Volcanica Coffee Review: Is It Worth It?

Volcanica coffee may be the next big thing, offering fun, exotic coffees. This Volcanica Coffee review will detail exactly why it’s worth trying next.

Volcanica Coffee Review
Image source: volcanicacoffee

I am very particular about the type of coffee I drink. It has to be interesting, flavorful, and something that will give me a boost of energy without making me feel jittery. So when I was given the opportunity to try Volcanica Coffee, I jumped at the chance, and this Volcanica Coffee review will reveal why it’s so exciting. 

Volcanica Coffee is a company specializing in “exotic” coffees from volcanic regions worldwide. They have coffees from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Brazil, and more. I was impressed by the depth of flavor the volcanic soil brought! 

What is Volcanica Coffee?

In their own words, Volcanica wants to show people what coffee can truly be like. This was, admittedly, the first time I used a grinder for their whole bean coffee. But I have to say that it was worth it; the coffee came out with complex flavors.

Why the full beans? Well, Volcanica wants you to be able to find the best coffee for your taste buds, which is why they offer whole bean bags so you can find the perfect grind for your next cup! They offer a wide variety of flavors and roasts, from dark to light. However, they also offer Nespresso pods and can help you find the perfect grind for your preferred brewing method.

Who Owns Volcanica Coffee?

Maurice Contreras, a native of Costa Rica, is the CEO and founder of Volcanica Coffee. Coffee has been a part of his family for two generations, as his mother and grandfather harvested beans in his native Costa Rica. Now, he wants to bring the best of the best to coffee drinkers worldwide, from the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee blend to Indonesian blends like the Sumatra Mandheling Reserve and the beautiful, full-bodied Kona Coffee.

Maurice Contreras and his family
Volcanicacoffee

The Contreras family is involved in every step of the process, from sourcing the beans to roasting and packaging them. This allows them to ensure that every bag of coffee is of the highest quality. They also provide marketing and customer service support to the farmers that grow their coffees.

What Does It Taste Like?

Volcanica coffee has one of the most unique tastes on the market. Unlike other coffees that only offer a few different roasts, Volcanica has a coffee for every person’s taste buds, from fruity to chocolatey. They have light roast, medium roast, and dark roasts, as well as flavored coffees.

You can find subtle notes of lemon, honey, and blueberry in some of their roasts, while others have hazelnut and cacao notes. In addition, the volcanic soil and high altitude where the coffee beans are grown help give this coffee a lighter acidic level and smoother finish.

How Is Volcanica Coffee Roasted?

Volcanica uses a special roasting process for its beans to produce low-acidity coffee. This process allows their coffee to be enjoyed by people with stomach sensitivities. The roasting process is also what gives their coffee its unique flavor.

For dark roast coffee, the beans are roasted for a longer period, which brings out the bolder flavors. For light roasts, the beans are roasted for a shorter period, which retains the bean’s natural sweetness. You can taste this in the Los Angeles Espresso Blend with lemon and honey or in the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe with floral notes and a light citrusy aftertaste.

Coffee Selection

As I mentioned before, Volcanica has a coffee for every taste. They have a light roast, medium roast, dark and flavored roasts, and Arabica and decaf coffee options. You can also find different grinds to suit your preferred brewing method.

Some of their most popular coffees include the Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend, Kenya AA Blend, Tanzanian Peaberry, and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee. Their Tanzania Peaberry Coffee blend is also at the top of the list. I enjoyed their Los Angeles Espresso Blend, which is nuttier but with subtle hints of lemon and honey.

Volcanica Coffee Pricing

You can buy most Volcanica coffees for around $1.12/ounce or $17.99 per package. For example, the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee I mentioned earlier costs $19.99 for a 16-ounce bag. This makes it on the pricier side but not out of the realm of what you would expect to pay for high-quality coffee beans that yield amazing coffee drinks.

You can also buy their coffee in bulk, saving you some money in the long run. For example, their Kenya AA coffee is available in a 5-pound bag for $113.99. Check out our list of the best gourmet coffee brands.

Who Is Volcanica Coffee For?

