When the morning alarm goes off, there’s one thing that motivates many people to put their feet on the ground. The thought of a warm cup of coffee to kickstart the day.
Ordinary coffee varieties might do the trick for the daily boost, but aficionados understand that splurging on the most expensive coffee can be worth the cost. The intricate flavors and unique profiles fill your senses and hit deep in your soul, taking you on a whirlwind tour of remote islands and tropical locations.
Many of the most expensive coffees are grown at high elevations on mineral-rich volcanic soil to achieve coffee perfection. Some, like the popular Kopi Luwak cat poop coffee, use a more unconventional approach in their stretch toward caffeinated bliss.
No matter the process, every coffee covered in this article brings something special to the table. Let’s dive into the story behind the coffee beans and shed light on the most expensive coffee in the world.
The 11 most expensive coffees in the world
11. Fazenda Santa Ines: $50 per pound
Tucked away in the Mantiqueira mountains of Brazil, this coffee producer has been working for more than a century using high-elevation soil and natural spring water.
The coffee from Fazenda Santa Ines has a robust profile that incorporates sweet and fruity taste into its overall clean flavor. Throw it in one of the best coffee makers to get a smell and taste of Brazil with your morning pick-me-up.
Country: Brazil Price: $50 per pound
10. Molokai Prime: $60 per pound
Coffee tends to do exceptionally well in mineral-rich volcanic soil. That is why the Hawaiian islands are known for the best coffee beans grown in the United States.
The small island of Molokai is a relatively obscure location that has been producing coffee for over two centuries but only began selling it as a commercial product in the 1980s. Mostly growing the red catuai bean variety, the Molokai Prime coffee is perfect for heavy roasting.
Country: USA Price: $60 per pound
9. Greenwell Organic: $60 per pound
Trekking through some of the world’s highest and most beautiful mountains brings countless people to Nepal. But it’s not the only thing this small yet mighty nation has to offer.
In certain parts of Nepal’s high-elevation mountains, coffee can thrive. Greenwell Organic Farm takes advantage of this unique environment. It produces some of the most expensive coffee with the extra kick needed to make the summit in record time.
Country: Nepal Price: $60 per pound
8. Kona Extra Fancy: $75 per pound
The Kona region, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, is the most well-known name in US coffee production. With a combination of ideal volcanic soil, plenty of sunlight, regular rainfall, and just the right amount of wind, Kona coffee has a one-of-a-kind flavor adored by many.
You can find Kona blends at lower prices, but most true Kona coffee costs around $35 per pound. Bean & Bean Coffee Roasters takes a lot of pride in their work and sells their Kona Extra Fancy coffee at $75 per pound, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
Country: USA Price: $75 per pound
7. Jamaican Blue Mountain: $140 per pound
This special coffee hits the mark for those seeking a high-quality product with a more mild profile for daily drinking.
Pure Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is grown in a specific region of the Blue Mountains at around 5,000 feet in elevation. You can find one-pound bags for $50, but the Jamaica Blue Mountain Wallenford is 100% certified and costs up to $140 per pound.
Country: Jamaica Price: $140 per pound
6. Saint Helena: $145 per pound
Napoleon may have lost many things when sent to exile on the small island of Saint Helena, but high-quality coffee was not something he had to go without.
This tiny piece of land in the south Atlantic isn’t the easiest place in the world to grow coffee, but when successful, the beans have a distinct flavor highly coveted by coffee enthusiasts.
Regularly selling for $80 per pound, more exclusive varieties sell for $145 per pound, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
Country: British Territory of Saint Helena Price: $145 per pound
5. Esmeralda Geisha: $350 per pound
The slopes of Volcán Barú feature an ideal climate for coffee growing in an accessible location. It’s a regular choice for many premium coffee roasters and could be featured in some of the best coffee subscriptions.
Panama Esmeralda Geisha coffee adds some pep to your step as it fills your mouth with hints of rose, juniper, and lavender. Cheaper bags can go for as little as $50 per pound, but you’ll have to dig deeper in your wallet for the highest-quality batches.
Country: Panama Price: $350 per pound
4. El Injerto Peaberry: $500 per pound
Taking first place in the Cup of Excellence coffee competition is no easy feat. El Injerto’s ability to obtain it seven times in less than a decade is truly remarkable.
Using an intensive separation process to collect the small uniform “peaberry” beans, El Injerto sends their product through a unique, single-channel washing process that breaks down the coffee beans twice. It might not be the most expensive water, but it adds to the exclusivity of this coffee.
