RYZE vs Laird Superfood: Instant Blend or Real Ground Coffee?
In one line
RYZE vs Laird Superfood: Laird Superfood is the better buy on the numbers that matter daily — half the price at $0.59 a cup, real ground coffee with full caffeine and a fruiting-body claim. RYZE is the pick if you want low caffeine, an instant format, and four times the stated mushroom total.
What this page covers
- RYZE original instant versus Laird PERFORM medium roast ground, 12 oz bag
- Price per cup, caffeine, taste, disclosure and format
What it does not cover
- Laird's K-Cups, which cost $1.50 each and erase the price advantage
- RYZE's matcha, cacao and creamer products
Side by side
| RYZE | Laird Superfood | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.4 / 5 | 3.3 / 5 |
| Price | $36.00 / 30 | $20.00 / 34 |
| Per serving | $1.20 | $0.59 |
| Caffeine | 48 mg | 100 mg |
| Mushrooms | lions mane, cordyceps, reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, king trumpet | lions mane, chaga, cordyceps, maitake |
| Doses disclosed per species | No | No |
| Beta-glucans disclosed | No | No |
| Third-party tested | Not stated | Not stated |
| Formats | instant | ground, whole-bean, pods |
| Taste & drinkability | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Ingredient quality | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Label transparency | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| Price per serving | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Third-party lab testing | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Mushroom dosage | 3.0 | 1.5 |
Choose RYZE if…
- You want low caffeine — 48 mg versus about 100 mg
- You want an instant you can stir into hot water at work
- You want the bigger stated mushroom total: 2,000 mg versus 500 mg
Choose Laird Superfood if…
- You want the cheapest cup — $0.59 versus $1.20 per serving
- You want real brewed coffee with a normal caffeine dose
- You want the brand to say 'fruiting body' — RYZE doesn't state the part used
The short version
RYZE is a low-caffeine instant that leans on a big six-mushroom number. Laird Superfood PERFORM is a bag of organic Peruvian ground coffee with a modest mushroom extract added. One is a supplement that happens to be coffee-flavoured; the other is coffee that happens to carry mushrooms. Laird is the one we would buy again.
Where each wins
Taste: close, and format-dependent. RYZE scores 4.5 as the smoothest instant we have tried; Laird scores 4 and simply tastes like a decent medium roast, because that is what it is. Price: Laird, decisively, at $0.59 per cup against $1.20. Caffeine: depends on what you want. Laird delivers a normal 100 mg; RYZE's 48 mg is about half a cup and suits people cutting back. Disclosure: neither gives per-species amounts. RYZE states a 2,000 mg blend total; Laird states about 500 mg and adds that its extracts are from fruiting bodies, which RYZE does not say. Testing: neither publishes a certificate of analysis that we could find. Formats: Laird, with ground, whole bean and pods; RYZE is instant only. Diet fit: both are USDA Organic and vegan; Laird is also Non-GMO Project verified.
Our pick
Laird Superfood, because it costs half as much, brews like real coffee and tells you the part of the mushroom it uses. Pick RYZE if you need an instant, want half the caffeine, or specifically want the larger blend total even without a breakdown. Both are on our best mushroom coffee list.
RYZE
RYZE mushroom coffee is the safest first mushroom coffee: smooth, cheap per cup at $1.20, organic and easy to find at Target, with 48 mg caffeine. But it discloses only a 2,000 mg six-mushroom blend total, with no per-mushroom doses, so you can't tell how much lion's mane you're actually getting, and we found no published COA.
$36.00 · $1.20/serving · 48 mg caffeine
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Laird Superfood
Laird Superfood mushroom coffee (PERFORM) is the cheapest real-coffee option in the category, about $0.59 per cup of organic Peruvian ground coffee with 100 mg caffeine. The four-mushroom fruiting-body blend of lion's mane, chaga, cordyceps and maitake is only about 500 mg total with no per-species breakdown, so it is coffee first and mushrooms a distant second.
$20.00 · $0.59/serving · 100 mg caffeine
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Both brands in one table
| Brand | Score | $/serving | Caffeine | Mushrooms | Part used | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RYZE | 3.4 | $1.20 | 48 mg | lions mane, cordyceps, reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, king trumpet | undisclosed | instant |
| Laird Superfood | 3.3 | $0.59 | 100 mg | lions mane, chaga, cordyceps, maitake | fruiting body | ground, whole bean, pods |
Frequently asked questions
Is Laird Superfood better than RYZE?
For value and for coffee taste, yes. Laird PERFORM is organic Peruvian ground coffee at about $0.59 per cup with a normal 100 mg of caffeine and a fruiting-body claim. RYZE has four times the stated mushroom total but discloses no part used and costs twice as much per serving.
Which has more caffeine, RYZE or Laird Superfood?
Laird, by a wide margin. PERFORM is ordinary ground coffee and Laird states about 100 mg per 10 g serving brewed as a 12 oz cup. RYZE is a diluted instant at 48 mg per serving, roughly half a regular cup. If caffeine gives you jitters, that gap favours RYZE.
Which is cheaper, RYZE or Laird Superfood?
Laird, at roughly half the price. A $20 12 oz bag brews about 34 servings at 10 g each, or $0.59 per cup. RYZE is $36 for 30 servings, or $1.20 per cup at the one-time price. Laird's K-Cups are $1.50 each, so the saving only applies to the ground bag.
Which has more mushrooms, RYZE or Laird Superfood?
RYZE states more: 2,000 mg across six mushrooms versus Laird's roughly 500 mg across four. Neither brand gives per-species amounts, so you cannot compare lion's mane directly. Laird does say its extracts come from fruiting bodies, which RYZE does not state, so Laird's smaller number is better described.
Sources
- RYZE Mushroom Coffee product page — RYZE price, servings, 48 mg caffeine and 2,000 mg blend total
- Laird Superfood PERFORM Medium Roast Ground product page — Laird price, bag size, ~100 mg caffeine per 10 g serving, ~500 mg blend and fruiting-body statement