No Normal Coffee is the world’s first dedicated outdoor camping coffee in a tube that you can eat or drink. Just one product tube contains enough paste to make 20 cups of coffee — enough to keep you sustained throughout your entire journey. Made in Switzerland from 100% fair trade Arabica coffee beans sourced from Columbia, you don’t have to sacrifice a stellar cup of coffee in order to enjoy outdoor adventures.
But where did the innovative idea of coffee in a tube come from, and how should campers use coffee in a tube? I spoke to the co-founders of No Normal Coffee, Alexander Häberlin and Philippe Greinacher, to learn how a Swiss hiking trip sparked the creation of the world’s first coffee in a tube.
The No Normal Coffee story
The story of No Normal Coffee begins with two long-time close friends, Alexander and Philippe, who embark upon a Swiss hiking trip together. The two spent nearly 10 years in different places—Philippe in Sub-Saharan Africa, while Alexander remained in Switzerland, working on his many talents and eventually becoming a skilled industrial designer. “Every time [they] would get together, [they] always sought adventures, from touring the Alps to cycling across countries and surfing secret spots. [Their] history of exploration and creativity naturally set the stage for an adventure leading to a life-changing idea,” they said.
In the spring of 2023, Alex and Philippe were in their mid-thirties and became especially “mindful about what [they] were putting in [their] bodies, including the type of calories they consumed and their impact.” The two embarked upon an overnight hike in the Swiss Alps to Verbier. All of the gear in their backpacks was the same except something of the most importance: coffee. Alexander brought “half his kitchen along to prepare a cup of coffee outdoors,” whereas Philippe took a more “pragmatic approach with instant coffee sticks, creamer, and sugar cubes.”
Both men were content with the coffee options they brought but highly critical of one another. “Alexander’s setup was bulky and took ages to prepare and clean, but the result tasted like a proper cup of ‘indoor’ coffee,” Philippe said. Meanwhile, “Philippe packed his coffee in a zip-lock bag, threw everything in a cup, and poured hot water over it. It was so easy and neat but far from comparable in flavor,” said Alexander
An argument that led to innovation
To learn more about where the genius idea behind No Normal Coffee came from, I asked Alex and Philippe to tell me more about where the first thought for the product came from. The idea first sparked after the men argued about the coffee options on their Swiss hike. Alex and Philippe came prepared with different coffee solutions for the hike, which did not satisfy the other’s coffee standards.
Now, they added that they’re sure “seeing two grown men arguing about their coffee on a mountainside was funny. But as so often in history, friction creates sparks, and we got to thinking about the coffee concentrates that we have been seeing and using lately and how they make a great cup of coffee but need refrigerated and are too bulky to bring along.”
“Coffee in a tube in Swiss German sounds very natural ‘Kafi us de Tube’; it could be something your grandparents already had, something friendly and benign, yet made with a clear purpose and intent to deliver a great cup of coffee when you don’t have your machine with you or other clunky gear. Again, we must mention that in Switzerland, many foods come in tubes, from mayos and mustards (standard), milk, spices, desserts, and even meat spreads! You can serve someone bread and tubes for breakfast, which can be more diverse than many hotel breakfast buffets.”
No Normal Coffee was born after returning from their hike in the Swiss Alps. They both “debated about whose setup was better and why, but then we realized that the coffee was the only difference in our backpacks. Is there no way to prepare a good cup of coffee outdoors that’s as easy and tastes delicious? We needed a paste, and pastes in Switzerland come in tubes.”
Tips and tricks for using camping coffee
If you plan on trying No Normal’s camping coffee on your next adventure, check out these tips and tricks from Alex and Phillippe:
- No Normal Coffee Dark Roast is best mixed with water to get a nice cup of coffee. We say, “5 grams of paste mixed with 100 ml water. That sounds complicated, so think of one teaspoon of coffee paste mixed with a small cup of hot water. It will dilute, and you can add more water or paste to get your preferred taste right.”
- “Another option we highly recommend is adding a drop of No Normal Coffee to a banana before heading out on a hike. The intense combination delivers a delicious caffeine kick with a hint of banana. From there, it’s up to the consumer to get creative. It’s perfect for baking—banana bread or pancake batter can easily be flavored. Because it needs no refrigeration, it is perfect for camping meals and campfire feasts, including smores!”
What the founders love most
As a coffee drinker, learning why a product meets a specific individual’s needs helps me better understand how to use it. I asked Alex and Phillippe to weigh in on their favorite things about using No Normal Coffee. “What is special about No Normal Coffee, beyond its form or packaging, is its versatility. It can be mixed with water to prepare a cup of coffee, hot or cold, or used as a spread on fruits or cookies, for example, to prepare a flavorful coffee snack on the go when you are outdoors. People also make great espresso martinis with it and use it in steak rubs!
The founders also mentioned they use the product at least once a day, “either on its own directly from the tube, a little dollop of No Normal Coffee can give you a pleasant tasting natural energy boost when the drive is taking too long, or the lecture seems never to end. Our favorite way and place to consume it is as a drink high up on a mountain on a crisp morning; that’s when our product shines and delivers everything we hoped it would.”
