Coffee in a bag? That might sound crazy, but Nature’s Coffee Kettle is a pretty good brew. Normally, you have to give up some quality for convenience. Not this time though. With Nature’s Coffee Kettle, you can brew up premium coffee any place you have access to hot water.
The concept is simple enough. You’ve got a bag (the kettle) with a plastic zip top, two chambers, and a spout. First, unscrew the cap from the spout. Then unzip the top, and slowly pour a cup of hot water over the coffee filter packet. Each packet is like a large tea bag, but with coffee. Once you have saturated it, give it a couple minutes, then slowly add three more cups. Because there is a smaller opening beneath the filter, it works a bit like a pour-over coffee maker. Seal it back up and let it brew for 3-5 minutes more. Pour and enjoy.
We put this to work in our high-tech lab. Actually, I brewed some up at the tech company I work for during the day. In our high-tech kitchen. I added the water, per the instructions, and brewed my first kettle. For me, four cups would be considered a single serving. It’s how I start many days. To be fair, I’m not sure which surprised me more – the fact that it tasted like real coffee, or that it stayed hot right to the last cup.
So I attempted to brew a second kettle. This is where things went south. Distracted, I tried to add a fifth cup. That made a mess, and weak coffee. Eventually, I prepared another kettle for coworkers. Their reaction was as positive as mine. And not just because it was free coffee for them. It’s like the old commercial where the restaurant serves instant coffee. But in this case, no one would have believed it was brewed in a bag.
What sets Natures Coffee Kettle apart from similar products is the custom roasts. Colombian Arabica, Brazilian Hazelnut, Brazilian Blueberry, Guatemalan, Sumatra, and a French Roast are available. In addition, they offer tea, hot cider, and hot chocolate. All brewed the same way, in the lightweight, easily packed kettle. It’s a pretty flexible system. And although they call it “Real coffee for the real outdoors”, you can enjoy it anytime, anywhere.
Currently, I have at least six different coffee presses. While they all do a great job, I wouldn’t hesitate to leave one at home, and just use the Nature’s Coffee Kettle for a quick brew. Depending on how you buy it, it’s $4-5 for four cups of premium coffee. That’s not a bad deal, and it’s convenient too. Which brings me back to my original comment. There’s no price or flavor penalty for that convenience. It’s not as good as freshly ground and pressed coffee, but it’s far better than any other $1 cup you’re likely to find. Check out naturescoffeekettle.com for pricing, flavors, and all their beverage options.
Thanks to Nature’s Coffee Kettle for hooking us up with their products for this test. I’m not so much a coffee snob as an overly-enthusiastic fan. And this is a viable coffee option for me when on the go.