RYZE vs MUD\WTR: Mushroom Coffee or Cacao Chai — Which Should You Buy?
In one line
RYZE vs MUD\WTR: RYZE is the better buy for most people because it is actual coffee at $1.20 a cup versus $1.67, while MUD\WTR is a four-mushroom cacao chai with no coffee in it. MUD\WTR only wins if you want to leave coffee behind and know your per-mushroom dose.
What this page covers
- RYZE original instant versus the MUD\WTR Original (Rise) 30-serving tin
- Price per cup, caffeine, taste, disclosure and testing
What it does not cover
- MUD\WTR's separate arabica-based Coffee product or its Matcha and Rest blends
- RYZE's matcha, cacao and creamer lines
Side by side
| RYZE | MUD\WTR | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.4 / 5 | 2.9 / 5 |
| Price | $36.00 / 30 | $50.00 / 30 |
| Per serving | $1.20 | $1.67 |
| Caffeine | 48 mg | 35 mg |
| Mushrooms | lions mane, cordyceps, reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, king trumpet | lions mane, chaga, reishi, cordyceps |
| Doses disclosed per species | No | Yes |
| Beta-glucans disclosed | No | No |
| Third-party tested | Not stated | Not stated |
| Formats | instant | latte-mix |
| Taste & drinkability | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Ingredient quality | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Label transparency | 2.5 | 4.0 |
| Price per serving | 4.5 | 2.0 |
| Third-party lab testing | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Mushroom dosage | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Choose RYZE if…
- You want something that tastes like coffee — MUD\WTR is cacao, chai spices and black tea
- You want the cheaper cup: $1.20 per serving versus $1.67
- You'd rather buy it at Target than order a tin online
Choose MUD\WTR if…
- You want per-mushroom amounts on the label — 560 mg each of four species
- You want the least caffeine possible while still getting a lift: 35 mg versus 48 mg
- You're quitting coffee and want a ritual that doesn't taste like a weaker version of it
The short version
This is less a head-to-head than a fork in the road. RYZE is a mild, creamy instant coffee with six mushrooms folded in. MUD\WTR is a spiced cacao and black tea drink with four mushrooms and no coffee whatsoever. If you want to keep drinking coffee, RYZE. If you want to stop, MUD\WTR.
Where each wins
Taste: RYZE, if you want coffee. The MCT and coconut give it body and it scores 4.5 for taste in our review; MUD\WTR scores 3.5 and tastes like a thin chai hot chocolate. Price: RYZE at $1.20 per cup against $1.67. Caffeine: MUD\WTR is lower at 35 mg versus 48 mg, so it is the one to drink after lunch. Disclosure: MUD\WTR, clearly. It prints 560 mg for each of its four mushrooms and names the growing substrate; RYZE gives a 2,000 mg total across six species and nothing else. Formats: both are single-format powders, though RYZE is sold in 1,900-plus Target stores. Diet fit: both are USDA Organic; neither publishes a third-party certificate of analysis.
Our pick
RYZE, because the question most people are actually asking is "which mushroom coffee should I drink," and only one of these is coffee. It is cheaper, smoother and easier to buy. MUD\WTR is the honest choice for the smaller group who want to taper off coffee and want to know exactly what mushroom dose they are paying for. If neither fits, our best mushroom coffee roundup covers the rest of the field.
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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MUD\WTR
MUD\WTR mushroom coffee is not coffee but a cacao-chai alternative (Original), and the most transparent multi-mushroom blend on the market: 560 mg each of lion's mane, chaga, reishi and cordyceps, with 35 mg caffeine. The mushrooms are grown as mycelium on oats and sorghum, so part of that weight is grain, and $1.67 a cup is steep.
$50.00 · $1.67/serving · 35 mg caffeine
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Both brands in one table
Frequently asked questions
Is MUD\WTR better than RYZE?
For label transparency, yes: MUD\WTR states 560 mg each of lion's mane, chaga, reishi and cordyceps, while RYZE only gives a 2,000 mg six-mushroom total. For everyday drinking, RYZE wins because it is real instant coffee, costs less per cup, and is easier to find in stores.
Which has more caffeine, RYZE or MUD\WTR?
RYZE, slightly. RYZE lists 48 mg of caffeine per serving from arabica coffee. MUD\WTR Original has about 35 mg from black tea powder, since the tin contains no coffee at all. Both are well under a regular cup, but MUD\WTR is the easier one to drink in the afternoon.
Which is cheaper, RYZE or MUD\WTR?
RYZE. A 30-serving bag is $36, or $1.20 per cup at the one-time price. MUD\WTR's 30-serving tin is $50, or $1.67 per cup, dropping to $1.33 on subscription. Neither is the cheapest option we track, but RYZE saves you about 28 percent per serving.
Which has more mushrooms, RYZE or MUD\WTR?
MUD\WTR discloses more: 2,240 mg across four mushrooms, with each amount printed. RYZE discloses 2,000 mg across six species with no breakdown. One caveat: MUD\WTR's blend is grown as mycelium on oats and sorghum, so part of that figure is grain substrate rather than mushroom tissue.
Sources
- RYZE Mushroom Coffee product page — RYZE price, servings, 48 mg caffeine and 2,000 mg blend total
- MUD\WTR Original 30-serving tin product page — MUD\WTR price, servings, 35 mg caffeine, per-species 560 mg amounts and mycelium-on-oats statement