UCC ippuku Blend Single Serve Japanese Style Pour Over Coffee, WABI Medium/Dark, 0.46 Ounce Pack of 5

One of the great delights of a visit to Japan is the broad availability of cheap, good coffee. Every street corner has a vending machine selling hot and cold coffee in cans, much of it from UCC, the company behind this product. But Japan also has a boutique coffee culture, centered around cafes and vintage 'kissaten' coffee shops; many of them specialize in pour-over coffee similar to what you'd find in a third wave coffee shop in the US, and that's more like what these "ippuku" coffee packets seem to be trying to bring to your morning routine.I first encountered pourover packets like this for Vietnamese coffee. The concept is that you tear off the lid of the filter bag, expand the paper clips and tuck them onto the edge of your mug, then slowly pour boiling water into the filter bag, allowing the grounds to bloom and extracting a perfect cup. The results are almost as good as something like a Kalita Wave, but without needing a coffee grinder and with no cleanup afterwards.I found these worked very similarly to the previous Vietnamese coffee packs I've tried. The clip design is okay, but could use a little barb/hook to hold it in place on larger cups. (Some others offer this feature, but the cut is straight on the ippuku.) We usually use Starbucks "You Are Here"/"Been There" sized 14oz mugs, and their short-and-wide design is just a little too much for these to stay open; a standard mug is fine, though.Brewing is straightforward. I like to moisten the grounds, let them 'bloom', then stir them once before completing the pour, but that's definitely optional. Keep going until your cup is full, then discard the packet. Easy!There are two flavors of this coffee, and I was able to review them both side by side. I think WABI DAILY, this blend, is the one that is most like a classic American morning coffee roast; it's a medium boldness and has just a hint of bitterness to it. SABI COZY, the other one, is what I'd be looking for in an evening/after dinner coffee; it's a lot smoother with very little bitterness evident. In our family, the longtime habitual coffee drinker preferred WABI DAILY and the recent convert who switches between coffee and tea preferred SABI COZY, so that might help you decide if you're trying to only pick one.Both were high quality beans and roasts; I'd say on the grand scale of coffee they were a B or B+, which is pretty good! For a convenient packet you can throw in your luggage or purse, they're at the very top of the rankings and the results are far better than any instant coffee I've tried.These packets would be fantastic for camping, travel or an RV. They might be a little too expensive to use every day, but as a travel problem solver or an indulgent luxury, they're a great purchase. I recommend you start with a box of both and do your own taste test to discover your favorite.

I enjoyed the smooth taste of the coffee. It didn't give me heartburn later in the day. For the price I think a few more packets would be great.

UCC Ippuku Wabi Daily Blend Single Serve Japanese Style Pour Over Coffee provides a delicious single cup of coffee where all you have to do is add water. No need to worry about cleaning a coffee carafe or a French press. To enjoy this pour over coffee, you just need to remove the pack from the individually wrapped package, tear along the perforation top, latch the bag into the cup using the hooks, pour hot water into the coffee bag and presto - you have an 8oz cup of hot coffee. The coffee is very smooth and has a rich and inviting aroma. The flavor of the coffee reminded me of a medium roast coffee that has faint chocolate notes. There are noticeable bitter notes but nothing extraordinary for a medium roast coffee. It can be enjoyed black or with a touch of creamer. I really enjoyed the flavor of this coffee. It is an ideal product to keep in a pantry and use on days when you just want one cup of coffee without the hassle of using a machine, to take with you on a camping trip or a weekend trip, and include in an earthquake preparation kit. The coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified. It is a Product of Japan. It has a best by date of 6 months from the date that I received it. I really enjoyed this coffee and will definitely add another order to our Amazon cart.

I'm a big fan of pourover coffee and having tried this, I think it's pretty neat. One order comes with five little sachets that "clip" onto your cup. Making coffee is as easy as pouring hot water on it.I brewed my coffee following the fairly rudimentary instructions on the sachet and adapted with how I usually make pourover. I did one pour of water using my gooseneck kettle, starting with 60 grams for sixty seconds then following with two 90 gram pours for forty-five seconds for a total of 240 grams of water in two minutes and thirty seconds.The coffee was pretty fragrant and had enough strength without being overly bitter. It was nice to drink without any cream and sugar but it would also do well with a bit of both. Brewing would need a larger cup than you need since the sachet dips into the cup and I did not want to steep the coffee and make it excessively bitter.I think its pretty convenient in that it's simple to use and clean and only needs little preparation. Brewing didn't need to be as involved as my method, but it likely improved the flavor. You definitely pay a premium for the convenience since making a pourover with freshly ground beans and a dedicated dripper and carafe is a lot more involved and needs more clean-up. This coffee sachet is nice every now and then, but if you do it often, I think its better to invest in a dedicated pourover setup.

it doesn't taste good. the idea is good though. now if they can improve the taste it will be worth the money.

I like the idea of having a portable pour over coffee, but this one is just a bit troublesome to use.The handles are too flimsy for the size, and I would like it if they sat a bit higher off the surface of the cup. It sits inside of the cup quite a bit which lets the coffee steep with the water, which is only going to increase its bitterness with a pour over. Its treating pour over like tea, not a fan.The coffee isn't just dark, but it is a bit on the bitter side. I had to doctor it up with a bit more cream and sugar than normal. IF you like bitter, this might be for you, but I would rather have a good coffee flavor, and not just a over roasted flavor.Compared to getting just the paper filters for single use, and your favorite coffee, this one is a bit hard to justify in my case, but if you value portability (literally toss it in a bag and go) this may work better for you than it does for me. I think it is worth a try, as coffee is obviously very subjective.