13 Best Dark Roast K Cups For Lovers Of Bold Flavor

1. Atlas Coffee Club – Best Tasting Dark Roast K Cup

In all honesty, you have to try Atlas Coffee Club’s dark roasts.

El Salvador and Costa Rica single-origin K-cup pods made me rethink everything I knew about coffee in a pod.

As a dark roast coffee lover, I thought I’d stick with espresso based drinks forever, but this carefully crafted and full-bodied coffee in a pod actually made me a K-cup lover.

The Costa Rican dark roast K-cup pods hit me right on the spot with delightful notes of cocoa and some subtle red grape and cinnamon aromas. 

It was so smooth and delightful; I just knew I had found my go-to.

The pricing can vary depending on where you purchase but the most economical option is to sign up for a subscription on the Atlas Coffee Website.

For your first purchase, you can get 50% off which means the usual price per cup of $0.68c (already reasonable) is halved to $0.34c (ridiculously cheap). 

Going out to grab a coffee quickly became a thing of the past.

The best thing about the Atlas Coffee Club pods?

You can become an Atlas coffee member of their club and receive monthly shipments of various types of coffee from all over the world.[1] Ethiopia, Costa Rica, India; dark roast, medium, roast, light roast - whatever floats your boat!

If monthly membership is not for you, then you can purchase Atlas Dark Roast K-Cups on Amazon.

2. Lifeboost Coffee Dark Roast - Popular Option

Lifeboost Dark Roast coffee is not your typical K-cup.

Now, you can read all about their efforts and practices on their website, but let me tell you, all that good work pales in comparison to this dark roast coffee taste.

I was tasting notes I only thought were possible if you were to use actual coffee beans. At a fraction of the cost! These K-cups come in at about $1.60 per pod.

That's still about three times as much as the Starbucks Italian Roast pods, but super affordable to ethically sourced coffee at-home.

This thing's bold and dark, like black coffee you might drink on your trip to Europe. So, if you're a purist (like I used to be), this thing will have you question your beliefs.

Also, if dark roast coffees are bothering your stomach - this one's got you covered. The low acid makes it a gentle option.

3. Green Mountain Dark Magic - Budget Pick

Green Mountain Dark Magic is for everyone who isn't a fan of complex flavors and subtle notes.

Dark Magic is coffee for traditional coffee lovers! If you like Turkish coffee or espresso - you’ll like this one, too.

Compared to the other dark roast coffees on the list - this one stands out because it doesn’t. It’s just dark roast coffee in all its simplicity and glory.

It also stands out because it’s sooo inexpensive.

The only downside, in my opinion, is that you won’t be able to get enough of it.

For a similar tasting coffee without the caffeine, try Peet's Dark Roast K-Cups, which are coming up as number 6 on my list.

4. Illy K-Cups Forte Extra Dark Roast

I have a soft spot for Illy in my heart because when I was a barista, we used to use their dark roast coffee beans.

Disregarding that, Illy's dark roast coffee from a K-cup pod tastes awfully a lot like a fresh cup of coffee from your local shop. It's just dark coffee at its finest.

It’s bold but smooth. It’s punchy but goes down easy. It’s not bitter, but it’s also not acidic.

And here’s a tip for you! Froth some milk and make a cappuccino or a latte with this one. It’ll blow you away!

5. Peet's Decaf Dark Roast K-Cups

Full disclosure - I’m not the biggest decaf fan in the world.

However, I can’t say that I don’t like a cup of decaf late in the evening when I have to do some work, but I don’t want to disrupt my sleep.

Even though I don’t get the same dark roast coffee benefits as I do with the regular, caffeinated version, there are times when I actually want this over the regular stuff.

As for the taste, Peet’s coffee is very good. It definitely doesn’t taste like your regular decaf.

You get that dark roast coffee mouthfeel and quite a complex flavor profile. I don’t know if that’s just me, but I always get this smoky vibe from these.

