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Coffee companies are a dime a dozen, and finding beans that are not only tasty, but healthy, is a huge challenge. Very few brands are up-front about how their beans are processed, leaving room for toxins to develop in the beans (among other things)... but Lifeboost Coffee isn’t like most companies.
Lifeboost, created by respected nutrition expert Dr. Charles Livingston, goes above and beyond to source beans that are unusually high-quality—at least, that’s what they claim.
Are Lifeboost Coffee’s beans really as good as they say? It seems the praises online are never-ending. Is it too good to be true?
We had to try it out for ourselves to find out.
How Lifeboost Coffee Is Different
Immediately when you visit the Lifeboost website, it’s very clear that these aren’t normal coffee beans. There’s a laundry list of benefits that beans from other companies don’t typically have, so let’s cover the big hitters real quickly.
The Beans Are Single Origin (Nicaragua)
Lifeboost beans come from a single origin, meaning they aren’t blended with beans from other countries. They come from the highlands of Nicaragua. More specifically, the scenic slopes of Mt. Kilambé.
This high-elevation region is known for its lush rainforests, rich volcanic soil, and pristine climate. It’s perfect for growing coffee.
Single origin coffees are great because you can taste flavors and aromas that are unique to the Nicaraguan highlands region, rather than having flavors from multiple countries smashed together to create a monotone flavor that “just tastes like coffee”.
We’ll touch more on the actual flavors in a moment!
They’re Certified Organic
Mt. Kilambé, because of the healthy forests and biodiversity, is in one of Nicaragua’s National Protected Areas. For this reason, no pesticides, agro-chemicals, or non-organic fertilizers can be used to farm coffee.
And this means Lifeboost’s beans have some pretty unique benefits:
And there’s another big reason why this environment-first approach is so important…
They’re Free Of Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins (a type of toxin) are created by certain kinds of molds that grow on food and can be detrimental to your health over the long-term.
Most coffee beans have traces of mycotoxins on them (especially low-quality beans). And even though the amounts are very small—so small that scientists don’t agree on whether they’ll hurt you—they’re definitely still there.
So here’s the question… wouldn’t you just rather have coffee beans you know are toxin-free to begin with? Because of Lifeboost’s organic practices—from seed to harvest to roasting—their beans are certified mycotoxin-free (3rd party tested for mycotoxins).
They’re Low Acid
If you read Lifeboost Coffee reviews, it’s really obvious what a lot of people love about them: they’re really easy on the stomach. Doctors recommend them, people with GI problems love them, and even regular coffee lovers enjoy the low acidity.
They’re Ethically Sourced
All of Lifeboost’s beans—on top of everything else—are purchased either via Fair Trade (additional $0.30/lb to the farmer) or Direct Trade (they negotiate their own higher price) principles. So they’re, in the end, more sustainable long-term for the farmers.
We Tried 10 Lifeboost Coffees… Here’s How It Went
We dove in and had ten coffees delivered. Yes, it was difficult to drink so much high-quality coffee, but we knew we had to do it… for the sake of the review, of course.
To try so many beans, we did a “cupping” exercise that makes small amounts of coffee in tiny glass cups. It’s the same way professional coffee roasters and farmers test their beans for quality.
Here’s how we’ll break up our thoughts:
- 1 Limited Collection Coffee
- 3 Regular Coffees
- 6 Flavored Coffees
This way, we can touch on everything without overwhelming you with information. Let’s jump in.
Every few months, Lifeboost comes out with a new “Limited Collection” coffee bean. These are tiny micro-lot beans of exceptional quality—a step above the rest.
Right now they’re selling a Pacamara bean, a genetic variety of coffee plant that produces some of the largest beans in the world.
The medium-dark roast coffee had a subtly sweet earthy aroma. When we sipped the coffee, we were hit with dark chocolate undertones that transformed into a red fruit / tangerine sweetness and aroma.
It was exquisite!
3 Regular Coffees
We then tasted the three other non-flavored coffees:
- Light Roast
- Medium Roast
- Dark / Espresso Roast
The light roast has a classic nutty profile with a medium body, enhanced by a caramel sweetness and hazelnut and vanilla aromas. It was smooth and pleasant, lacking the acidity you’d normally find in a light roast.
The medium roast had an even smoother, balanced flavor. We could still taste the nutty and chocolate notes, but there was also a subtle strawberry sweetness that gave the coffee a more dynamic and exotic feel.
