Kopi Luwak : the most expensive coffee in the world but the less ethical!

What is Kopi Luwak?

When a coffee costs more than vanilla or gold, you have to wonder what the fuss is about! Well, get ready for an exciting little story: the beans go through the digestive tube then through the intestines of a small, cute & greedy animal who loves coffee cherries. Yes, it is from the excrement of Asian palm civets that you get the “black gold” ready to become your coffee!

The result? No more bitterness and a tasty cup of coffee with character. But nothing worth the inflated prices (a 1 kg bag can still reach between £180 to £380).

For or against Kopi Luwak coffee?

Since the beginning of MaxiCoffee, we have always refused to sell Kopi Luwak coffee for simple reasons we are about to explain. Before Kopi Luwak coffee got in the spotlight, the fermentation process it became famous for wasn’t a bad idea in itself. This method reduces bitterness which can be attractive to coffee drinkers. But the business built around this coffee is something we do not like because it has unfortunately led to a mass exploitation of cute catlike animals called civets.

Today, Asian palm civets are caged and their diet is too often reduced to low quality coffee cherries, at that’s it. In the name of a lucrative business, the well-being of these small animals is forgotten and quality is not even there anymore. However, prices are still ridiculous and Kopi Luwak coffee producers keep praising this coffee for its quality and its exceptional rarity. It is now up to you to do your own research and judge for yourself. Offering Kopi Luwak coffee would mean supporting this ruthless industry and here at MaxiCoffee, we refuse to do it. We prefer promoting real specialty coffees, coffees we think are much better, coffees respectful of the planet and all its residents.