Coffee Stories, Coffee Reviews
My Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee Experiment: What I learned when I accidentally ordered the wrong thing
From the outside, 2026 is already shaping up beautifully – Coffee & Words growing, my sanctuary life in Florida fully established. But the real work is happening on the inside. I’m in a season of paying attention: to my routines, to consistency, to movement, to what I’m actually putting in my body. Not from a place of fixing what’s broken, but from honoring the healing that’s already happened. This mushroom coffee experiment? It’s part of that. A small choice to be more intentional about something I do every single morning.
Before ordering anything, I did my homework. I read reviews, compared brands, and learned that five names consistently rise to the top in mushroom coffee discussions: Ryze (best overall/flavor balance), Four Sigmatic (classic, good taste), MUD\WTR (coffee alternative, focus), Everyday Dose (focus/gut health), and ReNude Chagaccino (best tasting/keto). As someone testing a new category, I started with the most approachable option. Four Sigmatic came in as the least expensive of these brands, making it the logical place to begin.
The claims seemed almost too good to be true: sustained energy without the jitters, less bloat, mental clarity. As someone who runs multiple newspapers and lives for my morning coffee ritual, I was curious enough to invest $25.80 in a bag of Four Sigmatic.
What I didn’t realize until I opened the package was that I’d ordered instant coffee. And not even the “Original” formula I thought I’d clicked on – I’d somehow ended up with their “Focus Organic Coffee Latte Supplement.” But here’s the thing about real life: it’s messy, and sometimes the mistakes teach you more than getting it right the first time would have.
Day 1: Missing my coffee
That first morning, I followed the instructions: 2.5 teaspoons in 8 ounces of hot water. I used my Keurig. I’d already had my regular hazelnut k-cup coffee – old habits die hard – so this was going to be my second cup of the day.
The smell hit me first. Or rather, the lack of smell. Other reviewers talk about “earthy” tones, and now I understand what they mean. It’s not dirt, but it’s definitely not coffee. There’s something subdued about it, almost forest-like, that made me realize how much of my morning ritual is about aroma. I could pick out caramel undertones in the taste, and it wasn’t bad exactly, but I found myself missing that rich coffee fragrance that usually fills my cozy spot.
Then came the texture situation. When I got to the bottom of my cup, the residue coating the inside was chalky and gritty. Regular coffee doesn’t leave sediment like that. Worse, my mouth felt coated with the same texture. I had to brush my teeth before making my next cup. That’s when I knew – I couldn’t do instant mushroom coffee every day, no matter what the health benefits promised.
The irony? When I shared a photo of my mug later that day, I realized I’d been testing the wrong product entirely. The “Focus” part apparently wasn’t working well enough for me to notice I’d received something different than I’d ordered. We had a good laugh about that.
Day 2: Finding a compromise
I submitted an Amazon return request (they’re sending the correct Original formula at no cost), but I still had this bag of Focus Latte sitting on my counter. And I’ll be honest – I was in the middle of a production week and I didn’t want to give up on the concept entirely just because of texture issues.
So I experimented. I mixed half the recommended amount of instant mushroom coffee into my regular hazelnut k-cup. And you know what? It worked. The blend gave me the coffee smell and taste I was missing, no overwhelming earthy flavor and the chalky residue was diluted enough that my mouth felt normal. Just regular coffee breath : )
The other Four Sigmatic product I’d ordered – their Gut Health Organic Ground Coffee – arrived around 11:30 that morning. I made my third cup with it and the difference was immediate. It smelled like coffee. It tasted like coffee. The brewing ritual I’d been missing was back.
I could finally understand why someone might actually choose mushroom coffee. This wasn’t a weird health drink I was choking down for benefits. This was just … good coffee. Strong coffee, actually – their “medium roast” felt bold to me at 8 ounces. When I bumped it up to 10 ounces with my usual cream and sugar, it was perfect.
“Now THIS I can get used to,” I told my computer screen, “if I feel the benefits it claims.”
Day 3: The ritual returns
The real test came on Day 3 when I sat in my favorite spot for my morning journaling with the ground mushroom coffee as my first cup of the day. This is sacred time for me – early morning quiet, Florida still sleeping, just me and my thoughts and my coffee. If mushroom coffee couldn’t work here, it wasn’t going to work for me at all.
It did.
I enjoyed my usual coffee routine – the making process, the fresh coffee smell, the anticipation. At 10 ounces, it reminded me of a smoother version of a dark roast. Nothing earthy about it when you’re brewing actual ground coffee. The instant powder’s forest floor notes completely disappear when you’re working with real coffee beans.
That day tested more than just my morning ritual. The kind of day where I usually rely on multiple cups of coffee to push through, then crash hard around 9 p.m.
I almost made a third cup that afternoon but chose bone broth instead. My energy was still good. I made it through three potential story interviews, got production work done, and yes, I was mentally tired by evening – but that’s normal, healthy fatigue after a full day of brain-intensive work. It felt different from the depleted crash I sometimes get.
What I didn’t know about mushroom coffee
Here’s where I need to confess something: I had mushroom coffee completely wrong in my head. I assumed it was a low-caffeine or caffeine-free alternative. I thought maybe it was even made FROM mushrooms, like some kind of coffee substitute.
Both assumptions were incorrect.
After noticing I had zero caffeine headaches despite “switching” to mushroom coffee, I looked it up. Four Sigmatic Gut Health Ground Coffee contains approximately 150mg of caffeine per 12-ounce cup. That’s regular coffee levels. Because it IS regular coffee – organic Honduran and Peruvian beans – with functional mushroom extracts added.
