Coffee. Potus niger et garrulous. The black and tongue loosening drink.
The best beverage in the world. Some say wine. Some say beer. I say shut up.
I can’t remember my first experience with coffee, but I’m pretty sure I had my first cup at either a Denny’s or an IHOP, the two places I spent the most late nights in college. Now most of my coffee comes from either Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. Do either of these establishments have great coffee? No they do not.
But Dunkin Donuts is easy to get to during my morning commute. And Starbucks is the only quiet place in the world that’s open late where things like reading take place. Gradually I am beginning to buy real coffee from an awesome shop in Tampa to make in the morning. Sadly, I don’t always make it as I am not a morning person and would generally trade one minute of extra sleep for just about anything.
But I am making progress. I have recently enjoyed some Ethiopian Harrar which the barista told me had notes of blueberry. And it actually did! It was all very exciting.
(UPDATE: I recently received an email from one of the drones at this company demanding I use a ® and a ™ after Bulletproof Coffee and Upgraded Coffee. So enjoy, because apparently these symbols are going to make or break this product.)
Several months back I heard about Bulletproof® Coffee on Boing Boing’s Gweek podcast. I figured I’d try it eventually, but it took my friend Jeeg from the Nerd Lunch podcast to actually light that fire. Be sure to check out his experience with Bulletproof® Coffee.
Essentially what we have today is two reviews. The first is for a coffee sold by The Bulletproof Executive. It’s called Upgraded™ Coffee. It’s coffee that is as free of mycotoxins as possible. Mycotoxins is a catchall term referring to toxic chemicals produced by certain molds that grow on coffee and are responsible for everything bad that has ever happened to anyone. Ok, maybe not, but the author claims that getting rid of these mycotoxins results in coffee that will make you feel better than any coffee you’ve ever had. No headaches. No jitters. No crankiness. I don’t have anything of those things when I drink coffee but whatever.
Reading through some threads on various boards, a lot of people think he’s full of it. I was going to read through some of the studies but come on, have you ever read a medical study? They’re almost as bad as Nicholas Sparks’ novels.
The coffee tastes like coffee. It is completely unremarkable. It is not bad and it is not great. Very firmly middle of the road. Did it energize me? I guess. The energy fix lasted around four hours, about the same time as my usual coffee. I actually had the complete opposite experience of what the author claimed. I did feel twitchy. Extremely so. Way more than from the good coffee from the good coffee shop.
I tried Upgraded™ Coffee several times, both black (as recommended) and with my usual dressing of cream and sugar. I didn’t love it, but it was fine.
Upgraded™ Coffee sells for around $24 for 12 ounces (shipping included). Extra energy or not, that price is not worth the trade-off of flavor. I’ll just get a larger cup of the good coffee.
Now for the second and far more bizarre part of this coffee experiment. It’s called Bulletproof® Coffee. The formula is as follows: 2 cups of prepared Upgraded™ Coffee, 2 tablespoons of Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, and two tablespoons of MCT oil.
I substituted coconut oil for MCT oil, so this is not the exact recipe as hyped by The Bulletproof Executive. But Jeeg, a chemistry major and all around smart guy, assured me that would be ok because coconut oil contains a lot of MCT.
You blend all of these ingredients together and you’re left with a frothy, slightly yellow beverage that looks a bit like a cappuccino. This concoction was dreamt up by the Bulletproof Executive guy after he sampled some yak butter tea when he was off in some area of the world where rich people go to do rich people things. It’s supposed to sharpen your brain and give you tons of energy and program your body to burn fat all day. Indeed.
Bulletproof® Coffee, in this version made without pure MCT oil, smells delightfully of coconut oil. Very nutty and aromatic. It tastes…well, not so great. Coffee is good. Butter is good. Coconut oil is good. Together they are not good. The drink has a very unusual sharpness to it, which is weird because none of the individual ingredients have a sharp taste profile. The coffee flavor is overpowered by the coconut oil which provides most of the taste. The butter adds a lot of texture making the drink very creamy and thick.
