COFFEE STYLE UCC, Proposing a Life with Coffee From Kobe

Hello, I’m Hakoboya, the souvenir promotion captain of Kodawari Times.╭(·ᴗ·)╮╰(·ᴗ·)╯
It’s getting colder and colder in the mornings and evenings here in Japan, and it’s starting to feel like winter. In Hokkaido and Tohoku, it seems to be snowing!

During the cold winter months, it is my daily routine to warm my body and soul with a cup of hot coffee. For those who, like me, cannot do without coffee every day, I recommend COFFEE STYLE UCC’s vacuum-packed drip coffee “Fresh Cube”!

This time, I went to the UCC Coffee Museum in Kobe to experience the Fresh Cube for the media. If you are looking for an easy way to enjoy a cup of delicious coffee, be sure to check it out.

 

What is COFFEE STYLE UCC?

First of all, let me preface by saying that UCC stands for UCC Ueshima Coffee Co., Ltd. and is Japan’s leading coffee-centric beverage manufacturer. UCC is also known for developing the world’s first canned coffee product.

UCC is a global company with operations not only in Japan but also in Europe, the United States, Taiwan, Thailand, and other Asian countries. Coffee drinkers may know the company as “UCC” or “Ueshima Coffee”.

“COFFEE STYLE UCC” was launched as a new company of the UCC Group. Targeting young people in their 20s and 30s who are not accustomed to drinking coffee, the company sells products in stylish and cute packages that allow them to enjoy coffee casually.
I was very excited to head to Kobe, where the company is headquartered, to sample some of COFFEE STYLE UCC’s hottest products at this hands-on event.

 

Fresh Cubes with UCC’s proprietary technology

The “UCC Coffee Experience” event was held at two venues in Tokyo and Kobe to allow people to experience Fresh Cube. We came to the UCC Coffee Museum, located next to the UCC headquarters building on Port Island in Kobe, to participate in the experience for the media on November 8.

The “Fresh Cube” display space was decorated with Moomin collaboration products and a limited-edition Christmas advent calendar! At first glance, the small and cute packages that you wouldn’t think of as coffee will make your heart flutter ♡

Fresh Cube is a cube-shaped regular coffee that is vacuum-packed one cup at a time, developed with UCC’s proprietary technology. By vacuum packing, you can enjoy the fresh aroma of freshly ground coffee as soon as you open the package.

It’s cute and palm-sized. The small package makes it easy to enjoy at home or take to the office.

 

Experience Fresh Cubes – How to drip a delicious cup of coffee –

Now, let’s actually experience a fresh cube. Today, we’re going to have UCC Coffee Academy instructor Miho Horie teach us how to make a good cup of coffee!

To begin with, there are two conditions for good coffee.
The first is a clear taste with no harshness or astringency. The second is that the coffee’s tasty ingredients are well expressed. Coffee that meets these requirements is truly good coffee.

The steps for a good cup of coffee are to select fresh beans, grind the right amount for the equipment, measure the proper amount, and drip the coffee.
UCC’s Fresh Cube comes in a vacuum-packed bag with fresh coffee powder for one cup of a typical medium-fine grind. In other words, it is a revolutionary drip coffee that allows you to easily drink delicious coffee just by opening the bag and setting it down!

Tools to be prepared

Here is the set to be prepared.
Fresh Cubes, Paper dripper, Coffee cups, Drip pot, Scissors, Hot water

The paper dripper comes with the Fresh Cubes when you purchase them!
Let me explain the brewing process by following the steps.

➀Paper dripper installed

First, open the included paper dripper and attach it to your favorite coffee cup. You are ready to brew coffee without any dripping utensils.

➁Open a bag of coffee

Next, open the coffee bag. If it is difficult to open by hand, you can use scissors to make it easier. The moment you open the bag, you will smell the aroma of the coffee. Enjoy the moment.

➂Flatten the coffee grounds

After putting coffee grounds into the paper dripper, gently shake the cup a few times to flatten the coffee grounds. This is actually the key to good taste!
By doing this, hot water can be poured evenly and the tasty ingredients of the coffee can be extracted. This is the first time I’ve learned about this. I’m learning a lot!

➃Steam in hot water at proper temperature for 10 seconds

Now, here comes the drip, which is the winning part of the coffee. The optimal temperature of the water is 92 to 96℃. You can transfer the boiling water to a drip pot with a narrow spout to get the perfect temperature.

First, pour a small amount of hot water evenly over the surface of the coffee and wait 10 to 20 seconds.

Steeping coffee in this way expels the carbon dioxide gas remaining in the fresh coffee, allowing the tasty components of the coffee to be extracted thoroughly. Steaming is also a very important part of the process! It is fun to wait while chanting in your heart, “Let it taste good!”

