Generally speaking, the vast majority of coffees are gluten-free. The reason for this is that gluten is the main protein in wheat, rye, and barley exclusively. The only way your coffee may contain gluten is through cross-contamination.
We’ll look at five of the best gluten-free coffees you can buy right now, potential reasons for gluten in your cup, and other drinks perfect for sensitive digestive systems.
Top 5 Guaranteed Gluten-Free Coffees
We’ll run through five of our favorite coffees and share the reasons that we love them with you. All of these coffees are entirely gluten-free, so you can be sure that you’re safe to drink them and explore their wonderful, rich flavors and aromas without discomfort.
1. Cafely SaiGon OG
SaiGon OG’s delicious flavor is an impressive and particularly delicious homage to modern Sai Gon City. The beans are rich, dark-roasted robusta to create the potent strength that is characteristic of traditional Vietnamese coffee culture.
This darkness is balanced by arabica and peaberry coffee to create a beautifully smooth and velvety drink that’s as aromatic as it is strong. The peaberry, in particular, is a fantastic addition to this beverage: the naturally concentrated flavors make for a rich and delicate flavor with every sip.
Finally, in true Vietnamese style, the coffee has been butter-roastedto ensure that every sip is luxurious and smooth. It’s a delectable tasting note that comes out when brewed perfectly, allowing you to experience the richness of an artisanally crafted coffee roast.
2. BanMe (100% Peaberry)
This spectacularly strong coffee is the most potent on the market. There are lots of coffees to make that claim, but unless they’re also 100% peaberry robusta, they simply cannot be more caffeinated than this.
Robusta coffee has a higher amount of caffeine in it than arabica beans. This is made even stronger by the fact that peaberry coffee beans concentrate all of their nutrients and flavor compounds into one bean rather than splitting it into two as a normal coffee cherry does.
This coffee, in particular, is a very decadent example of a dark robusta roast, with the rich bitterness giving way to a black cherry aftertaste that lingers on the palate. This bold and delicate flavor captures the coffee culture of Ban Me — aromatic, full-bodied, and intense.
3. Vietnamese Coffee 2.0
This range of instant coffee drinks is a stunning homage to the amazing spectrum of Vietnamese coffee. At one end of the scale, there are the opulent, dark coffee flavors found within the instant espresso sachets, which are reminiscent of the potent Vietnamese coffee commonly sold on street corners.
For a more delicate flavor, there are the instant milk latte and coconut latte sachets. These two options pair bold coffee notes with milk and natural, gluten-free sweeteners to create an indulgent treat that you’re sure to return to time and time again.
On top of all the beautiful flavors, all of the Vietnamese Instant Coffee 2.0 options boast the addition of adaptogens like L-theanine and ginseng, both of which give you an extra boost in focus and brain power.
4. Cafely DaLat
Cafely’s DaLat is made from 100% arabica coffee beans, all of which are sourced from the high mountains of Vietnam to create a delicate and aromatic drink that’s equal parts potent and complex. These beans, in particular, have been roasted with the Da Lat region in mind and evoke the area’s rolling landscape and coffee estates with each sip.
There’s no shortage of luxurious flavor notes within the Da Lat coffee, with light fruit and floral undertones coming through thanks to the gentle caramelization of the outermost layer of the beans occurring during a dark roast.
5. Cafely DaNang
Finally, we come to DaNang. The roast for this blend is medium-dark to ensure we get the best out of all the beans involved: both the aromatic flavors of arabica and the powerful flavors of robusta are up for grabs in every cup you brew.
One way in which this coffee truly sings is in the depth of its body of flavors and mouthfeel. A delicious combination of hazelnut, maple syrup, and citrus flavors at the fore creates a careful balance that comes together beautifully. Each sip is akin to a concert of these flavors interacting across your tongue, giving you some of the greatest coffee you’ve ever had.
What Types of Coffee Are Gluten Free?
While coffee beans are naturally gluten-free, there is a chance of different sources of gluten coming into contact with coffee at the production facility. Cross-contamination like this might not seem like a big problem. However, it can pose a potentially dangerous risk for coeliac sufferers and those with gluten sensitivities.
So, how likely are each of these types of coffee to contain any gluten?
Whole Bean Coffee
Whole-bean coffee may seem like the least likely place to find gluten. However, some facilities can process their coffee alongside other ingredients that may contain gluten.
This could be because coffee typically needs resting time between being roasted and being packaged and shipped. This process usually doesn't take very long and largely takes place to very nearly all K-cups, which are entirely gluten-free, ensuring that any carbon dioxide within the beans can escape before they're moved along the production chain.
It’s during this resting process that the beans can be moved around and left to sit in the open air for a short time, particularly while they’re cooling from being roasted. This is when cross-contamination is most likely to occur through gluten particles in the air.
Instant Coffee
Unfortunately, even instant coffee can have a level of gluten cross-contamination. The main reason for this is that instant coffee is the most highly processed form of coffee, meaning that there are just more chances for gluten particles to get into the mix.
K-Cups
Impressively, nearly all K-cups are entirely gluten-free. Keurig is the company that manufactures all of the K-cup pods, and they have stated that aside from Timothy’s Lemon Blueberry K-Cup Pods, all of the K-cups that they produce are gluten-free.
