The Kuju Journal

Pour Over Coffee - What's the Big Deal?

• How to do it.
• Why it matters.
• Keeping it simple.

The same ease and convenience of the Pocket PourOver with single origin beans artfully sourced from three of the world’s most celebrated coffee locales. 

Why is it that our coffee routine at home is one of our most cherished, protected morning rituals but when we’re away from home, we quickly lower our standards as we accept lower quality, “I guess this will do” options? Whether it’s in a hotel room, an airport or a campsite, we’ve all been there.

Since we started Kuju Coffee, we've always believed in the idea that Quality Is Never Instant. Really good things take time and they take patience - quality relationships, road trips, brewing a fresh cup of pour over coffee in the morning. All these great things that add real value to our lives take time. 

When I had the chance to take the new 2018 Subaru Crosstrek with Kuju Coffee Pocket PourOvers on a California road trip, I obviously took the opportunity. I mean who wouldn't want to take an adventure vehicle loaded with coffee for a ride?

However, this short trip was not about where we were going. We didn't have a true destination. Just a direction and the goal of finding quality moments - Kuju Moments - on the way. But of course, it takes time and a little driving to find truly quality places to enjoy.

​With a full tank of gas, a stash of Kuju Coffee Pocket PourOvers, and a loaded trunk of gear, we took off from the steep hills of San Francisco and headed to the ocean with the plan to drive up and down the coast. As we cruised along the beautiful coast, we searched for turnoffs with stunning views of the classic California coast. We found ourselves near the Muir Woods National Monument amongst giant redwoods and curvy roads - perfect for the Crosstrek. After a quick stop under the shade of the forests to brew a fresh cup of coffee right in the car, it was time to head south to the beaches of Pacifica to enjoy the sunset.

A few hours of cruising down Highway 1 brought us to a golden sun setting against the glimmering ocean. We pulled off the road as soon as we could, popped the trunk, and cozied into the trunk to enjoy the view until dark. The perfect Kuju Moment. A moment of quality and rejuvenation that was only reached after a full day of driving. If we had decided to head straight for the sunset, the experience would not be nearly the same, and the memory of it would not have lived on with such vividness.

The mini road trip was not about the destination. It was about the pursuit of quality moments, which are by no means easy to come by. They don't come instantly, but they're always worth it. #KujuMoment

I think a lot of marketing out there attempts to justify the existence of a product that quite frankly just doesn't really need to exist. I'm not going to go into specifics but I think we can all remember a time learning of a product and just wondering, "What is this for?".  And so I just want to keep this straightforward in explaining why we created the 5-pack.  

The Travel 5-Pack was created because so many people had requests for a larger "bag" of Pocket PourOvers that they could bring with them any time they wanted quality coffee on-the-go.  Whether it was to a hotel room for a few days or a weekend camping trip, having 5 in an easy-to-carry bag just simplified the whole experience. 

The second piece was for people who have never experienced brewing a Pocket PourOver, the larger format just makes it easier to read and follow the directions, thereby assuring more people that they will get the incredibly flavorful cup of Kuju Coffee that is promised.

And my personal reason is actually because we think it looks beautiful. As entrepreneurs, we believe extending our work to pursue our mission of helping people reclaim their moments of rejuvenation is holistic - it happens in all parts of the business - not just supply chain and the actual coffee experience, but even in packaging design. The hope here is that the visual look of the Travel 5-Pack exudes a sense of rejuvenation whether you use it in your home kitchen, office or monthly travels.

So the next time you're brewing some coffee, grab your Pocket PourOver Travel 5-Pack and share the love!  

Here's to Quality,

Jeff
CEO / Cofounder
Kuju Coffee

Coffee is a wondrous thing, but sometimes making it can be drag. Between the portioning, grinding, cleaning and dealing with bags that don’t seal stay closed, we think there are some steps that can be cut out. The Pocket PourOver isn’t specifically designed to make brewing coffee faster (it’s not instant!), but it sure as heck does cut out a ton of steps and let’s you focus on brewing and maybe even think some positive thoughts about life to get your day going on the right foot. With that in mind…
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Here are 3 of our favorite places to use the Pocket PourOver:
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1. On A Plane — We absolutely love brewing the Pocket PourOver on airplanes. All you have to do is ask for one cup of hot water and one empty cup and voila! You now have freshly brewed pour over coffee — on an airplane! Not only do you not have to deal with stale plane coffee, but you’ll surely spark more than a few fun conversations with those around us — and if not, your neighbors will definitely be eyeing you — or at least wondering where that great coffee smell is coming from. (What to do with the used filter? Stash back in the pouch until the flight attendant collects the trash).

