There’s that old quote “I’ve never brewed coffee in my sock, but I’d love some in my stocking”. Okay, I made that up. But it’s true. Also, it’s November, the time of year when most of us are thinking about buying stuff for everyone else. If you know me, you know that coffee is always a welcome gift. And I’m clearly not alone when it comes to coffee. So before I get into my Kuju Coffee review, here are some interesting things about coffee that you probably didn’t know.
Coffee trivia:
- Over 60% of adult Americans drinks coffee daily. The rest are missing out.
- Of those 60%, about 44% drink 2-3 cups per day. They’re the ones getting things done.
- Since the day after the Boston Tea Party, coffee drinking has been our patriotic duty.
- New York leads the United States in coffee consumption.
- “The city that never sleeps” is one of many nicknames given to New York City.
- Kuju Coffee is made with sustainability in mind, plus growers make a living wage and are treated fairly.
- Only Kuju Coffee is manufactured using 100% windmill power. No coal was involved in the making of their coffee.
Why pour over?
If you’re already a fan of pour over coffee, the answer is “Why not?” For everyone else, it’s a bit more involved, but also simple. Let’s start by breaking down coffee into three components – flavor, aroma, and ease of brewing. Obviously, flavor is important. And the fresher, the coffee, the more likely it will have better flavor. Due to the placement of our noses directly over our mouths, aroma plays a key role in coffee enjoyment too. Which leads us to ease of brewing. You can walk into any coffee shop that originated in Seattle, and with little effort (besides patience) get a mediocre cup of coffee. At home, I just place a porta-filter under the bean grinder, and hit the button. From there, I give it a careful tamp, and stick it in the espresso maker. Topped off with 2/3 of a cup of hot water, I have one fine Americano. But that setup is not at all portable. Kuju pour over coffee solves all these concerns.
So what is Kuju pour over coffee, and how do you brew it?
Kuju took some fantastic beans, created a bunch of delicious blends, and figured out a way to make them portable. Each foil pouch contains coffee in its own filter, designed to straddle your favorite cup or vacuum bottle. Instructions for brewing are on the back of the pouch. Choose from their Premium Single Origin line, or their Ethically Sourced. You can’t go wrong with either. Here’s a video of Justin, co-founder of Kuju Coffee, demonstrating the brewing process.
How does it taste?
Kuju was kind enough to send us four varieties for our review. The items in quotes are their description, as printed on the packaging.
- Bold Awakening, a dark roast. “Earthy, dark cocoa, dried berry”
- Basecamp Blend, a medium roast. “Oak, chocolate, honey”
- Ethiopia Premium Single Origin. “Fresh blueberry, morning citrus, honey”
- Papua New Guinea Premium Single Origin. “Maple syrup, red oak, dark chocolate”
In order to not skew my opinions, I only had one of each per day. And I tried to sample them before starting my breakfast. Bold Awakening, being a dark roast, was aptly named. Possibly tied for my favorite, it’s for coffee lovers that know milk and sugar is only for babies. Next up was the Ethiopia. I had high hopes for this one, as Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and usually one of my favorites. I would describe it as “lighter”, and feel it’s the perfect afternoon coffee. Basecamp Blend was a solid performer, and probably the best all-around, any-time cup. I had the Papua New Guinea with an exceptional breakfast – scrambled eggs with jalapenos and steak that had been marinating in bourbon. It was an excellent pairing, and the coffee held its own against some lively flavors.
All four had a great aroma, which builds anticipation while you wait for the cup to cool a bit. The first two I tried were about equal for me as far as a satisfying cup goes. The Papua New Guinea was a close second. And there is no shame for the Basecamp Blend taking 3rd place. It just didn’t stand out as much as the rest of the blends, but that’s some fierce competition.
Conclusion
This is pretty simple. Each serving is about the same price as a cup of coffee shop coffee (I had to look it up, as I wouldn’t know). For your money, you’re getting a really good brew too. Just as important today, you can feel good about where that coffee comes from. On the Kuju website, they list plenty of retailers that carry their coffee, or you can order direct. For those that prefer to click less, this link takes you to Kuju Coffee on Amazon. They offer some great bundles, and you can also save by ordering in bulk. Get enough to have a supply at home, and work. Plus take some on your next road trip, campout, or business trip. Life’s too short to start the day with bad coffee.
A special thanks to Jeff and Justin from Kuju Coffee for sending us over the review samples. They’ve created a brand that allows you to enjoy the luxury of a great cup of coffee, while also making a positive impact on the people in their supply chain and manufacturing.
p.s. I am the mug. 🙂