And oh, these are quite affordable if you get the big boy 88-pack.

6. Tim Horton's Single Serve Coffee Pods

Tim Horton’s coffee K-cup pods represent a balance between quality and affordability, and this time it’s no different. As expected, Tim Horton’s Dark Roast is a great bang for the buck.

Now, I don’t generally turn to these K-cup pods because their flavor is a bit too mild for me, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having it.

It's just that I like my coffee dark and bold, and while this one certainly is both, it doesn't have that same kick as some others on this list, such as my top choice from Atlas Coffee Club.

That said, I can see college students on a budget downing these single-serve cups during midterms, so if that sounds like you - this is your jam. Trust me.

7. Death Wish Dark Roast K-Cups

I drank this one just for kicks for a week before the gym, and let me tell you, this will have you buzzing more than a pre-workout.

So, I did some math…

Assuming this is a 50/50 robusta and arabica blend, at approximately 12 grams per K-cup, we’re likely looking at around 300-350 mg of caffeine per cup, which is pretty much insane.

On the other hand, while the taste is definitely not why people turn to Death Wish K-cup coffee - it's actually pretty good. 

This is a bold coffee with a strong aroma, earthy tones, and subtle hints of cocoa and cherry.

And considering it’s just a dollar a pop - this dark roast is the most cost-effective way to feel the caffeine buzz. For example, the Illy Dark Roast pods are also $1, but you would have to drink three of them to get the same amount of caffeine!

Just don't drink two of the Death Wish ones, as it'll put you over the daily recommended caffeine.[2]

8. Starbucks Italian Dark Roast K-Cups

If the Starbucks French Roast is too dark for you - Italian Dark Roast K-Cups should be your go-to.

It's arguably the best dark roast out there, considering how many Keurig machines brew it every single day.

All in all, this is a delicious cup of coffee. It has this common, slightly bitter darker bean taste profile and a great, smooth mouthfeel. 

You also get these nutty and sweet aromas if you really take your time with the sips.

It’s easily one of my favorites.

And the fact that it’s basically 50 cents per pod also makes me love it a lot, especially since the taste is right up there with more expensive brands, like K-cups from Koffee Kult!

9. Dunkin Donuts Dark Roast K-Cups

Dunkin Donuts Dark Roast coffee pods actually taste quite like the coffee you’d get at the actual Dunkin Donuts establishment.

I can't quite say the same for my previous pick. Starbucks K-cups are good, but Starbucks from Starbucks just hits different.

For me, it’s not something I usually turn to, but I can clearly see how anyone could enjoy coffee like this.

It’s familiar, it’s smooth, it’s bold, it’s got a nice kick to it, and you’ll gladly come back to it.

Especially at just over a dollar per cup!

10. Koffee Kult Dark Roast K-Cups

I always liked Koffee Kult’s ground coffee, so I didn’t hesitate to give their coffee pods a try.

And yes, these K-cup pods are all you’d expect them to be.

They're filled with the finest Latin Arabica beans, toasted by top-notch coffee roasters, and they make for a great-tasting and even better-smelling cup of coffee.

If you take your time with it, I promise you'll get to taste all these different aromas and flavors!

Honestly, unless you’re a fan of French roasts, I have a feeling this will easily become one of your favorite dark coffees.

11. Emeril Coffee Keurig Single-Serve K-Cup

Emeril Coffee dark roast lies somewhere between a medium roast and French roast - so it's not quite for hardcore dark coffee lovers who are turning to the Death Wish variety. 

That said, for arguably the most affordable K-cup ever - this is some pretty solid stuff.

It's reasonably bold, and it has a pretty, very well-balanced taste profile. There's some bitterness here and there, a hint of sourness, but nothing too overwhelming.

One thing I don't like about it is you don't know what kind of bean blend you're getting.

Still, we also have to tailor our expectations at this price point… just over a quarter per cup!

12. Folgers Black Silk K-Cups