Java Juice Coffee Extract

[D G]

This stuff is really great! I’m primarily an espresso drinker and don’t like most drip coffee. This stuff to me tastes better than drip coffee, even that made from good fresh beans. Up till now I’ve been using nescafe espresso instant powder but this java juice may replace it. The instructions say to add 12-16 oz water. I prefer my coffee strong so I add 6-8 oz water to make a strong “Americano” style cup. Even at this strength there is no bitterness and the taste is reall good. It has no hint of “instant” coffee at all. The stuff is pretty amazing. I’d give it a 4.9 out of 5 only because it comes in liquid form and is heavier than powdered instant (0.5oz per serving), but the weight is only significant if you are carrying very large quantities.

[jason magness]

SOmehow – someone made a HUGE leap forward in the availability of backcountry coffee. Instant coffee seems like it came from the Dark Ages compared to this stuff. I primarily do expedition adventure races, and have always struggled with how to get coffee out there with me…a thermos is just too heavy, and stopping to brew is way too time consuming. Java juice is amazing. As a coffee snob, I must say that if you like a good cup of rich dark black coffee, you’ll be in heaven in the backcountry, or the cliff face, the river, etc. Sorry Starbucks…I’m done with you…Now I can just carry a few packets with me, get hot water (always free) at the gas station, and I am set to go. Coffee house quality, coffee house caffeine, climbing bum price. Only drawback I have found, it is damn hard to find, so if you find some, buy it, and if you don’t like it, send it to me!

[Steve M]

This Java Juice is tasty stuff. It will be great for short trips & an occasional luxury for longer ones. My only complaint is that no shelf life or storage instructions are listed on the packets.

Update: tried some of the other flavors–Yuk! I would only recommend the standard (Orginal) flavor.

[Scott Peterson]

Taste and ease of use are tops. Would be easier to use on a weekend or weeklong trip if it was packaged in closeable, easy to dispense container of some sort. I suppose 4 or 5 little pieces of trash floating around is not that big an issue, but it seems this could come in a bottle?

[Carol Corbridge]

Where can I get other amounts of this delicious coffee extract? Having tried many ways to get a good cup in the wilds without too much weight, this may be the best yet. Only problem as the previous poster mentioned is that the little packets are a hassle.

a karno, where can I purchase bigger sizes?

[JCH]

I love coffee. Let me rephrase that. I *LOVE* coffee. I own just about every coffee making appliance for backpacking imaginable…MSR MugMate, GSI one cup espresso maker, french press, etc. etc. They all make great coffee. They are also either heavy, bulky, hard to clean in the field, or all three. I will likely never use them again now that I've found Java Juice. If I can't get Java Juice, I'll use the MSR MugMate as it *was* the best thing I had found.

Bottom line: 98% as good as fresh brewed, with instant coffee convenience.

As always, you be the judge.

[E. H. Clemmons]

Better than instant but not by much. Wins on weight and convenience vs. my expresso pot and Jetboil press. I can not believe the enthusiasm on this forum for the coffee though. Way over-rated in my view. I bought a case of this stuff and will work it off on group trips going light. But I won’t buy any more. Has some of the intensity of taste but zero aroma. Like drinking coffee while holding your nose. Try a couple before you commit. Still better than instant, but not at all worth the price premium.

[Phil Barton]

Always looking for an improvement on instant coffee, I tried Java Juice on my most recent outing. My observations are that it has excellent flavor, color, and aroma. It’s certainly simple to use. My 2 hiking buddies were impressed as well when they tried JJ. Java Juice is more expensive than my other options but worth it for short trips.

[John Lovell]

Repackage, repackage, repackage. I use a 50ml centrifuge tube for short trips and it works great. Repackage, repackage, repackage.

[Greg Vaillancourt]

It had an odd chemical taste to it. I still gave it a 3 because it beats Folgers bags and FD/Instant plus it is really fast and easy to use.

I have long used an MSR Mugmate with fresh ground (dark roasted), brewed strong in the backcountry and the batch of JJ I tried did not measure up.

My girlfriend agreed that it had an off taste. Based on other reviews I’ll probably try it again and hope for better flavor.

[Scott Toraason]

I posted a comment on Java Juice in a different thread a while back so I’ll bust in here and say that I’ve tried just about everything I can think of for a cup of morning joe from packing a small French press to compact gold plated, plastic, and paper filters, cowboy coffee, handkerchief filters, and stuffing Starbucks coffee into muslin tea bags. I recently purchased a dozen JJ and taste tested one out. The Arabica bean is definitely tasty enough for me to drink on the trail and I really like the no mess zero weight clean up. Maybe not as good as Sunday morning at Starbucks, but one must make sacrifices.

[BPL Subscriber]

This seems like a good idea in principle although I haven’t done the weight analysis vs. other forms of caffeine and my last comparison on that is a bit more buried than I want to look for given the problems expanded on below. One thing to consider with a liquid concentrate is that it might not be necessary to heat the water quite as much to have it the right temperature by the time it hits your mouth vs. the alternatives, thereby saving fuel that might help offset the increased weight of carrying the coffee in fluid form.

The only troubles with the current product, as I see it, given the announcement of bulk packaging, are the taste and aroma (and it’s a bit weak in that area that the moment) and the price. I’m hoping that there are some tweaks they can undertake to bring the quality up. I’m afraid that as it stands the product may not be quite good enough in this area and may consequently die leaving us without a comparable substitute on the market. If it’s a matter of cost of the beans, maybe they can introduce a premium grade? Of course, then maybe they would be unable to sell the lower-quality brew. And maybe the bulk packaging will help with the price.

I’m not sure that I’m happy with the idea of advertising going into the point ratings as in the above post. If it weren’t for that irritation, I might not have gotten around to this review, and might have rated it a “2” or perhaps a “3” instead of a “1” in gratitude for the company’s effort and my hope for future improvements.

BPL EDITOR’S NOTE: THE ADVERTISEMENT MENTIONED IN THIS REVIEW WAS INDEED INAPPROPRIATE AND HAS BEEN DELETED.

Edit: I’ve revised my point rating upwards to “2” based on the deletion of the advertisement.

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