Which Brewing Method Produces The Strongest Cup Of Coffee?

The world of coffee can be a confusing maze of flavor profiles, brewing methods, and drink styles. It's a wonderfully wide and caffeinated world that offers a mind-blowing number of options, from standard drip coffee to weaker-tasting K-cup versions. From lattes and frappes with their mountains of whipped cream, and the stripped-down, coffee-forward, americano and espresso shots, you can find caffeine in every corner of the coffee empire. The strongest type of coffee possible will be made from lightly roasted, high-caffeine Robusta coffee beans. You can get all sorts of high-caffeine coffees online, like Double Dead from The Raven's Brew Coffee, which advertises double the caffeine per cup. But if you don't know the best brewing method to create the strongest cup of coffee, you could waste some of that extra caffeine.

Espresso-brewed coffee has the highest concentration of caffeine per ounce and is the best brewing method for getting the strongest coffee. Each 1-ounce shot of espresso contains 60-65 mg of caffeine, almost three times higher than cold brew, which comes in second on the list with 15-20 mg of caffeine. Drip coffee and French press brewing methods contain 12-16 mg of caffeine. Of course, caffeine content is only one consideration in judging the strength of coffee. Flavor plays a part as well, and there's a certain type of espresso shot that produces a stronger-tasting coffee than just regular espresso.

Ristretto is a drink named after its brewing style, like espresso, and the difference between the two is nuanced. Ristretto is a smaller, more concentrated espresso shot with a shorter extraction time and a frothy brown crème on top that provides a slightly sweeter finish. That means the ristretto brewing method produces the strongest tasting coffee you can find. It doesn't quite have the same amount of caffeine per ounce as regular espresso, however. Compared to espresso's average of 63 mg of caffeine per shot, ristretto shots contain about 45 mg. So, while ristretto shots may taste like they pack a more powerful punch, espresso is a better choice for the most caffeine per ounce.

If you want the strongest 16 ounce cup of coffee, however, you might not want to rely solely on the espresso brewing method. The drawback to espresso is that the serving sizes are a lot smaller than regular drip coffee. If you want the strongest 16 ounce cold coffee, go for a cold brew instead of an iced coffee and you'll have a drink that contains a little more than 200 mg of caffeine — unless you're at Dunkin' Donuts, that is. You can find an iced coffee at Dunkin' with 392 mg of caffeine, though it's a whopping 32 ounces. Strong hot coffee drinks include a Red Eye, which combines 8-10 oz of drip coffee with espresso, or other brewing methods combined with espresso.