The Coffee Brewer from Growers Cup was an unusual proposition to start with. It looked like an odd shaped brown bag, about the size of a paperback book only thinner and I wasn’t quite sure what it was all about. The 3 step instructions on the back showed that was a self contained coffee percolator, you open the zip-lock top, pull out a red tab (this took a bit of tugging, but nothing exploded when it was removed), shape the packet so that it stands up on its own, pour in hot water at the top, reseal the zipper and let it brew for between 5 and 8 minutes depending on what strength you want from the Ethiopian coffee contained within. Then, when you are ready you shape the spout (presumably the red tab broke some sort of seal within) and pour your coffee into a cup.

 

Well it looked good, smelled good and tasted fine, and surprisingly there was no grains in the bottom of my cup when I finished - which implies there is a built in filter mechanism in the bag.
But for all that I am not sure it is worth all that faffing about. And now I am left with a bag of soggy coffee grains that I have to throw away somewhere, which seems counter to the image the product is trying to deliver with its distinctive ‘brown paper’ look and the fair-trade label. I am not sure it is ‘green’ as its design would like you to think it is.
If you are out and about far from civilisation, without access to one of those ubiquitous chain outlet coffee houses, and have an urge for freshly brewed coffee but you don’t want to use those coffee-bags, or don’t have room to carry a cafetiere or a stovetop espresso pot (and note, that if you want more than one serving of coffee you will need several of these bags reducing potential space saving over a pot), or you just can’t stomach instant coffee, and you really like gimmicky gadgets, then perhaps this is for you.

 Price: £2.50
More: www.growerscup.com