Chris Shugart
Is Proffee Worth Drinking?
Coffee with added protein is all the rage right now, but is it worth it?
I'm a terrible businessman. For example, decades ago, I started making "protein coffee." Sometimes I'd toss a spoonful of protein powder into my hot coffee as a healthy creamer alternative. Other times, I'd use cold coffee instead of water in my protein shakes. Both were delicious. After joining T Nation and Biotest, I shared my protein coffee ideas and promptly forgot about them.
Fast forward to this week. I received my insider marketing report from the beverage industry about current trends. Guess what's selling like hotcakes? Yep, pre-made protein coffee. Pre-made? Really? I assumed making it yourself was fast, easy, and inexpensive. People aren't that lazy, right? (Wrong.)
If I were a great businessman, I would've slapped together the basic ingredients, paid some influencers to promote the product, and raked in the dough. Instead, I taught people how to make protein coffee themselves. What a dope! Or, maybe, I just don't want to rip people off. Anyway, let's take a look at this trend and see if stuff is worth buying.
The Rise of Proffee
We can thank TikTok for making protein coffee cool. There, influencers often call it "proffee." It's not a bad idea at all. Instead of doing what most people do – waking up late, sucking down some coffee, and skipping breakfast – you just make a protein shake and add some instant coffee.
Supplement and beverage companies quickly jumped on the idea. It's a high-profit item because the ingredients are typically bottom-of-the-barrel quality. You see it in two different forms:
- Protein Powder + Instant Coffee: Take a cheap protein powder like whey protein concentrate, toss in some janky instant coffee, and add thickening agents and flavorings. It costs the manufacturer pennies to make, and they charge $1.50 to $2.50 per serving. Some popular "proffee" powders only contain 10 grams of low-quality protein per serving.
- Ready-to-Drink Protein Coffee: Who has time to stir, right? These RTDs run about $3 or more per can or bottle. Some add low-end protein powder, and some just add milk to coffee. (Hmm, is it really a "protein shake" when there's no protein powder added, only milk?) Due to the cost of shipping heavy water, manufacturers cut corners on ingredient quality to hit their margins. The FDA also requires RTDs to be pasteurized. Using the best proteins would be wasteful because the heat from pasteurization destroys the delicate bioactive peptides that make certain proteins highly beneficial.
Just Make It Yourself
I like protein coffee, but I think I'll keep making it myself to ensure I get the highest quality proteins and avoid any junk ingredients. Here are three ways to make it:
1. Use Cold Coffee Instead of Water
This recipe provides 22 grams of high-quality micellar casein and high-leucine whey protein isolate, delivering a long-lasting metabolic boost, satisfying your appetite, and offering a creamy texture and flavor. You won't need a sweetener or flavoring agent because MD Protein is already delicious. But if you prefer something fancy like hazelnut or caramel, look into DaVinci Sugar-Free Syrups (Buy at Amazon).
Pro Tip: Freeze some cold coffee in an ice cube tray and add to your drink container or blender. This prevents the ice from watering down the flavor.
2. Use Instant Coffee and Protein Powder
Just add as much instant coffee to your regular protein shake as you want. We like two teaspoons of Mount Hagen Organic (Buy at Amazon).
3. Add Protein Powder to Hot Coffee
Add half or a full scoop of vanilla MD Protein to hot (but not boiling) coffee. Adjust the amount of coffee to your preferences. You can stir in the protein powder and use the side of the spoon to break up any lumps, or use a blender or milk frother (Buy at Amazon). If you go the blender route, leave the top open a crack or open the little spout in the lid to allow steam to escape.
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