not bitter or burnt as some dark roasts tend to be. It is rich in flavor to please dark roast fanatics but easy enough to share with those that prefer something lighter.
This is my husbands’s favorite coffee brand and a top pick for coffee drinkers who love arabica coffee.
6. Best Organic Specialty Coffee: Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Portland knows coffee, and Stumptown is no exception. Hugely popular on the internet, they have fans around the country.
This blend is interesting since they aren’t using single origin beans, so they can combine unique flavors into one.
7. Best Organic Medium Roast: Kicking Horse Coffee
With stone fruit and cocoa flavors, this is my best pick for a medium roast.
In addition to treating the farmers well, this brand strives to treat the planet well too, making sure your coffee is a sustainable morning treat.
8. Best Organic Decaf: Natural Force Organic, Mold Free Clean Decaf Coffee
There are a few things to look for when buying decaffeinated coffee. First, you want a coffee that has been decaffeinated using the “swiss water process.” Second, you want to buy organic.
Natural Force has all of these qualities, plus it’s tested for mold. This one is highly recommended for a strong flavor that is USDA organic without synthetic pesticides applied to the coffee plants.
Check my related list of the Best Organic Decaf Coffee.
9. Best Organic Coffee Pods: AmazonFresh Organic Fair Trade K-Cups, Peru Medium Roast
While grinding your own coffee beans at home will give you the best flavor overall, some of us prefer the convenience of coffee pods.
These organic and fair-trade pods from AmazonFresh offer convenience, value, and great flavor. They are compatible with Keureg and yield a really great cup of coffee.
FAQs
Coffee is healthy based on a number of factors. First, you have to decide if coffee works for you. If you don’t feel well drinking coffee, then maybe dry decaf or a darker roast instead. Or, try drinking coffee after a meal instead of on an empty stomach.
Secondly, you need to work with a quality brand. Choose organic coffee to avoid beans that have been sprayed with pesticides or that are GMO.
Lastly, be cautious of what you put into your coffee. Too much sugar or creamers made with hydrogenated oils are not healthy. Use quality milk, dairy-free milk, or cream. If you want to sweeten your coffee, try one of these best natural sweeteners.
The science shows that drinking coffee is healthy for most people. However, people who have high cholesterol should always use a paper filter and should avoid French press coffee.
Instant coffee is essentially just dehydrated coffee. It is healthy as long as you buy organic versions and you don’t add a ton of fake creamer ingredients or sugar. I like this brand of organic instant coffee.
The easiest way is to add a scoop of collage protein to your hot cup of coffee. See my recipe for Protein Coffee.
Don’t Miss These Coffee Posts
Conclusions
Once you learn the lingo of fair-trade, direct trade, organic, and more, you will discover why it is so important to buy high-quality coffee. Not only are you getting the best flavor, you are also supporting the planet and farmers. Once you experiment with different brands on this list, you can really learn to enjoy what roasts and brewing method you like best.
From Central America to all of Latin America, you’re sure to find the best organic coffee beans for your taste buds. Try to choose organic products over conventional coffee to avoid toxic chemicals used in coffee production.
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with more than 8 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Note: this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for recommendations related to your individual situation.
A brand we love is Pachamama coffee – fair trade, farmer owned, distributed in the US, and reasonably priced even with shipping. The decaf, which I recently switched to, is excellent.
Awesome thanks for the recommendation, I will try that brand!
Hi- Please add Purity Organic, Fair traded, Mold tested, Regenerative Farm supporting Coffee to your list.
Purity also works to roast coffee to the minimum required to reduce loss of antioxidants. Purity also roasts to get the best taste from the batch. I don’t work for Purity. I just buy their coffee b/c of all the work they do in providing a great bean. They also have coffee bags that people can take to work which is an added convenience.
That’s an amazing suggestion, thank you, I will check out the company! 🙂