I’m not drinking a coffee alternative. I’m drinking enhanced coffee. Premium beans that have been upgraded with adaptogens, probiotics, and immune support from chaga and turkey tail mushrooms.
This explains why my energy feels good (I didn’t actually reduce my caffeine intake), why there’s no earthy flavor in the ground version (coffee beans dominate), and why it smells and tastes like the dark roast it is. The mushrooms are there for health benefits, not to replace the coffee experience.
Day 4: The thing I actually noticed
It’s Saturday morning now, Day 4 of my experiment. I woke up late, so the Florida sun is already streaming through my window as I write this. I’m on my second cup – 10 ounces, cream and sugar, exactly the way I like it. And I’ve realized something.
I don’t have the bloat.
With regular coffee, I can almost set a clock by it. Second cup of the day, especially on an empty stomach (I rarely eat breakfast), and I start feeling full and uncomfortable. That bloated, can’t-have-another-cup feeling that’s just part of my coffee routine. I didn’t even think it was something that could change – it was just what coffee did.
Except it’s not happening with mushroom coffee.
Yesterday I skipped breakfast and went straight into work. Today, same thing. Both days, I’m on my second cup with zero discomfort. I’m not bloated. I don’t feel full. I’m just … enjoying my coffee.
This is the first thing I can point to and say definitively: this is different. Energy levels are hard to isolate when you’re having good days with deadline momentum and the same caffeine intake. But digestive comfort? That’s something I know in my body. And mushroom coffee is not giving me the same issues regular coffee always has.
Let’s be honest about something else: coffee and your digestive system don’t always play nice. Regular coffee can speed things up uncomfortably or cause issues. But four days into mushroom coffee with probiotics? My bathroom routine stays perfectly normal and comfortable – no rushing, no discomfort, just regular and easy. That’s a gut health win.
Is it the probiotics in the Gut Health formula? The functional mushrooms reducing acidity? Higher quality beans being gentler on my stomach? I don’t know yet. But I know what I feel – or more accurately, what I don’t feel – and that’s worth paying attention to.
What I’m learning about myself
Testing mushroom coffee has revealed some interesting patterns. I’ve discovered that I probably don’t actually need three cups of coffee in the morning. That third cup sitting on my warmer has been habit more than need. Two cups of mushroom coffee satisfy me in a way that makes me realize I might have been over-caffeinating before.
I’ve also learned that format matters more than I expected. The instant version – even the “wrong” product I accidentally ordered – could have worked if I’d been willing to compromise on the ritual. But I’m not. My morning coffee routine isn’t just about caffeine delivery. It’s about the making, the smell, the full sensory experience that helps me transition from sleep to creative work. Ground coffee gives me that. Instant doesn’t.
And maybe most importantly, I’ve been reminded that you can’t white-knuckle your way through something that doesn’t fit your life. When Day 1’s instant coffee left me missing my coffee smell and feeling chalky residue in my mouth, I could have pushed through “for the benefits.” But that’s not sustainable. Real change comes from finding what actually works for you, not forcing yourself into someone else’s routine.
Where I am now
I’m switching to mushroom coffee. At least, I’m switching to THIS mushroom coffee – the Four Sigmatic Gut Health Organic Ground Coffee at 10 ounces with my usual cream and sugar. It tastes like the smooth dark roast I enjoy, it doesn’t give me the digestive discomfort I’ve accepted as normal, and it fits seamlessly into the morning ritual that matters to me.
Do I feel increased mental clarity? More sustained focus? Better immune support? I honestly can’t say yet. It’s only been four days, and Google tells me those kinds of benefits typically show up within a week of consistent use. I need more time to know if the functional mushrooms are doing something beyond solving my bloat problem.
But here’s what I know right now: I found a coffee I genuinely enjoy drinking that also happens to have adaptogens and probiotics added. Even if the only benefit I ever experience is less digestive discomfort, that’s enough. That changes my daily life in a real, tangible way.
I’ll keep you updated as I continue through the week. There’s still that “Original” formula Amazon is sending me (whenever it’s back in stock), and I’m curious how it compares. I’ve got batteries coming for my electric frother to test whether that changes the instant version’s texture issues. And I want to see if this digestive comfort pattern holds consistently or if Day 4 was just a fluke.
For now, though, I’m sitting in my cozy spot with my second cup of mushroom coffee, watching the morning light shift across my Florida sanctuary, and feeling genuinely good about this small change.
Sometimes the best discoveries come from ordering the wrong thing.
This is part of an ongoing experiment. I’ll update this post as I learn more through Day 7 and beyond. If you’re curious about trying mushroom coffee yourself, my advice: start with ground coffee, not instant. Your morning ritual will thank you.
Products I’m Testing:
☕ Four Sigmatic Focus Organic Coffee Latte Supplement (Instant) – Amazon Link – $25.80 for 30 servings (the wrong product I accidentally ordered!)
☕ Four Sigmatic Gut Health Organic Ground Coffee – Amazon Link – $13.29 for 12oz bag (my current favorite – this is the one!)
☕ Four Sigmatic Original Mushroom Coffee (Instant) – [Amazon Link] – pending delivery (out of stock when I ordered)
Some links are Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. This is an honest review – some products I loved, some I didn’t. All opinions are based on my actual experience.
Last Updated: January 10, 2026 – Day 4
