Coffee

Featured review by BigRed

About as good as instant coffee gets, at a reasonable price and lower weight-per-cup than the main alternative. A good choice for extended backcountry trips where real coffee isn't worth the extra weight and hassle.

Backcountry coffee is a perennial topic on the TS foums, with threads running on for weeks if not months, and many members weighing in with their own idiosyncratic preferences. Here’s another log for that long-burning fire. Here's the search image: And the backstory: A while back when my wife and I were planning a 10-day outing, we got into a little disagreement over what to do about coffee. We agreed that we had to have coffee, and that the weight and hassle of fresh brew wasn’t going to work for us this time—when you’re trying to get 10 days worth of food into two bear canisters and keep your starting weight reasonable, some things have to go.

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Featured review by Bigger Al

I'm a recovering coffee snob who, in previous years, would have rather drank mud from a puddle than instant coffee of any brand. Those days are over.

Alright, I'll admit it. I'm a coffee snob. My grounds of choice come from Peet's Coffee, and I take great pride in brewing a full-bodied cuppa Joe, whether I'm at home or out in the wilderness. Over the years I've used espresso makers for backpacking, drip filter holders of all shapes and sizes, the Aero Press system (still a great way to brew, BTW) and good old Cowboy coffee. I will also admit to an aversion to anything from Starbuck's. All of that has changed since I tried the Via instant coffees.  My youngest daughter brought some home one evening, and hounded me for an hour to give one of them a go, and I did so just to get her to ease up.

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Reviewed by Pillowthread

If you’re looking for instant coffee you’ll do well finding Alpine Start. Upmarket of center, Alpine Start offers a boldness, a complexity of flavor not often found outside of the fresh-ground-and-lovingly-brewed set. For those not married to the traditional method of coffee brewing, Alpine Start also allows a greatly reduced base weight and packed size in comparison.

Best For: Well, you know—alpinists, apparently. Fast-packers, thru-hikers, college students, and commuters, also. All those who multi-task out of a desire to save time. Design Alpine Start is instantized (read: part micro-ground, part freeze-dried) coffee packaged into little sealed plastic pouches, sized to make an individual serving. The plastic pouches themselves are robust enough to survive loose in your food bag or bear can, and do not come with any starter tears to catch on things and accidentally tear open.

Read more: Alpine Start Original Blend Medium Roast Instant Coffee review (1)

Reviewed by Denis Daly

This is a medium blend coffee with NON-dairy coconut creamer added to give a few calories and ease to make creamed coffee. I wanted to see of it lived up to its hype of instant coffee that actually tastes good.

  So with the saying "instant coffee that actually tastes good" I had to purchase this coffee. I've been using instant coffee for trips now for over 10 years. I wanted to give a look at the coffee world like I do in my normal household. This coffee has the cream already added so that cuts down one item that I normally have to pack. It also has a little bit of sweetness from the creamer if you're not into a really sweet cup of coffee. I tend to drink medium to dark roasts at my house and at coffee shops.

Read more: Alpine Start Dairy-Free Coffee + Creamer Instant Latte review (1)

Reviewed by Bentbrook

The Kuju Starter Pack offers one sample of the brand's six different coffees and an enameled stainless steel mug. These are pour-over coffees that do not require any apparatus: simply tear open, perch on a cup, and pour the hot water through the grounds. Six coffees cover most tastes; the mug offers a nostalgic touch. A useful starter kit to explore one's tastes, and an ingenious option for coffee lovers craving a better brew in the wilderness.

  Kuju's clever pour-over design It is my personal grail quest, the quest for the perfect backcountry coffee. I am always looking for something new, something different, something better. I impulsively decided to try Kuju Coffee upon seeing it advertised as a 100% “specialty-grade coffee” that boasts an innovative “Pocket Pour-over” design. I first ordered some of Kuju's Basecamp Blend. My interest was piqued by tasting this, so when I received an email with an offer for a free box of Angels Landing with a purchase of X dollars, I ordered the Kuju Starter Pack—one of each type of Kuju coffee plus an enameled mug.

Read more: Kuju Coffee Starter Pack review (1)