On top of that, they’ve also shared that all of their K-cup products are gluten-byproduct-free to give you extra peace of mind!
Cafely Coffee
We’re proud to say that all of the coffee we produce is totally gluten-free — we want to make sure to present the best that Vietnamese coffee has to offer, with no adulteration that could bring gluten into the mix.
So, if you have an intolerance or are a coeliac sufferer, you can enjoy our carefully curated brews safe in the knowledge that nothing has been added to interrupt your experience.
Gluten Exposure vs. Coffee Symptoms
In a frustrating turn of events, the symptoms that people may experience from gluten exposure and too much coffee in their diet can tend to be quite similar. This may mean that while you’re experiencing stomach issues from your coffee intake, you may be mistaking that for your gluten intolerance.
The caffeine content of coffee can tend to cause some people’s stomachs to work a little faster, with different muscles in the stomach being stimulated by caffeine to "push things along." Furthermore, the acidic nature of coffee can stimulate the release of gastrin, a stomach hormone. Gastrin stimulates muscle contractions in the bowel, leading to the drinker feeling the need to poop quite soon.
The most common symptoms of gluten exposure in those who are sensitive to it are also gastrointestinal indications. For example, general abdominal pain and bloating are common, along with gas and diarrhea. If you’re newly diagnosed as being gluten intolerant, then you may not recognize these symptoms as being a response to gluten specifically, or you may confuse coffee-related GI symptoms as being gluten-caused.
Unfortunately, the only way to learn what's causing your problems is through a process of elimination. If you notice that you commonly experience pain after drinking coffee, consider other things you also do at that time and do each of them in isolation. You may find that the true cause is not the coffee.
Coffee Alternatives for the Caffeine-Sensitive
If you’re looking for an alternative to coffee, then you may want to also track down an alternative with little to no caffeine. Often, reducing caffeine in your diet can have a great impact if you’re sensitive to it — a little experimentation, therefore, is always worthwhile.
Here are four great alternatives to traditional coffee:
1. Chicory Coffee
Chicory coffee is a coffee alternative that’s made from the root of the chicory plant. The root is dried, roasted, and ground in very much the same way as coffee before being brewed into a tasty cup. The flavor is very similar to coffee and may be just what you need to replace a coffee habit.
2. Matcha Tea
We do have to make a slight caveat here — like coffee; matcha also contains caffeine! Therefore, it may not be suitable if you’re looking to cut caffeine from your diet completely. However, it is also a natural source of L-theanine, which slows down the rate at which the body deals with caffeine. This makes the drink more mellow, leading to a potentially calmer experience overall.
3. Golden Milk
Golden milk is a very simple drink, typically made from little more than turmeric and milk. Sometimes, sweeteners are added for a richer flavor. We recommend it here because the earthy flavor is reminiscent of the bitter earthiness of coffee. Plus, turmeric potentially has a host of impressive health benefits.
Tip: Add a small amount of black pepper to your golden milk to facilitate your body’s absorption of the turmeric.
4. Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea — sometimes known as Redbush — is naturally caffeine-free and delicious! This South African brew also has a low tannin content, which might be beneficial to some people’s health.
The more concrete benefit of this low tannin content is that a long, steep time doesn't result in a harsh, bitter brew. Instead, most rooibos tea is quite sweet and fruity, with some malty notes.
FAQs: Gluten-free Coffee
Below, let’s talk about some key questions that often get asked about gluten-free coffee.
1. Do Coffee Beans Contain Gluten?
No — coffee beans do not naturally contain gluten within them. Gluten is the main element of protein in certain seeds and grains, and coffee beans do not contain it.
2. What Grains Contain Gluten?
Three main grains contain gluten: wheat, rye, and barley. The FDA defines "gluten-free" foods as those containing less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, ensuring that even traces from wheat, rye, and barley remain minimal for safety. Gluten is the main protein in these kernels and can aggravate people with an allergy to it.
3. Can Coffee Products Contain Gluten?
Yes, coffee products can sometimes contain gluten. The reason for this is because the gluten has either been deliberately added (as in the case of an espresso brownie made with wheat flour) or because the gluten has been incorporated through cross-contamination.
4. How Can You Avoid Gluten in Coffee Products?
The best way to avoid gluten in any coffee products is to buy coffee from small businesses: they will know exactly what’s happening in their coffee facilities and so will be able to assure you that their coffee is gluten-free.
5. How Can You Tell if Your Symptoms Are Coffee or Gluten-based?
Unfortunately, there’s no real way to tell whether symptoms of gut distress have been caused by coffee or gluten: the symptoms of both are similar. The best way to figure out what’s causing your issue is the process of elimination. Try each element that may have caused your stomach upset in turn, and see which impacts you.
6. Can There Be Gluten in Brewed Coffee?
Yes, there can sometimes be gluten in brewed coffee due to cross-contamination.
Gluten cross-contamination is generally monitored well, with the FDA insisting that gluten particle contamination above a higher concentration than 20 ppm stops something from being labeled gluten-free. However, there may still be trace amounts of gluten in brewed coffee from the environment in which it was brewed, so be wary if you're particularly sensitive.
