London Nootropics Flow Coffee review: ingredients and dosages compared
By the Mush n Go editorial team - 21 October 2026
By the Mush n Go editorial teamPublished on 21 October 202610 min read
London Nootropics review
Flow Coffee, from the British brand London Nootropics, is an instant coffee in single-serve sachets, enriched with a lion's mane extract supplied by Hifas da Terra and a rhodiola extract, with 80 to 110 mg of caffeine per cup. It is a short recipe, built on two branded, standardised extracts. Brainstoorm makes a different choice: no coffee, three mushrooms, maca, ashwagandha, 20 mg of caffeine, and 60 days to change your mind, even once the pouch is open. Here are the two recipes, line by line.
Who is writing: Mush n Go makes Brainstoorm, a direct competitor of London Nootropics. This page compares what each brand states on its website and, for Brainstoorm, the technical data sheet from our contract manufacturer. Figures recorded on 19 October 2026. We have no connection with London Nootropics.
Brainstoorm coffee flavour
Lion's mane, cordyceps and chaga from the fruiting body, maca, ashwagandha and roasted chicory. The taste of coffee, without the jitters.
Try Brainstoorm →Brainstoorm choc-hazelnut
The same mushroom base, with cocoa and rhodiola. 60 days to change your mind, with a money-back guarantee.
See the choc version →Our verdict in brief
A morning coffee with lion's mane, or a light cup that replaces coffee.
Flow Coffee keeps all the coffee: its caffeine is equivalent to a regular cup. It adds a lion's mane extract dosed higher than Brainstoorm's, plus rhodiola. Brainstoorm contains no coffee: it brings together three mushrooms, two plants and a vitamin, for just 20 mg of caffeine.
- Brainstoorm is for you if you want to cut your caffeine right down (20 mg), get lion's mane, cordyceps and chaga in the same cup, and have free delivery in France from €59.
- Flow Coffee is for you if you want to keep the caffeine of a real coffee, a higher-dosed lion's mane extract and single-serve sachets that are easy to take with you.
- On price, Flow Coffee costs €1.48 per cup in a box of 12 and comes down to €0.79 for 240 sachets on subscription; you need to add €11.86 for delivery to France. Brainstoorm: €1.42 per cup, €0.78 on a three-month subscription.
What is London Nootropics
A London-based brand, four adaptogenic coffees.
London Nootropics launched its coffees in 2020, in the United Kingdom. Its range includes four recipes in sachets, all based on instant coffee: Flow, with lion's mane, the best rated; Zen, with ashwagandha and no mushrooms; Mojo, with cordyceps; and Mush Love, with three mushrooms, as a limited edition. We chose Flow, the most reviewed recipe sold on its own on the website.
The ingredients in detail
What is in a sachet of Flow Coffee.
London Nootropics prints the ingredient list with percentages on the back of the sachet, and gives the dose of its two extracts on the product page. It also names its suppliers: a good level of transparency. Depending on the page of the website, however, the lion's mane is standardised to between 25% and 45% beta-glucans.
| Per 3.3 g sachet | Stated amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Instant coffee and ground coffee | 88% of the sachet | i.e. around 2,900 mg, our own calculation |
| Lion's mane extract | 250 mg | Hifas da Terra; 25 to 45% beta-glucans depending on the page |
| Rhodiola extract | 83 mg | Rhodiolife®, 3% rosavins |
| Natural flavouring | 2% of the sachet | type not specified |
| Caffeine | 80 to 110 mg | from the coffee |
| Nutritional values | not stated |
Source: “Flow Coffee” product page, back of the sachet, FAQ and “About us” page on londonnootropics.com, recorded on 19 October 2026. The product page states 250 mg of lion's mane extract; a customer service answer published on the same page states 466 mg. We use the product page figure, which is consistent with the 8% printed on the sachet.
Extract or equivalent
Two numbers for the same mushroom: how to read them.
On a mushroom coffee label, the same ingredient can appear with two very different weights. Both are correct; they do not measure the same thing. London Nootropics states extract weights; so does Brainstoorm, adding the dried-mushroom equivalent and the ratio of each extract.
The extract is what is in the cup
An extract is a concentrate. With a 10:1 ratio, it took 10 g of dried mushroom to obtain 1 g of powder.
The equivalent is the starting weight
“1,000 mg dry equivalent” with a 10:1 ratio means 100 mg of extract in the cup.
The part of the mushroom matters
The fruiting body is the mushroom itself; the mycelium is its network of filaments. Both are used, and a clear label says which.
The rule for comparing
Always the same column on both sides: extract against extract, equivalent against equivalent. That is what the following table does.
