Lifeboost Coffee Reviews

The search for new coffee beans is a strange combination of exciting and terrifying:

There is an astonishing amount of choice these days, which is great. But, what’s not so great is how difficult it is to pick the right coffee beans – ones that are grown and harvested in the best possible way for the environment and all the people.

In steps Lifeboost Organic Coffee.

In these Lifeboost Coffee reviews, we look at how they try to solve these conundrums by selling amazing quality coffee that is low in acidity (good for your stomach health), and looks after the people and environment it’s grown in.

We have spent a lot of time getting to know the company and their coffee, and there’s a lot to be excited about when picking your new coffee beans.

So dive into our Lifeboost coffee bean reviews as we look at whether they are delivering on flavor, as well as delivering on the ethical side of coffee production.

Specifically, he was thinking about all the people who drink coffee as part of their daily routine. In fact, over 50% of Americans over 18 drink the magic elixir daily.

So, he started thinking about how he could ensure people got the best cup of coffee for their tastebuds, but also for their health too. And so, Lifeboost Coffee was born with Dr. Charles Livingston still driving his mission for healthy coffee as the CEO of the company.

How do they achieve their goals for sustainability and great flavorful Arabica coffee?

Well, with the exception of their limited collection, their 100% Arabica coffee beans are sourced from a single family-run farm in Nicaragua. They go the extra mile at every stage of the cultivation and roasting process to support the workers and protect the environment.

Their limited collection still utilizes these same principles. However, they are single-origin whole coffee beans from other parts of the world.

Environmental Protection

All of Lifeboost’s coffee beans are single-origin from Mt. Kilambé, Nicaragua.

This is one of Nicaragua’s National Protected Areas which protects the healthy forests and the region’s biodiversity. For coffee farmers, this means no chemicals can be used. So, Lifeboost only sells 100% certified organic coffee beans.

But they don’t stop there: Their coffee beans are also non-GMO, shade-grown, Fair Trade. This commitment to the environment puts them right up there as one of the best organic coffee brands.

No Mycotoxins

Healthy coffee is at the forefront of the Lifeboost Coffee mission. And it is the lack of mycotoxins that helps them achieve this.

Never heard of mycotoxins? Don’t worry – you’re not alone:

Mycotoxins are metabolites produced by certain molds and can be found in some coffee beans. Lower quality beans that aren’t carefully looked after can develop these molds and thus end up with mycotoxins. Lifeboost has its beans checked by an independent company to ensure this isn’t the case.

Whilst mycotoxins can cause long-term health concerns when ingested, it is unlikely you would ever consume a dangerous amount from coffee. Especially as low levels of toxins are everywhere.

So, knowing your coffee is mycotoxin-free means you have nothing to worry about. But whether it makes any difference compared to normal coffee beans is a whole other matter.

Low Acidity Coffee

Many people can’t drink coffee as they are sensitive to the acidity of most coffee beans.

The average pH of coffee is around 4.6 – water is neutral at 7. Lifeboost’s coffee has a pH of around 6, making them the best low acid coffee beans for anyone who suffers from indigestion or acid reflux as a result of drinking coffee.

The lower acidity also helps the flavor, making the coffee seem richer and with a “warmer” flavor profile. Even at the lighter roasts. This is something Lifeboost has worked hard to maintain as many low acid coffee brands often compromise on flavor and aroma.

High-Altitude Grown

Temperatures are lower at higher altitudes. And, whilst it must stay within the range of 16-23º Celsius (60-73ºF) needed to grow Arabica coffee, the lower the better.

Lower temperatures mean slower ripening of the coffee cherries which allows more complex flavors to develop. The end result is more flavorful coffee.

Wildlife Protection

Lifeboost Organic Coffee doesn’t only focus on the health of us coffee-drinkers. They also donate a portion of all profits to protect wildlife and their habitat in the coffee-growing area.

All beans are roasted to order and they’re all single-origin (admittedly easier when you only use one farm). Plus, the Lifeboost coffee growing process at high elevation and in shade ensures the slow ripening and development of flavors needed to create the best organic coffee beans.

We’ve reviewed the best of Lifeboost Coffee to help you get started on your new low-acid coffee bean adventure. Each has a summary of our favorite qualities for a quick overview:

The Regular Roasts

For most people, this is where to go first: the standard Lifeboost organic coffee options. Here you can choose from light, medium, dark, espresso, and “midnight” roast. Your preferred flavor profile and brewing technique will dictate which is best for you.

So, how do they stack up? Here are our individual Lifeboost coffee reviews:

Light Roast Coffee

Light roast is not for everyone; the fresh citrus flavors can be too far from what many love about coffee. But the Lifeboost Light Roast is nutty and smooth. It has a good body and lower acidity than you expect from light roast coffee.

