What does caffeine and protein have in common? Not much actually, but for some, they can’t live without either. Protein very literally we can’t do without as it is one of the essential macronutrients, but caffeine would be considered just as essential for our coffee drinking friends.

In fact, caffeine is the most consumed adaptogen, and one that the whole world has fallen in love with. Its added to all kind of products from the best nootropics for focus, to pre-workout supplements or even gaming drinks.

On the other hand, protein drinks are all the fuzz right now. Not only protein drinks, but protein yogurts, protein bars, protein powder, and now even protein coffee. This macronutrient has become incredibly popular due to its health and fitness benefits.

I stumbled upon Chike on Reddit, and it piqued my interest. An actual coffee beverage with added protein, instead of a protein shake that is flavored like coffee. Figured it would be worth a shot.

Chike is coffee & milk-based beverage that is 110-140 calories, contains 20g of whey protein, and is comprised of two shots of espresso, which equate to 150mg of caffeine.

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Flavors: Original, Vanilla, Caramel, Chai Latte, Cinnamon, Chocolate Caramel, Sweet Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Vanila Latte, Caffe Mocha, Caramel Macchiato

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Funny story – one morning in the office a few years back, we were in the process of upgrading our coffee machines to these fancy official Starbucks machines. Unfortunately, while the one upstairs was getting installed, the one downstairs stopped working, so there was NO coffee to be had. Our office has about 70 people between both floors (pre-covid), and that day, while walking around, I saw maybe 10. I knew something was up. There happens to be a Dunkin across the street, and sure enough when I looked outside, the Dunkin was PACKED with the majority of people from my office.

No clients were getting helped, no checks were getting cut, no work at all was going to get done, until those folks got their fix! I realized then how serious coffee can be for some.

Fully Caffeinated

1. Single serve packs. I’m still in the camp that these are a great offering.

2. Shakes perfectly every time. Any container with a lid can produce a smooth beverage.

3. Version with no artificial sweeteners. Options for those who don’t want that.

4. Very tasty. All flavors seem to be really good

5. Low calorie and low carb.

Afternoon Crash

1. Too frothy. A strange criticism, but harder to drink without a straw.

2. No decaf option. I’d have it all the time if there was decaf.

3. Sampler doesn’t include all flavors. A pet peeve of mine.

4. Some flavors aren’t very distinctive. Likely because they seem to not include ingredients related to the flavors

The important thing to remember nutritionally is that this is NOT a meal replacement, a usual focus on this website. This is only protein inside coffee, therefore it should be considered a protein shake. It’s main objective is to help you increase your protein intake.

That said, it does offer some nice benefits over regular coffee and other bottled coffee drinks. Chicke High Protein Coffee is gluten-free, but there are no vegan options.

Chike Nutrition Overview

Kcal/meal	110 – 140
Macros (C/P/F)	13/68/19
Vegan	No
Keto	No
Features	Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Non-GMO	Yes
Organic	No
Includes Probiotics	No
Artificial Sweeteners	Yes
Synthetic Additives	No
Contains All Micronutrients	No
Controversial Ingredients	Sucralose, Soy

Carbohydrates

Based on 120kcal serving:

• Total Carbs: 4-7g, 1-3% of RI.
• Sugars: 1-3g, 0% of RI
• Fiber: 1g.

Not too much to see here. The carbs and sugar amounts in Chike are basically nonexistent, which is one of their selling points. The regular formula that contains sucralose, has only 1g of total sugar, with none added. The natural formula has 3g of total sugar, with 2g added.

However, if you like adding milk to your coffee take into account that you will be adding the sugars present in milk.

The fiber content is also a low point, but there aren’t many ingredients overall in Chike. Their goal is to improve your morning coffee, without spiking your blood sugar.

Protein

Per 120kcal serving:

• Total Protein: 20g, 40% of DV
• Source(s): Whey protein isolate

Having 20g of protein put Chike in line with many other protein shakes and meal replacements. This also sets it apart from other coffee. For 110kcals this is an excellent amount and does better than other protein drinks, I’ve reviewed here like Evolve Protein or Premier Protein.

The protein is whey based and it contains a blend of isolate and concentrate, so count on the full suite of amino acids, provided that whey isn’t difficult for you to digest. Multiple studies have shown that whey protein is an excellent source that enhances recovery and muscle growth.

Fats

Per 120kcal serving:

• Total Fats: 2.5g, 3% of RI.
• Saturated Fats: 1.5g, 8% of RI.

There is also not much fat to speak either, and the little it has is likely from the added sunflower oil and or xanthan gum used to bind and thicken.

Micronutrients

Outside a bit of calcium and potassium, there are no other micronutrients in Chike. If you use milk, you should be able to squeeze few vitamins in.

Allergens

Natural Chike contains milk, and Chike with sucralose contains milk and soy.

This was a bit of a slow process, as I was only going to have one flavor per day. At 150mg of caffeine, I wanted to also have it early as to not disrupt my already sketchy at times sleep.

However, I do want to try a few things with this product, mainly outlining the differences between using water or milk, and while it’s offered as an iced coffee, I do want to heat it up and see how it is.

