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[Updated 1/5/23] This list of the best exotic k cups & coffee pods will be updated regularly with our latest picks.
Often times the most exotic coffee in the world is sold in the form of whole beans. As many coffee lovers already know, whole bean will give you the freshest possible coffee experience because you grind beans just before you brew. Many who appreciate rare coffees have an equal appreciation for the brewing process as well. These individuals like meticulously weighing their beans and measuring the temperature of their water to create the perfect brew.
But what if you love exotic coffee but simply don’t have the time for a lengthy brew. Enter the world of the best exotic K Cups and single serve coffee pods where you get the best of both worlds.
What exactly counts as an exotic K Cup? We know that the word exotic is a relative term. But in this article, “exotic” refers to any coffee that’s considered rare or delivers a rare coffee experience. So without further ado, we present to you the following list of the best exotic K Cups of 2020.
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Lifeboost Coffee Pods / K Cups
Lifeboost Coffee has long been a fan-favorite amongst even the most critical of coffee snobs. Its exceptionally clean flavor constitutes a rare coffee experience indeed. It’s so rare that we’d consider exotic thus our reason for including it on this list. Lifeboost Coffee Pods use single origin, high-elevation shade grown, low acid, and mycotoxin free coffee. The company’s standards are such that only .5% of all coffee grown make the cut. This fact is clearly reflected in just how pure the flavor of this coffee is. Despite being teeming with a robust yet balanced flavor, this coffee is also extremely gentle on the stomach. These premium coffee pods are offered in medium and dark roasts. After buying this coffee, it’s likely you may never go back to standard store-bought coffee again.
Fabula Coffee Pods
Fabula Coffee has earned a named for itself has providing incredibly high quality low acid coffee. Smooth on the stomach but strong on the taste buds, this coffee sources premium organic single origin coffee that delivers a very consistent and unique flavor. Fabula Coffee is medium roasted to perfection and is a good fit for those who love a bold but still smooth coffee. As a bonus, these recyclable pods contain 12g of coffee compared to the 10g of your average K-Cup.
Purity Coffee Pods / K Cups
Purity Coffee makes this list of best exotic K cups for a number of reasons. Strange as it sounds, while the coffee beans themselves aren’t sourced from some isolated volcanic island in some exotic country, the beans themselves are shockingly good. As such, they offer a unique coffee experience that we’d classify as exotic. Purity Coffee, like its name suggests, treats you to one of the purest coffee experiences money can by. The taste is supremely clean allowing all the natural flavors of the specialty-grade bean to express themselves. To no surprise, it’s USDA organic and tested for mold and mycotoxins. The result is something that we highly recommend to all coffee lovers looking to expand their coffee horizons.
Lion Coffee Toasted Coconut Coffee Pods
The all time best seller of Lion Coffee, their toasted coconut coffee pods is light roasted to perfection allowing the coffee’s full flavor to shine through.
When it comes to flavored coffees, sometimes the flavoring can taste artificial. Fortunately, Lion Coffee’s toasted coconut K Cups don’t have this problem at all. Coffee lovers will be treated to a natural flavor that’s masterfully balanced and in no way overpowering. Even those who aren’t fans of toasted coconut are likely to fall in love with it.
Royal Kona Vanilla Macadamia Nut
Next on this list is none other than Royal Kona’s Vanilla Macadamia with 10% Kona. This lightly roasted coffee overflows with distinct aromas and balanced flavors.
Described as rich and smooth, this coffee has a predominating Vanilla flavor backed by a subtle and refined Macadamia nuttiness. The 10% Kona contributes a deliciously rare hint of sweetness that takes this coffee to new levels of exoticness.
Buy Royal Kona Vanilla Macadamia
Peet’s Luminosa Breakfast Blend K Cups
The fact that Peet’s appears on a list of the best exotic K Cups is no surprise. Their long-standing reputation for producing quality K Cups is well known.
The Luminosa Breafkast Blend is a rare light roast sourced from the Huila Region in Colombia. Combined with Ethiopian floral aromatics, this coffee delivers a flavor that’s bright, floral, yet deep and exotic in every sense of the word. There’s even the presence of a passion flower that transforms the entire flavor profile. Light roast coffee will typically allow more of a coffee bean’s natural flavors to express themselves. The Luminosa is a great example of this as you can savor the balanced flavors of the bean without the bitterness of the roast.
