Mushroom coffee in capsules or powder: which to choose?

The answer in one table

Capsule or powder: head to head.

Mushroom coffee was first sold as a powder, by the spoonful. The capsule changes the routine, not the intention: drinking a coffee that contains more than coffee. Before going into detail, here are the differences that really matter day to day.

In short: powder wins on flexibility and price, the capsule on speed and consistency. Many of our customers will keep both, the capsule at the office and the powder at home.

Coffee capsule formats

Not all capsules are equal.

"Coffee capsules" is one of the most common coffee searches. Behind the word, though, there are several systems that are not compatible with one another. Before buying any capsule, check your machine's format first.

Another frequent question: the difference between aluminium, plastic and compostable capsules. Aluminium protects coffee very well from air and light, which matters for a recipe containing mushroom extracts. Plastic is lighter but less protective. Compostable is a good idea on paper, provided the product keeps well and your local collection accepts it.

Finally, not all compatible capsules give the same result in every machine. A well-designed capsule pierces properly, ejects without forcing and gives a consistent crema. That is the first quality criterion, even before taste.

What is in the cup

Mushroom coffee, in practice.

Mushroom coffee does not taste of button mushrooms. It is made with extracts of so-called functional mushrooms, dried and ground to a powder, mixed into a base that tastes of coffee. If the subject is new to you, our article what is mushroom coffee? covers the basics.

Our recipes contain three mushrooms and some plants, each with its own role:

• Lion's Mane, the mushroom associated with focus.
• Cordyceps, for energy and endurance, with no added caffeine.
• Chaga, the birch mushroom, rich in antioxidants.
• Maca, a root from the Andes, for vitality.
• ashwagandha, the plant associated with calm and stress management.

The base depends on the format. Brainstoorm powder combines these actives with chicory and 20 mg of NewCaff® microencapsulated caffeine per cup. Mush Caps uses the same recipe, scaled to 5 g per capsule: 5,032 mg of featured actives, namely 2,500 mg of maca, 833 mg each of Lion's Mane, Cordyceps and Chaga and 33 mg of ashwagandha, as dry equivalent, on a base of roasted chicory, with 17 mg of NewCaff® caffeine per capsule. Other ingredients: acacia fibre, coffee flavouring.

So the real question is not "capsule or powder" but "how many actives, and which ones". A mushroom coffee is judged first on its stated composition, in milligrams. We have detailed these criteria in the 6 criteria of a real mushroom coffee.

The strengths of powder

Powder, for those who like to measure.

Powder is the original mushroom coffee format, and it has serious arguments. It is the most flexible format: you adjust the strength, change drinks with the seasons and need no machine at all.

• A generous dose: 6 g per cup of Brainstoorm Coffee, for 6,040 mg of actives.
• Every kind of drink: black coffee, oat milk latte, iced in summer, in a shaker after sport.
• Two flavours: Coffee, and Chocolate-Hazelnut, which adds rhodiola and cocoa for 6,225 mg of actives in an 8 g serving.
• The lowest price per cup, with 30 servings per pouch.
• No equipment required: a cup, hot water, and it is ready.

Its limits are just as clear. You need a spoon and a little time, the powder can clump if poured into water that is too hot without stirring, and the pouch must be closed properly to stay dry. And let's be honest: a spoonful is never exactly the same from one morning to the next.

Who is it for? People who make their coffee at home, who like milky or iced drinks, and who want the most complete dose in the range. It is also the format to choose if you do not have a capsule machine.

The strengths of capsules

The capsule, for those who have no time.

The capsule answers a request we have been hearing since Brainstoorm launched: "your coffee, but in my machine". You already have the machine, you keep your routine. What changes is what is inside the capsule.

• The same dose in every cup: 5 g per capsule, with no spoon or scales.
• Thirty seconds, short or long coffee, depending on the strength you like.
• A real espresso crema, without a milk frother.
• A recipe protected from air in an aluminium capsule, down to the last cup.
• At the office, at friends', at a hotel: any compatible machine will do.

The limits? You need a machine in the right format, the drinks are less varied than with powder, and the price per cup is a little higher. The capsule is a comfort format: you pay for consistency and speed.

Who is it for? Rushed mornings, the office, people who already have a machine and do not want to change their habits. And powder fans who want to keep the recipe without the spoon.

Mush Caps in detail

The ID card of Mush Caps.

Mush Caps arrives on Friday 2 October. Here is everything you need to know, straight up. Everything is written on the box, nothing is hidden.

About 10 kcal and 2.1 g of carbohydrates per capsule.

Mush Caps and Brainstoorm sit side by side in our range of mushroom coffees. You can buy them as a one-off or, for Brainstoorm, choose the monthly subscription that saves you 30%, with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Which machine?

Is your machine compatible?

The answer is often clear at a glance: if your machine takes Nespresso® Original capsules, small and bell-shaped, it takes Mush Caps. Here are the brands and models concerned.

Nespresso® is a registered trademark of a third party, unconnected with Mush n Go. If you have a Vertuo machine or another system, Brainstoorm powder remains the simplest solution.

How to prepare it

The right moves, format by format.

Mushroom coffee is made like coffee, give or take a few details. Those details make the difference between a decent cup and one you will want to make again.

With powder, three steps are enough:

With the capsule, everything is already dosed. Slip it into the machine and choose a short coffee for an intense espresso, or a long coffee for a milder cup. For a latte, pour the espresso over hot frothed milk. For iced coffee, brew the capsule straight over ice cubes, then top up with a little cold milk.

Two tips for both formats: drink it in the morning or early afternoon, like any coffee, and give yourself two to three weeks of regular routine before judging. Mushrooms are not judged on a single cup.

Packaging and recycling

What about the impact of capsules?

It is the most common criticism of capsules, and it deserves a real answer. A capsule is one piece of packaging per cup. Powder is one piece of packaging for 30 cups. On this point, powder wins, no contest.

For capsules, the choice of material matters. Aluminium is a metal that recycles very well, provided it is collected. In many areas, recycling rules now cover small metal packaging: check your local rules, or take your capsules to a dedicated collection point if there is one near you.

Which format for you?

Five profiles, five answers.

There is no best format in absolute terms, only the format that fits your days. Here is how to decide based on your profile.

And if you are still unsure, nothing stops you alternating. The recipe is the same: what changes is the moment and the routine. Here is what our customers say about the Brainstoorm recipe, in its classic format (reviews translated from French):

Precautions

What to know before you start.

Mushroom coffee remains a supplement to your diet, with a few common-sense rules, whatever the format. To find out more, read our article on the side effects of mushrooms and adaptogenic plants.

Sources

1. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2015). Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal, 13(5), 4102.

Keep reading

Go further.

Want to know everything about mushroom coffee before choosing your format? Here are our most useful guides and pages, or browse our mushroom coffee collection.