Those Who Want The Best Tasting Coffee

If you are looking for some of the best-tasting coffee on the market, Volcanica is a great option. The brand prides itself on the unique roasting process that brings out bold flavors in its beans. These flavors are also different than most, as they are less acidic and have more pronounced notes. This makes their coffee perfect for people that want to enjoy the taste of coffee without the bitter aftertaste.

Those Who Have A Sensitive Stomach

The low acidity in Volcanica coffee makes it a great option for people with sensitive stomachs. The roasting process they use reduces the acidity in their beans, which experts say can help to prevent heartburn and upset stomachs. 

Those Who Prefer Whole Bean

Volcanica coffee is also a great option for people that don’t mind grinding their own beans. While they do offer pre-ground coffee, it is often less pronounced than their whole bean coffee, which can make a big difference in the taste of your coffee. If you are willing to grind your own beans, Volcanica coffee is a great option. 

A cute little girl in the kitchen uses a hand grinder
If you are willing to grind your own beans, Volcanica coffee is a great option

Those Who Value Fair Trade & Organic Products

Volcanica coffee company is committed to using only the highest quality ethically sourced beans. They also work with coffee farms to ensure that they are paid a fair price for their coffee. This partnership and commitment to sustainability and Fair Trade allow farmers to continue to produce gourmet coffee while also being able to support their families. If you are looking for a coffee that is ethically sourced and of the highest quality, Volcanica coffee is a great option.

How Does Volcanica Coffee Work

Coffees From Around The World

It was easy to test out their claim of having coffee from around the world. I tried coffees from Los Angeles, Ethiopia, and the Sumatra region of Indonesia. Each coffee had its own unique flavor that was influenced by the region it came from. I was really impressed with how different each coffee tasted and how Volcanica was able to capture the essence of each region in its beans.

I admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe at first since it had lemon and floral notes that I wasn’t expecting. But after a few sips, I really started to enjoy the unique flavor. It’s a great coffee for people that can appreciate subtle flavors; it was almost like having a cup of tea!

True To Taste

I was also lucky enough to try their Los Angeles Espresso Blend, which, as promised, had a smooth nutty finish with no bitterness. I’m not the biggest espresso fan, but this was some of the best I’ve ever had. It was also true to its word in terms of being low in acidity!

I also tried their medium roast, Sumatra Mandheling, which was a bit more intense and had a smoky flavor. I’m not typically a fan of smoky coffees, but this one was well-balanced and had a chocolate finish that I enjoyed. It wasn’t bitter like other coffees I’ve tried in the past!

Whole Bean Difference

Like most people, I typically buy pre-ground coffee because it’s more convenient. But after trying Volcanica’s whole bean coffee, I can say that it is worth the extra effort to grind your own beans and make freshly roasted coffee instead. The coffee was so much fresher and had more flavor than any pre-ground coffee I’ve ever had. The fragrance was phenomenal, and I found I didn’t need much coffee to get me going in the morning or to get a bold flavor. 

Areas For Improvement

The only area where Volcanica could improve is in its packaging. The bags that the coffee comes in are resealable, but the tab was super tough to open (I had to use my teeth).

In addition, I think their prices are a bit high for coffee. But, considering the quality of their coffee and that you can try coffees from Nepal, Jamaica, and other parts of the world, I think it is worth it to splurge on occasion, especially since they are fair trade and help farmers have livable wages.

Volcanica Coffee Alternatives

If you are looking for alternatives to Volcanica Coffee Company, there are a few other companies that offer similar products. Blue Bottle Coffee is another company that offers fair trade and organic coffee. They also commit to quality and source their beans from all over the world. However, their coffee is a bit more expensive than Volcanica’s. Nevertheless, their blends are great for pour-over or drip coffee.

Another alternative is Purity Bean Coffee. This company also offers organic and Fair Trade coffee. They have a wide variety of flavors and are Rainforest Alliance Certified. However, they don’t offer bold flavors quite as Volcanica does. They are not necessarily exotic but do provide coffees geared toward better health.

