10 Worst Coffee in the World

Like any food, coffee has a good flavor and a bad flavor. Bad coffee almost never comes from the coffee itself. Even the maligned robusta coffee can taste top-shelf compared to some ill-prepped arabicas.

Even then, there are worse coffees in the world you should never, ever drink. Which one are they?

In this guide, we’ll give you the 10 worst coffee in the world. If you like wasting your money or not much of a coffee lover, these are the coffees for you.

1. Over-Roasted Coffee

For some people, dark roasted coffee is great coffee – and we agree! Some coffee beans are perfect for dark roasts, which can show a chocolatey, syrupy flavor. The problem comes, however, from over-roasted coffee beans.

Dark roast coffee beans tend to have an internal temperature of around 240 C (464 F). At this point, the bean will roast on its second crack and not much beyond that. These beans will have a mild sheen of oil on the surface.

Over-roasted coffee beans go beyond 250C (482 F) and beyond the second crack. By this time, the coffee bean will be ultra-thin and crumble without resistance to a grinder. This is the worst coffee.

Coffee beans that are too roasted will have a taste similar to charcoal or tar. The oils on the coffee will be unpleasant and bitter to a fault. This is why you need to be careful if you’re roasting your own beans.

If you don’t know how to do it, get your coffee roasted for you.

2. Overdosed Coffee

Over-roasted coffee is painful as it is, but there is another thing you can do with your coffee. One of the worst is overdose coffee, which is an ultra-concentrated coffee.

Overdosed coffee is an espresso shot with heavy concentrations of coffee. A usual espresso uses 7 – 18 grams of coffee, with a double going 14 – 18 grams. Overdosed coffee uses 21 – 27 grams of coffee grounds, which is crazy by any standards.

To know overdosed espresso, its visuals look like ultra-thick crude oil. It’s very acidic and unpleasant to the throat.

3. Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee is a fad among many health fanatics. Some paleo and low-fat dieters swear by this combination of coffee, butter, and MCL oil. While bulletproof coffee’s health benefits are questionable, it is one of the worst coffees.

First, bulletproof coffee does not work with the palate. The combination of butter and MCL oil, which is from coconut oil, makes the taste off. The bitterness can be overwhelming and the film of oil covers your tongue.

This can prevent you from enjoying quality coffee, even with superior quality beans.

4. McDonald’s McCafe Coffee

One of the coffees that you would want to steer clear off is fast food coffee. In particular, McDonald’s coffee can be flat in taste, depending on where you are. While there are some people who swear by their McCafe brews, it’s a hit or miss at best.

McCafe drinks are also rife with sugar to mask the quality of the coffee. It’s full of caramel, chocolate, and even additives. Beyond taste, the problem with McDonald’s coffee can also be hygiene.

5. Starbucks Frappuccinos

We’re not one to say that Starbucks makes a bad cup of coffee. With all honesty, their specialty coffee blends are something we love too. Even then, not every cup they serve is good coffee and their worst are their Frappuccino blends.

People won’t be happy about this entry because, for what they are, Frappuccinos are decent drinks. The problem is that they’re not good coffee. Not only are they more whipped cream than coffee drinks, but they’re also too sweet.

If you’re looking for a toothache-inducing treat, get yourself a Frappuccino. But as a coffee drink they don’t come close to passing.

6. Coffee With Salt

Coffee with salt is another one of the facets of coffee people love to do. Alton Brown even swears by it, which can be a matter of preference. People swear that salt in coffee removes the bitterness of bad coffee.

There are a few problems with this approach. First, it’s best to steer clear of bad coffee. Even if you’re on a budget, you can find many good coffee blends.

In addition, salt gives you a salty coffee rather than a bolder coffee without the sugar. Even with a little salt, the saltiness surfaces more than the flavor notes of the coffee.

7. Airline Coffee

Airline coffee is something that you may want to skip for many reasons. Sure, you would love to stay awake for your flight, but there are many red flags to airline coffee.

For starters, the water quality in many airlines is questionable at best. There are many verified accounts of inflight water not being clean or even sanitary. Water quality, apart from coffee, is crucial to a good cup.

The altitude also affects the taste of your coffee and even food in general. Many swear by the quality of the beans every airline uses, but this is a waste of your taste buds don’t work.

8. Gas Station Coffee

Gas station coffee is not the best cup of coffee you can find out there. There is a recent revolution of gas stations providing a wider, better selection of top-shelf coffee. Most of these, however, are only in big cities and select locations.

Gas station coffee goes into a percolator, gets heated and reheated. Reheating changes the chemical makeup of the coffee, making it lose its natural flavors.

9. Coffee with Coffee Syrup

Some people, for some reason, like to add more coffee syrup to their coffee. This is one of the worst coffee drinks out there and the reason here is simple.

If your coffee does not already taste like coffee and warrants coffee syrup, there’s something wrong. This means either your coffee is ready for the bin or it’s under-extracted. Under-extracted coffee only takes the flavors from the outside, which is sour, salty, and has no sweetness.

10. Office Vendo Coffee

Another victim of cheaping out is coffee machine coffee from offices. Many big entities are trying to get a top-quality pantry coffee, but many settle for instant or percolators. Some even have the button-press vending machine coffee.

Depending on your coffee provider, office coffee is a hit or miss. Many office coffee machines use as cheap a brew as possible. Don’t even start on waiting room coffee machines.

Move Away From The Worst Coffee Now!

Coffee is a great drink that many people around the world love and cherish. While you can’t go wrong with almost any coffee blend, the worst coffee come from bad prep. You can never have bad coffee, but you can make bad coffee.

If you’re looking to start your day with superior coffee, you need the right coffee beans. Find organic single source coffee beans that come from ethical sourcing and fair trade.

Take a look at Beans to Mug and taste the difference of top-quality coffee beans.