I’m still in disbelief.I remember my first taste of coffee – Grandma’s kitchen (it always smelled like coffee). I was pretty young, and I was instantly turned off by the flavor. It was so bitter. After watching the “adults”, though, I learned they added cream and sugar. I learned that if you added these things it turned that awful bitter liquid into an entirely different beverage…one that was kinda good! And boy did it wake you up!! So I ran with it.

Photo from “Thehandthatfeeds.com”

Little did I know…the coffee companies were counting on that learning experience.

We are taught that a “regular” coffee is with cream and sugar. On TV coffee is marketed with cream/sugar and in cafes, is served with these two condiments alongside it. When you order your coffee “black”…you get a funny look, like you’re some kind of tough guy, while the “extra/extra” person is reasonable. It’s madness.

Coffee is not meant to be this way.

Before we dive in, let’s be clear: we’re talking about COFFEE here – No, that machi-frappa-lata-thing is NOT coffee. It is a confection. And, likely, horrible for you.

Now – let me lay some knowledge on you: Roasters down in Latin America, by and large, don’t drink the coffee we drink. They roast their own, and they roast it differently. For them, putting sugar or cream in coffee is sacrilege. No, it’s not because they’re used to the bitterness…it’s because their coffee isn’t bitter like ours. Their coffee is a labor of love, and it tastes like art. Puroast Coffee Co. is roasting their coffee like the growers do…and the difference is astonishing.

Can coffee really be that good?

Um…yes. I came across Puroast at an obstacle course race, and I tried a sample. It was the smoothest, most robust, most amazingly rich coffee I had ever tasted. I didn’t even need sugar! I didn’t figure out until afterwards…what I sampled was espresso. So then I tried their coffee.

The flavor was unreal.

As a matter of fact, I’m drinking a cup of Dark French Roast as I type. What strikes me and amazes me with every cup is the distinct lack of that trademark bitterness that all coffee seems to have. Puroast coffee is just…impossibly smooth. It, of course, still tastes like coffee…but better. It’s got this rich, deep, satisfying flavor…it made me fall in love with coffee again. I don’t know how else to describe it…it’s coffee…just…elevated. Pure. It is simply the best coffee I have ever tasted…and that’s WITHOUT SUGAR. No additives! There’s no terrible aftertaste, either. I have yet to find the “gotcha”. 

How is this possible?

It’s all about the roast.

I chatted with the man in charge – Kerry Sachs…and between his explanations, the scientific study behind it, and other assorted research I did on my own…it makes sense.

The problem is…America is cheap.

All coffee starts out the same. Whether it comes from Columbia, Venezuela, Hawaii or Jamaica…all green coffee beans grow the same. You can’t tell the difference until you roast them. The roasting process is where the magic happens.

By and large, the coffee we drink in the USA is all roasted in the same way – flash roasting. The beans are roasted in big batches using convection (direct heat), and it’s all over in a matter of minutes (if that). Now, I’m no scientist, so don’t crucify me if this isn’t 100% scientifically accurate, but it would seem that because of the way the heat is transferred to the bean, how short a time it takes, etc…certain acids are produced/released during this roasting process.

This acid production is a big factor in that bitter taste nearly all coffee has. The acid also contributes to what I’m going to call “coffee gut”…a blanket term we’ll use for all the various reflux/indigestion/”grumbly stomach” issues that arise from coffee consumption. Not only that, but the “Maillard Reaction” is not able to take place. This reaction is where much of the flavors and aromas of coffee are released. The result is a bitter, acidic coffee that lacks depth, richness, and the ability to stand up on its own without cream or sugar.

Presumably, coffee companies use this roasting method because it’s fast and cheap. Welcome to America. This, however, is not how coffee was meant to be roasted.

This is where Puroast is different.

Puroast coffee is roasted the way coffee should be roasted – slowly and carefully, with love and respect for the bean.

Seriously, though. Puroast uses a different method – the way the growers themselves do it. Rather than heat directly to the beans, heat is spread across a cooking/roasting surface where the beans are continuously agitated for an even, thorough roast. This method is called “conduction”. Again, I’m not a scientist, or a cook, or a coffee roaster…so don’t nitpick the details here…but you get the difference between methods, I’m sure.

As a result of this roasting method, the result is a coffee that contains 70% less acid. Not only that, but in place of the acid…polyphenols are produced/released. The short explanation is…these are antioxidants. Additionally, the “Maillard Reaction” is able to fully take place.

So let me get this straight…

Not only does Puroast’s method produce LESS ACID and release more aroma/flavor…helping the coffee taste amazing…but it produces more antioxidants…making it better for my health?

How did they figure this out?

Kerry was not always a coffee man. As a matter of fact…when this all started…he didn’t even like coffee! In short…after living with coffee growers in Venezuela, he tried the coffee they roasted themselves and was taken aback by its smoothness, and the lack of bitterness. He learned their roasting methods before leaving, and eventually made the connection between taste, acidity, and roasting method. After some encouragement, he convinced a professor at UC Davis to do some real research…and the results proved it.

So it’s probably crazy expensive

Nope.

So…why, then, do the major US companies have to do it the cheap way…and then…charge consumers the same price Puroast is charging? Hmmm…

What does this MEAN?

It MEANS that I’ve got a 2 lb. box of raw sugar in the pantry that I’m not going to need anymore. Again, in case you missed it…you don’t need cream or sugar for this coffee. I can’t be any more succinct than that. No. Sugar. Needed. Seriously, try it.

It MEANS that coffee, which already had health benefits… just became more healthy.

It MEANS that I can have coffee on race-day morning and not worry I’ll have to find a port-o-potty mid-race.

IT MEANS that the coffee with all these benefits costs the same or less than the crap we’ve been drinking all along.

Pinch me.

I know its tough to wrap your head around. You’ll get there.

As a health nut, fitness fanatic, obstacle racer and marathoner…this excites me endlessly.

Rating: 5 stars. 5 sugar-free, delicious stars.

If you truly like COFFEE and you’re drinking anything other than Puroast Coffee…you’re either ignorant, don’t care, or incredibly brand-loyal. Either way…you’re wrong.

Your coffee mug deserves better. So do you. Run, don’t walk. Go get Puroast.