Another similar low-acid coffee alternative is Fabula, which also produces single-origin coffee. You can find coffee from Peru and other areas of the world. Still, I think Volcanica has some of the most unique-tasting flavors I’ve ever experienced. You might also be interested in our Colombian vs. Ethiopian coffee guide.

Volcanica Coffee Review Criteria

To test out the coffee, I used, like most people, my regular coffee machine. I also ground the beans myself. I went with a medium-fine grind since that is what is typically used in coffee machines. I wanted to keep it basic since the flavors themselves are already so bold.

Everyone who knows me knows I’m not a big fan of hot coffee, so I opted for an iced coffee and was shocked that the flavor was still quite pronounced despite the ice and creamer I used! I also let my boyfriend try the hot coffee, and he agreed when I said it tasted like a unique tea-flavored coffee of its blends with hints of lemon.

Coffee beans, dried orange, lemon, anise, and cinnamon.
It tasted like a unique tea-flavored coffee of its blends with hints of lemon

I looked at the flavors and wanted to ensure that each flavor on the package was truly an element instead of a word. This is one of the few coffees that caught me off-guard with its unique flavors and phenomenal fragrance, regardless of how it was brewed. 

Why You Can Trust Me

I’m a writer, and I’m also a new dog owner. Do I need energy? Yes. Do I also appreciate a good cause? Absolutely! Am I willing to spend time out of my day grinding beans and making a great cup of coffee? Not really. But, with Volcanica Coffee, I’m willing to make an exception.

I’ve been writing for over six years and have had the opportunity to try a lot of different products. I pride myself on being able to spot a quality product and know that there are coffees out there that can help you get through the day and others that just won’t cut it. This skeptical mindset helps me be unbiased in my reviews, and I only recommend products I would personally use or gift to a friend.

When it comes to coffee, I am a self-proclaimed addict. I’m also pretty lazy when it comes to making it. So, when I find a quality coffee that is easy to make and provides a bold flavor that lasts, I get pretty excited. Volcanica Coffee is one of those products.

Volcanica Coffee: The Final Word

When it comes to Volcanica Coffee, I think they offer a great product for people who want quality coffee and also want to support farmers. I have been drinking coffee for years now, and in the last few years, I have become more interested in trying different types of coffee. I have tried coffee from all over the world, and I have to say that Volcanica Coffee is some of the best I’ve ever had.

It can be easy to feel dismayed when coffee brands claim to be low-acidity or offer “unique flavors” and offer the same bland, average-tasting coffee. Volcanica is different. Its flavors and smooth profile are a testament to the soil in which its beans are grown.

Score

Price: 4/5

Ease of Use: 4/5

Functionality/Taste: 5/5

Author

  • Veronica Heurta

    Veronica Huerta is a Journalism major who graduated in 2021 with a BA in Journalism from California State University Long Beach and AA in Journalism from Long Beach City College. She is not only a writer, but also has a decade working in the medical field as an emergency medical technician and psychiatric technician. A Los Angeles native, she knows how fast fads come and go, and what it takes to create high-quality coffee. Her combined career in the medical field and as a writer allow her to write objective and highly-researched reviews on coffee and other products that can benefit people's physical and mental health.

Volcanica Coffee Review: Is It Worth It? (2022)
  • Price
  • Taste
  • Effectiveness
4.7

Volcanica Coffee: The Final Word

When it comes to Volcanica Coffee, I think they offer a great product for people who want quality coffee and also want to support farmers. I have been drinking coffee for years now, and in the last few years, I have become more interested in trying different types of coffee. I have tried coffee from all over the world, and I have to say that Volcanica Coffee is some of the best I’ve ever had. It can be easy to feel dismayed when coffee brands claim to be low-acidity or offer “unique flavors” and offer the same bland, average-tasting coffee. Volcanica is different. Its flavors and smooth profile are a testament to the soil in which its beans are grown.

Pros

  • Bold flavors that stand up to ice and creamer
  • Aromatic
  • Unique blends with interesting flavor profiles
  • Hand-grinding process preserves the flavor
  • Fair Trade

Cons

  • May be too bold for some people
  • Pricier than other brands
  • Package can be tough to open