Artificially Sweetened Chike High Protein Coffee

Starting with the standard flavors, I followed the directions exactly using 10oz (about 300ml) of milk, shook it up and poured over ice. This drink was like liquid velvet, not an imperfection to be found. Taste wise, it was pretty good, sweet…but not too sweet. The sucralose did not have any ill effect on the taste, nor leave an aftertaste.

They all were pretty good, but Mocha stood out as the best.

Naturally Sweetened Chike High Protein Coffee

This flavor belongs to the “natural” line, which replaces the use of sucralose, with Reb-M and organic cane sugar.

imilar to the regular flavors, it mixed super well, and as for the flavor, it was very good. It did not seem any more or less sweet than the sucralose containing line.

With Water

I used lactose free milk majority of the time, but thought…what if I don’t have access to milk and have to opt for water. Well, it was certainly ok with water but mimicked more of the bottled coffee drinks that sit on shelves. It was notably a less pleasant experience than with milk. So, I’d say….only if you have to.

As Hot Coffee

While Chike is recommended as an iced coffee, you can indeed enjoy it hot.

One thing I learned is that whey protein doesn’t take kindly to hot liquid. Therefore, the way to prevent poor mixing or degradation of the protein is to first mix it with cold/temperate liquid, then slowly heat it.

In this case, using water is better than milk, as milk seemed to cause the foam to clump.

Summary

Both product lines tasted very good and mixed really well.

The bolder flavors like Mocha, Caramel and Cinnamon were the best.

Vanilla tasted too much like original, and can be skipped or bought instead of original.

Chike was founded in Abilene, Texas by two sons of Abilene – Jason Hodges, and Remy Singh – who shared a passion for wellness, sports, nutrition, and entrepreneurship.

The company started small with a delicious meal replacement powder that exploded in popularity and enabled us to grow our team. Over time, we wanted to do things that other manufacturers were unwilling or unable to do for us, so we moved our manufacturing in-house and added our ridiculously good coffee protein powder, and several other products, to the brand.

We soon had other businesses knocking on our door asking us to manufacture delicious sports nutrition things for them too, so our manufacturing capabilities grew. We now manufacture products for a number of major brands in addition to our own. And we are cGMP certified, and a FDA inspected facility.

We have created a quality working environment and many quality jobs right here at home in Abilene, Texas. And we’re eager to see what amazing new opportunities the future holds for us, and for our incredible products.

Oh, as for the company name, the word “Chike” comes from an African tribal language and means “strength” and “power”.

Pricing

Chike Protein Coffee is available from their webpage, as well as Amazon and Walmart. They offer 14 serving bags, as well as individual serving packs, which contain 10 servings. They offer subscription discounts of $5 off per bag when subscribed. Subscription shipping is free, and shipping intervals are every 4, 6 or 8 weeks.

Shipping

Chike only ships within the US, and shipping for orders under $49 will be $4.95 for standard shipping, and $12.95 for express shipping. Orders above $49, and all subscription orders will ship free.

Customer Reviews

Sentiments related to Chike are overwhelmingly positive, with many mentions of good taste, easy mixing and being good enough to replace other morning beverages.

Amazon Chike High Protein Coffee reviews are overwhelmingly positive, in resemblance with my own experience.

Here’s one of such positive Chike reviews:

First time trying and I love the cinnamon flavor! One of the better protein supplements I’ve had. Mixes with water very well and still gives a creamy texture, without the added calories of mixing it with milk! I work nights and love that I can take it with me and only need water and ice to make it! I will be buying again and trying other flavors!

Sara MC, 5-star Amazon review

Chike has positioned itself as a much better alternative to the coffee most buy on the go from the large chains here in the US. Below is a chart from Chike comparing their product to a few of the mainstream options.

As you can see, all those extra syrup pumps make for a quite sugary and caloric start to your mornings. With Chike, get only 1g of sugar and fraction of the calories, while getting more caffeine per serving, and 3 to 5 times the protein.

Also, while not on the chart, you have to factor in cost. Prices will vary depending on your area, but where I am, here is a snapshot of your daily costs. Of note, these are the baseline costs and do not include any extras you may add.

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino	Dunkin Cocoa Mocha Iced Latte	McDonalds McCafe Iced Mocha Latte	Chike Protein Coffee
$4.95+	$4+	$3+	$2.50

Besides, Chike High Protein Coffee can be a great alternative for other protein powders like Kaged Protein, MyProtein, ProteinWorks Whey, etc. especially if you like to workout in the mornings.

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Verdict – Chike Protein Coffee

Coming down from my caffeine high, I have a few words about Chike Protein Coffee.

Even for someone like me who isn’t a regular coffee drinker, I see the value in this product over the iced coffee drinks bought from local shops and big chains. You will really do yourself a big favor by cutting down all those morning calories, sugars and carbs in pursuit of your caffeine.

I would like to see them market a bit more, as I only saw them as a user question on Reddit. Also, I think they could offer a couple of decaf options for the coffee lovers who are not caffeine lovers. I’d also like a better sample pack. I hate when all flavors are not included, or at least allow me to choose which I want.

Overall, its affordable, they have lots of flavors and it mixes like a dream. The 20g of protein is also on par with most RTD protein shakes on the market.

Bottom Line – Chike offers a product I feel can be an improved replacement for regular iced coffee drinkers and offer an excellent protein drink.