Dosages compared
Brainstoorm and London Nootropics, line by line.
For Brainstoorm, the table gives the actual weight of extract and then, in brackets, the dried-plant equivalent. For Flow Coffee, the weight stated on the product page. Brainstoorm coffee flavour: 6 g serving. Flow: 3.3 g sachet.
| Per cup | Brainstoorm coffee | Flow Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine | 20 mg, microencapsulated | 80 to 110 mg, from the coffee |
| Lion's mane | 100 mg of 10:1 extract (1,000 mg) | 250 mg of extract, 8:1 ratio according to the brand |
| Cordyceps | 250 mg of 4:1 extract (1,000 mg) | absent |
| Chaga | 20 mg of 50:1 extract (1,000 mg) | absent |
| Rhodiola | absent | 83 mg of extract |
| Maca | 375 mg of extract (3,000 mg) | absent |
| Ashwagandha | 40 mg of extract | absent |
| Vitamin B5 | 6 mg, 100% of the reference intake | absent |
| Base | roasted chicory 3,500 mg, acacia 889 mg | instant and ground coffee, around 2,900 mg |
| Part of the mushroom | fruiting body | fruiting body, according to the brand |
| Sweetener | xylitol | none |
Sources: Brainstoorm technical data sheets from Laboratoire FGnutra (editions of 28 January 2026 and 8 July 2025); “Flow Coffee” product page and sachet on londonnootropics.com, recorded on 19 October 2026.
On lion's mane alone, Flow Coffee is ahead: 250 mg of extract versus 100 mg. Brainstoorm broadens the range: three mushrooms instead of one, 3,000 mg of maca equivalent, ashwagandha, and 6 mg of vitamin B5, i.e. 100% of the reference intake: it contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal mental performance. And its caffeine is four to five times lower.
Caffeine
A real cup of coffee on one side, 20 mg on the other.
London Nootropics says it clearly: each of its recipes contains 80 to 110 mg of caffeine per sachet, roughly as much as a regular cup of coffee. There is no caffeine-free recipe in the range for the moment. An espresso contains around 80 mg according to the European Food Safety Authority.
Brainstoorm contains no coffee. Each cup provides 20 mg of NewCaff® microencapsulated caffeine, coated so that it is released gradually, and its taste comes from roasted chicory. If you are looking for a coffee alternative in order to drink less of it, that is where the gap lies.
One cup a day
Flow: 80 to 110 mg. Brainstoorm: 20 mg. The EFSA benchmark for an adult is 400 mg a day, from all sources combined.
With your usual coffees
Two espressos plus one Flow: 240 to 270 mg. The same two espressos plus one Brainstoorm: around 180 mg.
In the afternoon
At 20 mg, a cup of Brainstoorm after lunch weighs four times less on your evening than an espresso.
If caffeine is what matters to you, our article how many cups of coffee a day does the maths cup by cup, and coffee and anxiety sets out the signs of having too much.
Price, shipping, guarantee
The price per cup, delivery included.
London Nootropics sells in pounds sterling; we convert at the European Central Bank rate of 19 October 2026 (£1 = €1.1876). For delivery to France, the brand charges a flat fee of £9.99, i.e. €11.86. Brainstoorm prices were recorded on the France store.
| Prices recorded | Brainstoorm | Flow Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Small size, no subscription | €42.71 for 30 servings, i.e. €1.42 per cup | £15.00 (€17.81) for 12 sachets, i.e. €1.48 per cup |
| Large size, no subscription | €99.86 for 90 servings, i.e. €1.11 per cup | £60.00 (€71.25) for 60 sachets, i.e. €1.19 per cup |
| Subscription | €29.90 per month, i.e. €1.00 per cup | £48.00 (€57.00) for 60 sachets, i.e. €0.95 per cup |
| Best listed price | €69.90 for 3 months on subscription, i.e. €0.78 per cup | £160.00 (€190.01) for 240 sachets on subscription, i.e. €0.79 per cup |
| Delivery to France | free from €59 | £9.99 (€11.86) per order, with no free-shipping threshold |
| Money-back guarantee | 60 days, even once the pouch is open | contact within 30 days; conditions set out in terms of sale we were unable to read |
Prices recorded on 6 October 2026 on mushngo.com and on 19 October 2026 on londonnootropics.com. The London Nootropics terms and conditions are in a part of the website whose robots.txt file prohibits automated reading: we have not read them.
