Grower’s Cup tried and tested

Gear — By Outdoor Adventure Guide on May 8, 2012 at 3:09 pm

OAG publisher and self confessed coffee-geek Aran gave innovative portable coffee brewing kit Grower’s Cup a go last weekend and came back positively buzzing…

A brew on the go...

So let’s get something clear from the start. I’m obsessed with coffee.

There aren’t many brewing methods I haven’t tried. The freshness and quality of the raw ingredients are very important - and using them in the right way helps too. I’ve not roasted green beans often enough to get it right consistently but I’ll try most things in search of the perfect cup.

To prepare Grower’s Cup all I had to do is open the bag, pour in half a litre of hot water and leave to brew for five-eight minutes. I don’t like taking risks so I brewed up whilst cutting wood for next winter. Grower’s Cup looked like it might fall flat on its face; just another rubbish way of making coffee!

All in the quality

I was pleasantly surprised. The packaging/filter are excellent and does exactly what it should do: You can taste the heart and soul of the beans. And what makes Grower’s Cup special – is the very high quality coffee it uses. We’re not talking about Arabica vs. Robusta - we’re on to talking varieties of coffee from specific areas (just like you would wine).

All coffees are single estate or from named cooperatives. The berries are hand-picked and hand-sorted before being slow-roasted. The packaging is the brewing device. It’s fool proof if you add the right amount of water.

You can put all of this self-indulgent detail aside - just follow the instructions and I think you’ll be drinking the best coffee that you’ve ever made outside (and possible even in).

I was thoroughly impressed with the beautifully smooth coffee and I’ve already ordered some more packs ready for my next fishing trip.

You can try Grower’s cup for yourself at Escape Route Bike and Outdoor Shop in Pitlochry, Scotland between the 11 and 13 May.