I really like coffee.
The intimate bond I have with coffee early in the morning before anybody else is up and stirring kicks off a special beginning to my day. I heard that time recently described as “when the day feels like your secret.”
You can give me coffee many ways – the common drip brew, the French Press, the pour-over. Heck, I even like gas station coffee.
I do not like coffee from a hotel coffee maker. One day I was walking down a hotel hallway and saw a coffee maker being cleaned in a room. A rag and Windex was involved. Therefore, I tend to take my coffee preparations with me when I leave the comfort of my home or camp.
A few months ago I was introduced to Kuju Coffee, a simple five-minute pour-over method that has really simplified my on-the-go coffee life.
Kuju Coffee Created by Adventurers for Adventurers
Kuju Coffee was created by two Eagle Scout brothers, Jeff and Justin Wiguna, who got tired of instant coffee while camping. On that camping trip, the brothers found themselves surrounded by the most beautiful scenery: sweeping sunrises, golden mesas, and awe-inspiring constellations, but their coffee didn’t match up. So, they set out on a journey to find a better way and created the Pocket PourOver, the original single-serve pour over in the US. Today, Kuju can be found in places such as REI, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Bass Pro Shops, Amazon and kujucoffee.com.
The brothers started hand-packing the pour-overs in their living room, and the idea took off. Kuju Coffee was the first outdoor brand to offer a compact, quality single-serve coffee option to compliment the beauty of outdoor adventures. Now, the brand focuses on its Source-to-Soul initiative striving for impact in every part of its business from packing its coffee products using 100 percent wind-powered facilities, to ethically sourced coffee from farms that support local livelihoods, to giving back directly to US National Parks as a member of 1 percent of the Planet.
The Kuju Coffee product assortment includes single-serve portable pour-over in a selection of blends and premium single origins. So far I’ve tried the medium roast Basecamp Blend (featuring notes of oak, chocolate and honey), Premium Single Origin Papua New Guinea (maple syrup, red oak and dark chocolate) and Premium Single Origin West Sumatra (aged berry, toasted cocoa and apricot). I think my favorite is the Basecamp Blend, followed by the PSO New Guinea.
Can Quick Coffee Be Great Coffee?
What makes great coffee? It starts with good water. Quality beans and roasting processes are a must. Grinding methods even come into play.
Great coffee doesn’t have to be expensive. I’ve had some really good fast-food coffee. I’ve had some really bad nationally famous $6-a-cup coffee. Great coffee depends on personal taste, but there are certain measures that can be taken to help a cup of Joe be something special.
The Wiguna brothers claim Kuju Coffee contains only 100 percent specialty-grade coffee and has more grounds in their filter than any competitor. I didn’t count them, but the grounds produced a good, strong cup of coffee for me in short order, and that’s what really counts.
Alan, Tennessee Valley Outsider’s co-founder, gave it compliments when I shared it with him recently. “That’s really good coffee. That’s really cool. Surprisingly good,” he said. My wife echoed that sentiment on a recent outing. So, it’s unanimous with the TVO crew … Kuju Coffee truly is Gear We Love.