As a one-off purchase, the two are on a par; in volume, Flow comes down as low as Brainstoorm, provided you order 240 sachets. For a customer in France, the flat delivery fee changes everything: on a box of 12 sachets, it takes the cup to €2.47. Brainstoorm is delivered free from €59 and can be refunded for 60 days, even after the pouch has been opened.
Which one to choose
The caffeine of a coffee, or a cup four times lighter?
If you like your coffee as it is and simply want to add lion's mane to it, Flow Coffee is a serious recipe, with branded extracts. If you are looking precisely to move away from coffee, without the racing heart at 10 am or the slump at 3 pm, you are the person we created Brainstoorm for.
- 20 mg of caffeine per cup, released gradually: four to five times less than Flow Coffee.
- Three mushrooms from the fruiting body, 1,000 mg of equivalent each, including 250 mg of cordyceps extract.
- Free delivery in France from €59, with no international flat fee, and two extra plants: 3,000 mg of maca equivalent and ashwagandha.
- 6 mg of vitamin B5 in a single cup, i.e. 100% of the reference intake: it contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- No mushroom taste: roasted chicory brings the roundness and bitterness of a coffee.
- 60-day money-back guarantee: you taste, you decide.
More than 50,000 people have already replaced one of their cups with Brainstoorm, and rate it 4.8 out of 5.
Before starting either one
- Both products contain caffeine and are not recommended for children or for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- Brainstoorm is not recommended if you have a thyroid, liver or heart condition: ask your doctor for advice.
- A food supplement is not a substitute for a varied diet. Do not exceed the stated daily dose.
Your questions
All about London Nootropics.
What is in London Nootropics Flow Coffee?
A 3.3 g sachet contains instant coffee and ground coffee (88%), 250 mg of Hifas da Terra lion's mane extract, 83 mg of Rhodiolife® rhodiola extract and a natural flavouring, according to the product page and the sachet.
How much caffeine is in London Nootropics coffee?
80 to 110 mg per sachet according to the brand, for all its recipes: as much as a regular cup of coffee. A cup of Brainstoorm contains 20 mg.
Is London Nootropics safe?
Nothing in the information published by the brand points to any particular risk. Its products contain the caffeine of a coffee and are not guaranteed free from traces of allergens, according to its customer service. If you are on medication, pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor for advice.
Does London Nootropics deliver to France?
Yes, for a flat fee of £9.99 per order, i.e. around €11.86, with no free-shipping threshold, in 7 to 10 working days according to the brand. Brainstoorm is delivered free in France from €59.
How much does Flow Coffee cost?
£15.00 for a box of 12 sachets, i.e. around €1.48 per cup, and up to £160.00 for 240 sachets on subscription, i.e. €0.79 per cup, prices recorded on 19 October 2026, excluding delivery.
What is the difference between Flow, Zen and Mojo?
Flow combines lion's mane and rhodiola; Zen, L-theanine and ashwagandha, with no mushrooms; Mojo, cordyceps and Siberian ginseng. All three are coffee-based, with 80 to 110 mg of caffeine.
What is the difference between Flow Coffee and Brainstoorm?
Flow is an instant coffee with a lion's mane extract and rhodiola, for 80 to 110 mg of caffeine. Brainstoorm contains no coffee: lion's mane, cordyceps and chaga, maca, ashwagandha, vitamin B5 and 20 mg of caffeine, on a roasted chicory base.
Can you get a refund from London Nootropics?
The brand invites you to contact it within 30 days if you are not satisfied; the exact conditions are set out in its terms and conditions. Mush n Go refunds Brainstoorm for 60 days, even once the pouch is open.
Sources
- London Nootropics. “Flow Coffee”, “Zen Coffee”, “Mojo Coffee” and “Mush Love Coffee” product pages, delivery, subscription, FAQ and “About us” pages, public catalogue, londonnootropics.com. Accessed on 19 October 2026.
- European Central Bank. Euro foreign exchange reference rates of 19 October 2026 (pound sterling).
- Laboratoire FGnutra. Product technical data sheet “Brainstoorm Café 180 g”, edition of 28 January 2026.
- Laboratoire FGnutra. Product technical data sheet “Café Brainstoorm V5” (chocolate hazelnut flavour), edition of 8 July 2025.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2015). Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal, 13(5):4102.
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods (vitamin B5).
London Nootropics and Flow Coffee are trademarks of their owner. The information about this product is what the brand publishes; it may have changed since it was recorded. Spotted a mistake? Write to us and we will correct it.
Further reading
Before you choose, see how to read a label and what caffeine changes in your day.
Discover our mushroom and adaptogenic plant supplements
Our vegan formulas, made in Toulouse by a French manufacturer.