The result is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, selling for around $60 for regular batches and a whopping $500 for the finest Finca El Injerto beans.
Country: Guatemala Price: $500 per pound
3. Kopi Luwak: $600 per pound
It’s exceptionally rare to find treasure in excrement. But for this so-called cat poop coffee, that’s exactly what’s going on.
Civets are a type of cat indigenous to parts of Indonesia, and they have a taste for some of the sweetest coffee cherries around. After being consumed, the beans are partially fermented as they pass through their digestive tract before being deposited in their feces and collected by civet coffee producers.
Kopi Luwak coffee price starts at $160 per pound and reaches up to $600 for the most expensive types, where the civets roam freely and select the best beans themselves.
Country: Indonesia Price: $600 per pound
2. Ospina Gran Café: $1,400 per pound
One of the oldest coffee plantations in Columbia has worked hard to establish its reputation and high-quality coffee beans. And it has paid off.
Like many of the most expensive coffees, Ospina is grown at a high elevation of 7,700 to 7,900 feet on volcanic soil. The coffee features a well-balanced yet complex flavor with a smooth finish.
Some of their more common varieties sell for $120 per pound, but the exclusive Ospina Grand Cru Classé takes it up a notch and costs $1,400 per pound.
Country: Columbia Price: $1,400 per pound
1. Black Ivory: $1,500 per pound
For some time, the Kopi Luwak cat poop coffee was the only type using animal feces to enhance the flavor. But thanks to this innovative coffee producer from Thailand, you can add elephant poop coffee to your vocabulary.
Arabica coffee cherries are fed to the Ivory Coffee Company’s elephants, which pass through the digestive system and are collected from the feces. When put into the best espresso machines, the elephant dung coffee is said to have a strong taste you’re sure to remember.
As the most expensive coffee in the world, $1,500 gets you one pound to enjoy. Just try not to think about where the beans have been.
Country: Thailand Price: $1,500 per pound
The most expensive coffee: conclusion
And there you have it, the definitive list of the most expensive coffee in the world:
- Black Ivory: $1,500
- Ospina Gran Café: $1,400
- Kopi Luwak: $600
- El Injerto Peaberry: $500
- Esmeralda Geisha: $350
- Saint Helena: $145
- Jamaican Blue Mountain: $140
- Kona Extra Fancy: $75
- Greenwell Organic: $60
- Molokai Prime: $60
- Fazenda Santa Ines: $50
Achieving the best-tasting coffee is no easy task. As seen in this extensive list of the most expensive coffees in the world, producers will go to extreme lengths to get the perfect coffee beans.
They’ll grow in high-elevation and extremely remote areas where other farmers would shy away from. They’ll find the richest volcanic soil to ensure a robust full flavor. And in some cases, they’ll even sort through animal excrement to add a unique flair to the profile of their beans.
By undertaking such extreme measures, this exclusive set of coffee producers exemplifies how passion and dedication combine to create unparalleled perfection. Their hard work comes through in every brew, filling senses with robust, unique flavors while simultaneously adding a boost of energy to take on the day.
Whether you want to treat yourself during a daily morning ritual or bring something memorable to a special occasion, the most expensive coffee in the world is sure to be a hit.
Frequently asked questions about the most expensive coffee
What is the number 1 coffee in the world?
The most expensive coffee in the world is Black Ivory Coffee in Thailand, costing up to $1,500 per pound. The coffee cherries are fed to elephants, where they are partially fermented during digestion, and later collected from their feces before being roasted and brewed. Kopi Luwak coffee goes through a similar process using civet cats.
What’s the second most expensive coffee in the world?
The second most expensive coffee in the world is Ospina Grand Cru Classé, costing up to $1,400 per pound. Ospina is one of the oldest coffee plantations in Columbia, located at nearly 8,000 feet in elevation on rich volcanic soil.
What are the 10 most expensive coffees?
The 10 most expensive coffees are Black Ivory Coffee at $1,500/lb, Ospina Gran Café at $1,400/lb, Kopi Luwak at $600/lb, El Injerto at $500/lb, Esmeralda Geisha at $350/lb, Saint Helena at $145/lb, Jamaican Blue Mountain at $140/lb, Kona Extra Fancy at $75/lb, Greenwell Organic at $60/lb, and Molokai Prime at $60/lb.