And finally, Lifeboost’s dark / espresso coffee had a robust dark profile, with intense notes of earth, wood, and fresh-roasted cacao. Definitely the boldest of the bunch by a significant margin!
All-in-all, Lifeboost’s non-flavored coffees were tasty and balanced, with a noticeably low level of acidity.
6 Flavored Coffees
We also had the chance to try six of Lifeboost’s flavored coffees:
- French Vanilla
- Caramel Macchiato
- Hazelnut
- Pumpkin Spice
- White Russia
- Highlander Grogg
Like with any good flavored coffee, these beans were dark roasted to create that bold layer of chocolate and earthy notes. This enabled the extra flavors to really shine.
The first three we tried were more normal, typical flavors. The french vanilla had a simple-sweet, creamy vanilla flavor that topped the earthy coffee perfectly.
The caramel macchiato was so spot-on that it made me never want to spend money at Starbucks again (and it was much healthier than drinking tons of milk and sugar).
The hazelnut coffee was just as expected: creamy, subtly sweet, nutty, and well-rounded.
Then we moved onto the more unique and interesting flavors. Could they keep up with the quality of the other beans?
The pumpkin spice bean smelled just like a pumpkin pie, and it tasted like one too, with notes of clove, cinnamon, and a creamy sweetness.
The white russian was knock-your-socks-off good, with a vanilla sweetness and creamy body. Paired with the dark Kahlua-tasting beans, it really was a guilt-free version of the popular cocktail!
The highlander grogg bean was also cocktail-like, with notes of sweet caramel, dark brown sugar, vanilla, and rum (oh man, so good).
Despite not being huge fans of flavored coffee (we prefer to taste the unique flavors of single origin beans), we genuinely enjoyed the flavor adventures these beans offered. And paired with the high-quality base coffee, they didn’t taste cheap like most flavored beans.
The Positives Of Lifeboost Coffee
It makes complete sense why Lifeboost Coffee has become so popular in the last couple of years when you consider these big positives:
Many companies touch on one, two, or even three of these positives, but as far as we know, Lifeboost has the biggest range of benefits out there.
The Negatives Of Lifeboost Coffee
Of course, there are a few negatives we need to note as well.
The negatives deserve consideration, but ultimately don’t kill the experience for us. We enjoy some extra acidity from time to time, and we also like trying coffees from different areas of the world, but that’s not really a mark against the beans themselves.
Verdict: Is Lifeboost Coffee The Be-All, End-All Of Coffee Beans?
We’ve tried hundreds of coffees over the years—most of them incredible—but Lifeboost Coffee sticks out as an outlier to us. The focus on creating a healthy product, protecting the natural environment of Nicaragua, roasting stunning single origin beans… it’s not too good to be true.
Lifeboost Coffee beans are richly flavorful, environmentally-conscious, and guilt-free beans most people will love to brew.
We were impressed with the bold flavors that changed with each bean—even though they were all from the same origin. The light, medium, and dark roasts all tasted unique. And the Limited Collection coffee was truly something special. Even the flavored coffees tasted like they’d been cared for from seed to cup (compared to most low-grade flavored coffee).
It’s no surprise that Lifeboost is making waves in the coffee world and gaining popularity quickly.
Lifeboost is especially great for health-conscious coffee lovers, acid-sensitive coffee lovers, and people who want to ensure their daily brew isn’t harming nature.
If Lifeboost sounds like a good fit for you, great news: you can try their beans for just $20 per bag (their gift to new customers), which is about a 40% discount.
Are There Lifeboost Alternatives Worth Trying?
We’re big fans of Lifeboost. We’ve even named it our #1 low acid coffee! But if it doesn’t sound right for you—for whatever reason—here are a few alternatives worth checking out.
Puroast Low Acid Coffee
This innovative company slow-roasts their beans over a wood fire, creating a rich pine and chicory flavors and creating a low acid bean. They also source that are unusually high in antioxidants (700% more than green tea), which is a plus for your health.
Volcanica Geisha
Hailing from Costa Rica, the “Geisha” variety plants that grew these beans left them with a stunning floral aroma and flavor, along with notes of brown sugar and molasses. These beans sometimes go for hundreds of dollars because of their extraordinarily wonderful flavors.
It’s time to make your call. If Lifeboost Coffee’s beans sound like a great fit for you, make sure to click here to get your 50% off discount.
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I am delighted with Lifeboost Coffee! I had given up on coffee because of the painful effects on my digestive system. I was drinking tea but felt so deprived. I am now firmly back amongst the coffee drinkers of the world and I will endorse this wonderful bean to all I know!