Is Coffee Vegan? (What to Know)

The quick answer is yes, at least the coffee itself is vegan. But people often add many additives such as milk when they are making coffee, so let’s find out the truth.

What is Coffee Made From?

Coffee beans, the seeds of the berries found on several Coffea plants, are the source of coffee in all of its forms. Almost all the coffee people drink comes from two species of the Coffea plant: Coffea Arabica (known as “Arabica”), and Coffea canephora (known as “Robusta”). The “beans” found in the berries of these plants are roasted and ground, with the only other required ingredient being hot water to make black coffee.

Therefore, there is no question that a roasted, ground seed with the addition of water possesses nothing that is incompatible with a vegan diet. Therefore, freshly brewed coffee is vegan-friendly, with the exception of when milk is added (as was discussed above). But how about instant coffee, decaffeinated coffee and the increasingly popular coffee pods?

See also: Jack in the Box Vegan Alternatives

Is Instant Coffee Vegan?

Ground coffee can be freeze-dried to produce granules or powder that is soluble in hot water. Although there has been some worry about the type of additives found in some instant coffees, it is extremely uncommon for instant coffee to be made with any animal products.

Unless, of course, it’s a variety with milk products added. Although it always pays to read the label, almost all instant coffees sold in the UK should be suitable for vegans.

Is Decaffeinated Coffee Vegan?

Coffee beans can have their caffeine-containing oils removed with the use of solvents prior to roasting. The oils from the still-green seeds are dissolved in the solvents after they have been steamed or soaked in hot water. These solvents, which include methylene dichloride and ethyl acetate, may not sound particularly appetizing, but since they are not made from animal products, their use does not prevent decaf coffee from being vegan.

For those people who are not enamoured by the idea of consuming decaf coffee that has been produced using solvent derived from methane (methylene dichloride), an alternative method uses a mixture of water and liquid carbon dioxide to extract the caffeine from the beans in a high pressure vessel. The product is still vegan no matter how much the caffeine is diminished (reduced, not entirely removed).

Are Coffee Pods Vegan?

Nowadays, as consumers look for the flavor of fresh coffee with the convenience of instant, there are an increasing number of coffee pods on the market. Of course, the coffee in these pods is equally suitable for vegans as any ground coffee you might use in your coffee maker. Some pods, like those for cappuccinos, may contain milk products, so they are obviously not vegan. However, that is a different story. There is also some worry regarding the environmental effects of the extra waste the packaging produces.

The pods are typically made of plastic with a foil lid, and some of them even have a filter inside. Those materials in themselves do not contravene vegan ideals, but it is possible that some might utilise glue to form the bond between the foil and plastic of the pod, and that could contain animal products, or have used them in their production. It is no easy task to find out the exact production methods of a given brand of coffee pod, however, so if in doubt, be sure to purchase products that specifically state they are vegan-friendly.

See also: The Most Popular Vegan Food Trucks

Are Coffee Bags Vegan?

Although coffee bags haven’t really taken off in the UK, they are still available for anyone who wants to give them a try. Coffee bags have no ingredients that prevent them from being vegan, like the majority of tea bags. Check that the bags are biodegradable if you have environmental concerns; some may contain plastic.

Some higher end tea bags are made from silk, which is not vegan (due to the exploitation of and cruelty to silkworms), but we haven’t encountered any silk coffee bags.

Which Dairy-Free Milk Goes Best With Coffee?

It ultimately comes down to personal preference which vegan-friendly milk you decide to use in your coffee because the flavors and appearances differ, sometimes noticeably. One might also find that depending on the particular type of coffee drink you are using it for, one vegan milk works better than another.

Here we summarise our views on the pluses and minuses of the four main vegan milk options used by the big coffee chains in the UK when it comes to making coffee:

A number of companies who produce plant-based milk alternatives have developed “barista” style versions of their products that they assert are better suited for use with coffee than their standard products. This generally seems to be the case, and they are definitely worth looking into when making coffee at home. The question is whether coffee shops will spend the extra money to use them when preparing your latte because they are expensive.

As a result, recommending the best vegan milk substitute to pair with your coffee really isn’t an exact science. To find the vegan milk that works for you, experiment both at home and in your preferred neighborhood coffee shop.

Environmental Impact of Coffee

Whilst the issue of whether or not coffee is vegan is seemingly simple (without animal milk, yes, with animal milk, no), in truth, there is a whole other layer to the debate we haven’t even touched on. One of the most popular beverages on earth is coffee, and as with any mass-produced crop, the growth of Coffea plants has a significant negative impact on the environment.

Coffee prices have risen over the course of the last ten years or so as a result of frequent supply shortages. Because of this, it has become more desirable to cultivate, which has resulted in extensive deforestation and environmental damage in Africa, South and Central America, and other regions. Any vegan would undoubtedly be concerned about this since it poses a serious threat to a number of animal species and biodiversity in general.

Although many other crops are arguably just as detrimental in many ways as palm oil, palm oil is the pantomime villain of modern agriculture. While Fairtrade and the Rainforest Alliance are two accreditations for more ethical coffee, there is much debate about how ethical these are and how they fit with vegan ideals.

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