➄Drip in two or three batches

Then, the fateful drip. Pour the hot water into the center of the coffee in two or three pours. Be careful not to pour hot water on the paper. Ideally, the center of the coffee should be hollowed out and a layer of coffee powder should remain around the center, like a bank.

This is the most difficult one! I tried it myself, but I got a little hot water on the paper at the end, and the bank collapsed…cried I guess I just need to practice!

➅Delicious coffee is ready!

A cup of coffee carefully brewed in this way. It tasted clearer and tastier than the coffee I usually drink. It warmed my body to the core, and the coffee soothed both my body and mind.

 

Recommended Products

Fresh Cube, which we experienced this time, is available in COFFEE STYLE UCC’s “CAFE@HOME” series. They are also available at Ueshima Coffee Shop.
Here, I’ll introduce you to the CAFE@HOME products.

Heart with Coffee MUSIC SELECTION

The series was newly introduced in October, and I was able to sample four products at this hands-on experience session.
The concept is to “enjoy coffee like you enjoy music,” and the flavors are inspired by the musical terminology in the product names.

For example, “Cantabile -Singing Like a Song-” is inspired by a melody that spreads across the entire blue sky, making you want to sing along.
Made with high-quality Hawaii Kona coffee grown in the Kona district on the western side of the Big Island of Hawaii, the coffee has a refreshing tropical fruit-like flavor.
The gift box containing four varieties in a chic and stylish can is sure to make a great gift!

CAFE@HOME Life with

Coffee can be enjoyed in accordance with the changes you feel in your life, such as the changing time and weather. The series offers six types of coffee that are perfect for various occasions, making it easy to incorporate into your daily life.

There are three types of products to match the time of day: “CAFE@HOME in Start time,” “CAFE@HOME in Bright time,” and “CAFE@HOME in Twilight time.”
In the morning when you wake up, you can start your day with a strong bitter coffee, in the afternoon you can take a break with a refreshing taste, and in the evening, you can enjoy a relaxing coffee break with aromatic coffee. In the evening, enjoy a relaxing coffee break with aromatic coffee. You can also enjoy the changing flavors of coffee as time goes by.

The weather series consists of three types: “CAFE@HOME Shining Sunlight for sunny days” “CAFE@HOME Rain Sound for rainy days”, and “CAFE@HOME Rainbow Arch for rainbow days.”
Never before have you had the opportunity to choose coffee according to the time of day or weather like this! With this coffee, every day will be more enjoyable.

There is also a set of 6 types of CAFE@HOME Life with, so if you want to compare the different coffees, this is the one for you. The set also includes 6 sets of paper drippers, so even coffee beginners don’t need to worry!

CAFE@HOME Food with Coffee

Last but not least is the popular Food with Coffee series, which pairs coffee with sweets, gourmet foods, and other ingredients. It enhances the flavor of the food and makes for a higher quality reward time.

The lineup consists of six types: “CAFE@HOME with Chocolate Sweets,” “CAFE@HOME with Cheese Sweets,” “CAFE@HOME with Fruit Sweets,” “CAFE@HOME with Wagashi (Japanese sweets),” “CAFE@HOME with Milk,” “CAFE@HOME with Bread” are six types.

These products are perfect for those who love the combination of sweet and coffee! I’m getting hungry just imagining it (lol).
In addition to the Food with Coffee set of 6 kinds, there is also a set of 12 kinds combined with Life with.

 

Want easy, authentic coffee that makes a great souvenir or gift?

UCC’s Fresh Cube is a coffee that makes your life more colorful from a cup of coffee.
It is a real drip coffee that is easy and simple to make, so I hope coffee lovers and even those who are not familiar with coffee will give it a try!

You can choose the coffee that best suits your daily mood and lifestyle, so you can enjoy your coffee time every day without getting bored.
The cute packaging makes it easy to use as a gift as well as a treat for yourself, so be sure to buy some as a souvenir from Japan!

 

Where to Buy Fresh Cubes

COFFEE STYLE UCC Yokohama

〒220-0005
B1F “FOOD & TIME ISETAN YOKOHAMA”, 1-5-1 Minami-Saiwai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

COFFEE STYLE UCC Atre Kichijoji

〒180-0003
1F, atre Kichijoji Main Building, 1-1-24 Kichijoji Minamimachi, Musashino-shi, Tokyo

COFFEE STYLE UCC Grandsta Tokyo

〒100-0005
East Japan Railway Company Tokyo Station, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

 
Also available at UCC Cafe Mercado, Ueshima Coffee Shop, and COFFEE STYLE UCC and Ueshima Coffee Shop online stores (some products not available at some stores).

Check out the official COFFEE STYLE UCC website (Japanese)!
https://coffeestyle.jp/