Tayst Coffee French Vanilla
Starting of our list is an offering from Tayst Coffee. As a highly popular coffee subscription box, they’ve earned a reputation for producing premium coffee in recyclable K-Cup compatible coffee pods.
In particular, their French Vanilla coffee pods are made of a rich South American blend with delicious hint of vanilla. While French Vanilla as a flavor is quite common, the manner in which Tayst infuses its coffee with natural vanilla oils is rare indeed. The end flavor is a true delight.
Dancing Moon Jamaican Blue Mountain K Cups
For those who may not know, Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the most coveted coffees in the world.
It’s incredibly rare and only grows within a specific high elevation mountain range on the island of Jamaica. Because of its rarity, this coffee isn’t cheap. But as the saying goes especially in the coffee world, you get what you pay for. This Dancing Moon 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica so you can rest assured you’re getting the most authentic brew possible. Estate grown and paired with a medium roast, this coffee delivers an incredibly rich flavor and a coffee experience you won’t soon forget. To learn more about this rare and exotic coffee, check out our Blue Mountian Coffee guide.
Buy Jamaican Blue Mountain K Cups
Kentucky Bourbon Coffee K Cups
Cooper Cask Coffee is best known for their potent bourbon coffee K Cups and coffee pods. What’s exotic about these particular coffee beans is that they are placed in a freshly dumped Kentucky Bourbon barrel in order to soak up the lingering aromas and flavors.
The company sources grade 1 Colombian coffee beans and allow them to sit within these barrels or casks for 45-60 days. The end result is something that needs to be tasted to be appreciated. There’s a vibrant profile with notes of rustic sweetness and hints of cocoa and dark notes. And of course, tapered by an incredibly enjoyable bourbon finish.
Buy Bourbon Coffee Coffee Pods
Gourmesso Hazelnut Brew
Once again, we have another flavor on this list of best exotic k cups that typically isn’t considered exotic on its own. But Gourmesso has done a phenomenal job infusing these coffee grounds with a refined Hazelnut flavor that tastes as refined as it does natural.
The end flavor is impressive and while I’ve had many different Hazelnut flavored coffees before, this is easily one of my top 3. The Hazelnut flavor here can be best described as decadent but not overwhelming to the senses. As a bonus, these coffee pods are 100% compostable and made from bio-based materials.
In the world of the coffee elite, K-Cups and coffee pods sometimes get a bad rap. But the truth is, as illustrated by the coffees on this list, there are plenty of high quality exotic K cups that hold their own when compared to their whole bean equivalents. Even so, there are those who prefer not to use K-Cups because of the environmental impact they have. It’s true. K-Cups and coffee pods that are made of plastic leave quite the environmental footprint.
What Alternatives Are There to K Cups?
Fortunately, many companies are releasing K-Cups and coffee pods that are 100% compostable or recyclable. But what if you’re favorite brand or blend isn’t available yet in these eco-friendly forms? Fret not. You have an another option.
Related Article: Choose from our selection of light roast K Cups
Consider the reusable K-Cup adapter. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread. It addresses the issue of “quality” and “environmental-friendliness”. K-Cup adapters allow you to grind your own coffee and use them in your K-Cup compatible machine or single serve coffee pod brewer. Since you’ll be grinding the beans yourself or using pre-ground beans, you aren’t forced to choose from a limited selection of K-Cup only options. Additionally, you’ll be getting the freshest possible coffee. And finally, because these adapters are reusable, you’re taking a large burden off of the environment.
This list of the best exotic K Cups is well suited for coffee lovers with high standards for quality AND convenience. We will be continuing to update this list so please check back regularly. If you’re a fan of exotic coffee but don’t use K-Cups and coffee pods, check out our selection of exotic whole bean and ground coffee.
Related Article: Choose from our selection of medium roast K Cups
The demand for coffee pods has surged because of the gradual change in consumer preferences to have innovative and ready-to-use products, and rising urbanization.