This more “caramel and nut” profile is a good, different option if you have previously been put off by more acidic light roast coffees.

Plus, the Light Roast coffee beans pack an extra caffeine punch if you need a little extra help in the morning. The coffee beans are roasted just long enough, preventing most of the caffeine molecules from being damaged.

Medium Roast Coffee

The Lifeboost Medium Roast coffee has a more balanced profile. The fruit and nut characteristics are joined by a hint of chocolate and a feeling of extra “warmth” from the body. Plus, being a single-origin low acid coffee enhances the flavors. 

Lifeboost claims the pH of their Medium Roast coffee is never lower than 6 (most coffees sit around 5, water is 7). So this lower acidity really adds to the “sweetness” of the coffee flavors. It will also help anyone who has a sensitive stomach or maybe drank too much the night before and has a slightly rebellious digestive system.

If you’re a pour over lover, this is a great option.

Dark Roast Coffee

We are big fans of the punchy and powerful dark roasted premium Lifeboost coffee beans.

This roast offers up a seriously rich body. The fruity tones are little nuggets of flavor in the background to the chocolate, caramel, and nut fest that hits your palette. Again, the low acidity really shows up, especially if you taste this next to a regular dark roast coffee.

The big flavors make it an ideal choice for a good old black coffee or as cold brew coffee beans if you don’t have any of Lifeboost’s biotics cold brew coffee. But, it also stands up well to milk or creamer, bringing out a more savory note.

Dark Roast Decaf Coffee

Lifeboost Coffee uses the “Swiss Water Process” to decaffeinate the coffee beans for this roast:

Put simply, the green coffee beans are placed in warm water. As caffeine is a soluble molecule, it is drawn out of the beans. But other molecules are also soluble, including lots of the delicious ones we want to keep.

So, the water which is full of flavor and caffeine is passed through a charcoal filter. This causes the larger caffeine molecules to get stuck in the charcoal but retains the smaller flavor molecules.

Now the water is full of flavor molecules but no caffeine. So it can be used to wash new green coffee beans and will extract the caffeine by diffusion whilst leaving behind the flavor molecules.

Does anyone else need a coffee after that science lesson? Basically, by using this process, Lifeboost gets “chemical-free” decaf coffee whilst maintaining all the great flavor of their full caffeine dark roast.

Espresso Organic Roast

The Espresso Roast moves beyond dark roast in the “roastiness” stakes. And – as the name would suggest – makes a great choice for espresso coffee beans.

That said, this roast shines when milk, cream, and/or sugar are added. So, this is a great Lifeboost coffee option if you like milk-based espresso drinks like latte or cappuccino.

On its own, we find that the intensity of the espresso roast slightly outweighs the subtle character of the coffee beans we loved in the lighter roasts. It does, however, do what it is supposed to do which is work really nicely with milk.

Midnight Roast Organic Coffee

IT GETS DARKER.

The Lifeboost Midnight Roast organic coffee is as close to “burnt” as you can get without actually burning the coffee beans. This won’t suit everyone, but if you are looking for full-on flavors of pure chocolate, raw cacao, and tobacco, then this is the one.

British food critic, Jay Rayner, would probably be a fan having famously lamented the lighter notes of coffee beans not roasted to within an inch of their life.

This is absolutely a niche offering for those who truly love dark roast coffee. But if you enjoy that sort of thing then it’s really quite lovely.

Biotics Cold Brew Coffee

Drinking cold brew coffee is a joy. And it works really nicely when a roaster has prepared the coffee beans with cold extraction in mind.

The low acidity of Lifeboost Coffee works wonders with your favorite cold brew coffee maker. But Lifeboost is always working to find ways to make the healthiest coffee possible – and they never let us down.

We’ve all seen endless adverts about how we need the right kind of bacteria in our gut to keep us healthy. The ‘right bacteria’ are probiotics and the addition to this roast ticks all the boxes for the health-conscious coffee drinkers out there.

Now, you can swap your probiotic yogurts for probiotic coffee.

Not just about ticking boxes, the Biotics Cold Brew coffee also delivers on flavor. It creates a rich, deep, and very smooth cold brew that is perfect on its own or with cream and sweetener.

Lifeboost Flavored Coffees

After you’ve happily drunk your way through all the non-flavored coffees in Lifeboost’s Nicaraguan range, you may be thinking you want more. Fear not – there is also a fine array of flavored coffees for you to try.

If you’ve been around the flavored coffee block a few times, you have likely already decided if you fall on the love it or hate it side of flavored coffee. For those in the ‘hate’ camp, it is usually down to the “chemical” tasting flavorings.

