If you’re like me, then you need to have your morning coffee before setting out on an outdoor adventure. But making the perfect, delicious, roasted cup is a bit difficult when outdoors or on-the-go. Enter the Kuju Coffee single-serve pour over packs.
When out backpacking or even car camping, I defaulted to instant coffee packs, and those taste like… instant coffee. While some taste better than others, nothing compares to the real thing. So Kuju is, dare I say, transformative?
Kuju Coffee
My outdoor coffee experience is very similar to the one Kuju Coffee founders had. According to Kuju Coffee, brothers Jeff & Justin were on a camping trip in Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas drinking instant joe. They decided it didn’t match up to the splendor of the scenery. So they created the Pocket PourOver – the original single-serve pour over in the US.
That idea translated to Kuju Coffee, which debuted in 2016. A new way to drink coffee outside is now available at outdoor stores nationwide. So I had to ask myself, what took me so long to discover this? Well, I’ve tested many of the different roasts on several occasions and have some thoughts.
The Test
My first experience with Kuju Coffee’s Pocket PourOver reminded me of time spent in Costa Rica. It was there that I drank the most delicious coffee in my life. The location was a shack on a coffee plantation nestled into a jungle, volcanic slope. The beans were fresh roasted and the coffee brewed pour-over style. To my amusement, the “barista” used a women’s nylon as the filter.
That memory came flooding back to me as I opened the Kuju pack. It’s a genius design as the coffee filter is attached to two wings that anchor it over a mug. After that you simply pour hot water into the filter filled with just enough ground beans for a single serving.
While the whole process is more labor and time intensive than instant coffee, the end result is so worth it. Plus, the ceremony of making a good cup of coffee is part of the fun.
The Beans
Kuju Coffee offers a number of different blends and single-source beans. Their Base Camp Blend is very solid, with a smooth flavor and low bitterness. I found it to be ideal for enjoying with breakfast.
But the single-origin collection is my favorite, especially the Papua New Guinea. It has subtle hints of sweetness and a nice, roasty taste.
Other coffee beans include: Bold Awakening, Angels Landing, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and a decaf roast.
More Than For Outdoors
Kuju Coffee, while marketed toward outdoor recreation, is also ideal for home and office. Last week my wife tried to quit drinking coffee (she lasted only two days). During that caffeine drought, rather than waste a pot of drip coffee my better half would not drink, I was rescued by Kuju’s single-serve packets.
Maybe the coffee sucks at your office. If you have the ability to heat water, then keeping a box or two of Kuju at your desk will be much better than choking down that burnt, day-old swill in the break room.
Another plus is that cleanup is a snap. I used to make French press coffee, but cleaning out the coffee grounds sucks. But Kuju’s pour-over packets can simply be thrown away. And they’re much more environmentally friendly than those plastic K-Cups.
Final Word
I take my coffee very seriously. But I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve allowed my standard to be lowered while outdoors. The convenience of instant coffee is hard to deny. But Kuju’s pour-over packets are the answer for anyone who wants coffee that’s quick and easy to make, but actually tastes like, well, coffee.
You can find Kuju Coffee at REI and other outdoor retailers, or visit them at https://www.kujucoffee.com/