2. At Home — Yea, this might be boring but more times than I can count, I’ve walked into my kitchen and just didn’t want to grab a bag of beans, portion it out, grind them into a filter, portion the water and turn the coffee maker on, and clean up… Instead, I’ve opted to heat some water in kettle (200ºF!), open and anchor my Pocket PourOver to my mug of choice and pour! This usually takes 3–5 minutes like any pour over, but it made my coffee brewing so simple. The best part is, it still tastes great.

3. At the Office — If you’re like most people and don’t work at Google where they provide an endless supply of any coffee or food you want, join the club! Most offices provide instant coffee or some manufactured version of coffee from either a Keurig or giant hot beverage machine that brews anything. With the Pocket PourOver, just bring a Kuju Coffee Hydro Flask and find some hot water and you’ll have the whole office wondering why your coffee is so good. The best part, it’s so easy to stash a few in your bag, purse or desk drawer.
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Here’s to Quality!
Jeff
Kuju Cofounder & Eagle Scout

Summer is around the corner and we’re all getting ready to commence our annual prep and pack rituals as we gear up for our next outdoor adventure. As two Eagle Scout brothers, this was a regular thing for myself and my co-founder Justin. Making sure you have the right gear is not only great preparation, but it’s fun!

But alas, all this time the only coffee we could pack was some instant stick, it was never great, but it was all we had. Even until 2015, if it wasn’t an instant stick, it was an jar of instant, still not great!

And this is why we were stoked to see that one of our fans, Ryan (IG: Ryan Noeker), had created this awesome stop motion video showing off what was in his adventure pack. It featured all the new cool stuff that we can do bring, in addition to some long-proven food staples: Mountain House, Stanley, Biolite, North Face, Nit-Ize and…Pocket PourOvers!

As we gear up towards Summer, what are you trekking with? And more interestingly, what coffee gear are you trekking with? You’re going to see some amazing sites and build some great memories with loved ones, friends and maybe even a dog or two. Why not have the coffee match the upcoming grandeur you are about to experience? Life’s too short to be content with instant.

Show us how you’re ditching instant on Instagram: @kujucoffee.

-Jeff

Want to watch the stop motion video? Click here.

Kuju is a coffee company. And naturally, when we first started, the biggest question we faced was, “What coffee should we sell?”

To some, this may seem like a simply question, but when you live in San Francisco — arguably one of the specialty coffee meccas of the world — picking your coffee is no easy task.

It was so difficult for us to make this decision that we simply delayed the decision and focused on other parts of building a company instead. I think Justin and I in some ways were hoping for the other person to make some headway. Overtime, neither of us did.

So what pushed us to make the final decision?

Well, at the end of the day I recall sitting in a church service and just thinking about all things Kuju. What are we really trying to achieve? What do we want to stand for? What do we want our coffee to taste like? How should it be roasted or brewed?

And it was in a split second moment that I remembered meeting a man named Paul who was sourcing coffee from a farm in Thailand. And what was unique about this farm was it employed former sex trafficked victims.

This struck a chord in me because my job before Kuju was selling fair-trade greeting cards, handcrafted by women who had escaped sex trafficking in the Philippines.

In that moment I decided for us that we would source from that farm with Paul’s help, not for any other reason than knowing deep in my gut that it was the right thing to do.

Amazingly, what has ended up providing Kuju with our unique and recognizable flavor is the coffee from this very farm.

I share this story because so many decisions we as a society make are often times based on the outcome we want to achieve. This makes perfect sense, but I do think sometimes it’s worth making decisions based on doing what we think is morally right, even at the risk of the most optimized outcome.

I believe that because of this decision, we brewed into Kuju Coffee a deeper, more caring soul from the very beginning and it’s something I hope we cultivate as we grow.

Here’s to Quality,
Jeff
CEO & Eagle Scout, Kuju Coffee

People sometimes ask us what it means to #Take2toBrew. The short answer is it's our movement to inspire people to rest and reflect on the things that matter. You can "Take2" at home, on the bus, on a bike, at a restaurant. Or while you brew yourself a Kuju Pocket PourOver.  To help, here are 5 recommendations from the KujuKIN:

1. Think a positive thought about someone you don’t like.  If that takes a while, that’s ok…the positive energy you will feel and create will make the world a better place. ​ 

2. Tell yourself, “I choose to be happy.” ten times. You’ll be 10x happier by the end of it than you were when you started.

3. Think of one small thing someone did in the last 5 days that you thought was awesome. Call them. Say thank you. 

4. Smile. Even if you don’t feel like it. Smiles are the seeds for world peace. 

5. Nothing. Sometimes that’s simply the best medicine in a busy world. 

Have suggestions or restful things you like to do when you #Take2toBrew? Send them to info@kujucoffee.com and we'll share them!