But that’s not an issue with Lifeboost as they make all their flavored coffees with oils and extracts that are 100% natural. Plus they have 0 calories and 0 sugar. Although I’m a big believer that life’s too short to worry about calories in coffee.

There are over 30 coffee flavors in the Lifeboost flavored coffee selection – a fair few more than we can afford to try. However, we’ve rounded up our favorites and if you’re a flavored coffee lover but nothing jumps out at you from this list, they almost certainly sell one that you will love.

Pumpkin Spice

Caramel Macchiato

Crème Brûlée

Lifeboost Hazelnut Coffee

Patriot Medium Roast

Amaretto Medium Roast

Birthday Batter Coffee

Blueberry Cinnamon Crumble

Cherry Mocha Truffle

Lifeboost Limited Collection

Lifeboost has recently launched its “Limited Collection” coffee. These are selections from other parts of the world but with the same level of environmental and social protection as their regular roasts. Plus the same focus on quality and low acidity as their other non-flavored coffees.

If you’re a fan of their premium quality single-origin Nicaraguan coffee beans but fancy a change of scenery, then you should check out what they have available.

The Central American country is set up for coffee success thanks to the climate and topography. Here, it is fairly normal for coffee to be shade-grown at high altitude for optimal quality as is the case with Lifeboost coffee beans.

Nicaraguan coffee tends to have floral and citrus notes, with a smooth body and lighter acidity. Like most Central American coffee, it is a more refined and delicate style. The chocolate and caramel notes tend to be more softly woven with the fruit and floral notes.

If you’re a fan of big and bold coffee then your best bet is to go for a slightly darker roast than you normally would.

• Attention to quality: Quality over quantity is the name of the game Lifeboost Coffee play. This starts at the cultivation stage where the beans are hand-selected from a single farm rather than a faceless coffee corporation. Then the coffee beans are treated with the utmost respect – avoiding the use of chemicals both during farming and when blending their flavored coffees. This all ensures a premium product, free from toxins.
• Packaging: How your coffee is packaged and arrives at your door determines the freshness of the beans inside. So any tightly-sealed, secure bag, like these, will always get our vote. With the main roasts – light, medium, dark – the bags are resealable to help you maintain that freshness. But this isn’t available in the rest of the range.
• Healthy, low-acid coffee beans: Regardless of whether you are a coffee lover that goes out your way to look for low-acid options, it’s great to see Lifeboost’s commitment to healthy coffee. Your stomach lining will thank you.
• Flexible brewing options: If fresh coffee beans aren’t for you, you can also get coffee bags or pods in the most popular roasts. So, if you use a single-serve machine, perhaps their medium or dark roast coffee pods would be more suitable?

I’d like to see more single-origin offerings, rather than the ever-increasing collection of flavored coffees but that’s just because I’m more interested in that. If their customers are clamoring for a new spin on dessert flavored coffee then who am I to judge?

Tasting Notes

Once you get past the constant sales pitches, you discover that there is little to no information on their website about the coffee itself.

If it’s your first time buying from Lifeboost, it can be difficult to find the flavor profile and tasting notes for each roast on their website. So, it can be difficult to buy online especially if it is the non-flavored coffees you are after.

Yes, as soon as you have tasted the coffee you will experience the different flavors and freshness. But until then, at least you have our Lifeboost coffee bean reviews to tell you everything you need to know.

You can taste it too – this is seriously good coffee.

The lower acidity really brings out the coffee’s rich notes and is very kind to your stomach. They are absolutely one of the top low acid coffee brands out there.

For us, the only downside is their website. And, if Nicaraguan coffee isn’t for you, there isn’t much choice compared to other coffee brands. But, their Limited Collection of alternative single-origin coffees is growing, offering more choice. 

Yes, the price of Lifeboost coffee is high. But, you get what you pay for and this is just what you have to pay to get high-quality coffee that is ethically grown with everyone in the supply chain being paid fairly. Those kinds of practices shouldn’t be considered a negative.

Their desire to go above and beyond for quality is what makes Lifeboost one of our favorite coffee brands, knocking out many other coffee roasters.

Give them a go if you are an amateur home coffee lover on the lookout for some exciting new coffee beans. Use these Lifeboost Coffee reviews to help you find what you’re looking for. We hope you enjoy the premium coffee just as much as we do.

Matt Woodburn-Simmonds

Matt's coffee obsession started in 2006 when working as a Barista. A tendency to turn up to work hungover kickstarted his coffee journey which quickly turned into a love affair. As he moved on to work as a Restaurant Manager and Sommelier, the obsession continued to grow. Now, his passion is helping others to enjoy better coffee at home.