The pods and seeds from the Kentucky coffeetree do not contain caffeine. Although brewing the roasted seeds will create a coffee like beverage, it will not provide the same jolt of energy as the real thing. The European settlers were not keen on this fact, once they began receiving shipments of real coffee from overseas, their interest in the Kentucky coffeetree seeds quickly waned. However, similar to real coffee, the roasted seeds do provide a mild laxative effect.