Quick Review: NoNormal Outdoor Coffee

Jim’s Tech Talk

By Jim Langley

It’s no secret that many cyclists love coffee. It’s probably the reason group rides often start or stop at coffee shops, why some events hand out freshly brewed java and why caffeine is in certain energy foods – as just a few examples. Personally, when racing, I drank coffee in the mornings and snacked on chocolate covered espresso beans sometimes too.

For these reasons I was intrigued when NoNormal reached out about their new product called Outdoor Coffee. The weird thing to me though was that it comes in a 100 gram aluminum container resembling a toothpaste tube. Inside is a coffee paste that when squeezed into hot water and mixed makes a cup of joe.

I replied to the NoNormal representative that I was in analysis paralysis over whether readers would really want to use paste out of a tube for their coffee. And, what she said convinced me to give it a try.

She wrote, “I think NoNormal would appeal to lots of cyclists who bikepack, car camp, or do weekend race events. The paste format also allows you to eat it, if you get creative. A banana with peanut butter and a little coffee paste makes a delicious, easy breakfast with a kick of caffeine. It’s also pretty good on a peanut butter Clif Bar if you need a quick pick-me-up.”

Details

Outdoor Coffee is a product of Switzerland. It comes in two flavors, Classic Black and Sweet Black in 100 gram aluminum tubes. NoNormal says “it’s the world’s first super-concentrated coffee paste that comes in a recyclable tube. It’s perfect for any adventure, ultra-portable, delivers 20-30 cups per tube, and requires no special gear or refrigeration.”

The serving suggestion for Classic Black is to mix well (10 seconds) 1/2 teaspoon/3 grams of paste in 3.5 ounces/100 ml of water. For Sweet Black you use 1 tsp/5 grams of paste. If you mix as suggested you can get 30 cups out of one tube of Classic Black and 20 from Sweet Black. Classic Black sells for $19.90, Sweet Black is $16.90. Also available is a Classic Black and Sweet Black Variety Pack (1 each), for $41. There are discounts if you buy multiple tubes.

Once opened, the coffee is approved for the duration of the “best by” date, which is 18 months from the date of production. (And that is only “best by;” the coffee stays good longer although might begin to lose some of its flavor.) So once you open it, it’s safe to use for multiple trips.

Average nutrition values (as shown on each tube label)

Classic Black

Energy 616kJ/147kcal

Fat 1.2g

Saturated Fat 0.6g

Carbohydrates 20g

Sugars 0.3g

Protein 9.3g

Salt 0.07g

Sweet Black

Energy 1058kJ/253kcal

Fat 2.1g

Saturated Fat 0.5g

Carbohydrates 46g

Sugars 31g

Protein 7.5g

Salt 0g

Description and Ingredients list

Classic Black: Paste with coffee extract, pasteurized for the preparation of a hot drink. Contains coffee extract 70%, coffee powder 7%, water, thickener (xanthan, gum arabic)

Sweet Black: Paste with coffee extract, sweetened, pasteurized for the preparation of a hot drink. Contains coffee extract 46%, sugar, coffee powder 15%, water, thickener (xanthan, gum arabic)

NoNormal uses coffee extract and microground coffee: Colombia (100% Arabica) plus beet sugar.

Caffeine amount

Classic Black has 35mg of caffeine per 100ml. Sweet Black has 45mg per 100ml.

Taste test

I brought the samples of Classic Black and Sweet Black Outdoor Coffee on a recent campout with friends Tony and Kathy, Hans and Linda along with Peggy and Dee. We had our bikes and got in some nice rides there. Like I was, everyone was surprised by the packaging when I first showed them the coffee and asked them to try it. But several of them were very interested in sampling some.

Everyone who tried it liked how easy it was to make cups of coffee. Tony packs a tiny Nespresso machine for us to use, so there was plenty of hot water readily available. It’s a little faster to stir Outdoor Coffee into a cup than it is to pour a cup of drip coffee or to make the Nespresso Pods.  

Linda felt that you have to use much more paste than is suggested to get a strong enough cup of coffee (with the Black Coffee). Tony whipped up the Black Coffee with a frother and said he enjoyed the taste a lot. I tried both flavors and did a taste test with a cup of my Peet’s drip coffee versus NoNormal’s Black Coffee. To me the taste was very close. Probably because I drink black coffee, the Outdoor Coffee in Sweet Black tasted too sweet to me. Because Linda felt that more coffee was needed, I tried that too. For me, it made the coffee too bitter for my taste using more than suggested.

Consensus

We all agreed that Outdoor Coffee is a very clever and convenient way to bring coffee along and that we’d be happy drinking it. Also on our campout were Peggy and Dee, serious backpackers who said they’d be considering carrying Outdoor Coffee on their next adventure due to its small size, no need for refrigeration, quick preparation and satisfying taste. 

Overall, we agree with NoNormal and think a lot of coffee lovers will appreciate Outdoor Coffee. Also, at about $17 to $20 per tube for 20 to 30 cups respectively, it’s reasonably priced. If you give it a try please leave a comment and let us know how you like it.

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Jim Langley is RBR’s Technical Editor. A pro mechanic & cycling writer for more than 40 years, he’s the author of Your Home Bicycle Workshop in the RBR eBookstore. Tune in to Jim’s popular YouTube channel for wheel building & bike repair how-to’s. Jim’s also known for his cycling streak that ended in February 2022 with a total of 10,269 consecutive daily rides (28 years, 1 month and 11 days of never missing a ride). Click to read Jim’s full bio.