I did not enjoy it. My wife was repulsed by it, as was a coworker. Eventually I added some sugar to the mix, I’m sure violating the sacred principle on which this stuff is based because sugar is the devil, but it helped. It toned down the weird sharpness and made it drinkable. It didn’t make it great, just drinkable. Maybe it would be better with straight MCT.
This time around the energy rush was more intense. I felt super jittery and my face felt hot for a couple of hours. I can’t say I enjoyed either sensation. The boost started to wane at about the four hour mark again.
So as incredulous as I’d like to be, I’ve got to admit that something in Upgraded™ Coffee or the Bulletproof® Coffee concoction did add some extra pep to my step. A very jumpy, shakey, young recruit in a Vietnam movie kind of pep, but a pep nonetheless.
That being said, I’ll probably never prepare another cup of this again. A week’s worth was enough. I like the energy that coffee gives me in the morning, but more than that, I like the taste of coffee. And again, there’s no way I’d trade the sweet sweet taste of a high quality coffee for the something I’d have to choke down and that would ultimately leave me feeling like a pair of those chattery wind-up teeth. And for those keeping score at home, this variation on the formula for Bulletproof® Coffee runs about 460 calories. I’d rather just have some oatmeal.
Adding that to the high cost of the Upgraded™ Coffee, the extra cost of the butter and oil, and the extra time it took me to prepare the stuff, there is no conceivable reality in which I’d work this into my daily routine.
But to each his own. Give it try, if you’re curious. It was certainly an interesting experiment and led to some good workplace conversations. Now I’ve got to figure out what to do with the rest of this tub of coconut oil. My friends just refuse to come over and wrestle in it with me. Jerks.
What’s MCT? And how do you like the Irish butter?
MCT is some super oil that’s supposed to be good for you. And I love the butter! Eating more toast than I ever have in my life.
Somehow, this experiment is even better since we came to completely opposite conclusions. Though I’m not sure what we learned besides the fact that Upgraded Coffee is expensive and Kerrygold is some damned fine butter.
Maureen, MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides and refers to the size of the hydrocarbon portion of the oil’s molecules. Coconut oil has the highest percentage of MCTs of the natural oils, so it’s a fair bet that’s what is being sold.
I’m still going to try just butter, then just oil with the coffee. Also going to get some different coffee. Didn’t like the Upgraded.
I do Paleo and tons of people rave about Bulletproof Coffee helping them with their fast…I don’t get it. It’s like drinking 300 calories’ worth of fat, how’s that work for fasting? I’d rather eat my calories and not drink it in some unsweetened and overly greasy coffee.
Agreed!
Because of the no/low insulin response, it is considered safe for not breaking a fast. If you’re on Paleo, you should know why you’re doing it. Fat isn’t the enemy so 300 calories isn’t a big deal when it has no sugar and doesn’t promote an insulin response in the body. On Paleo, you are using fat as your energy source so you’re giving yourself a big dose of energy by drinking it the Bulletproof way. I don’t think Bulletproof coffee will help anyone who hasn’t made the conversion to burning fat as energy instead of carbs. You probably are drinking a cup of coffee that you don’t enjoy too much without any benefits. Just my 2 cents worth…
Nice Steve. I plan on trying this myself someday. Trying to convince my wife of the idea of putting butter in her coffee. Needless to say, she’s skeptical.
Give it a try. it’s interesting.
Coconut oil + Coffee is a great recipe to jump start the bowels. I’ve used MCT oil in the past. It’s pretty flavorless, you would probably be left with just your butter coffee flavor..maybe that’s better?
I’m surprised they didn’t recommend pasture butter if they were going with the MCT. Cool of you to try this one.
Kerrygold is pastured butter. It’s on the box.
Kerrygold is amazing stuff. I have no idea what butter tastes like in coffee (and based on your review, I’m in no hurry to find out), but I have found that adding a pat of butter to a mug of Alpine spiced cider improves the experience immensely.
Use your leftover coconut oil in place of olive or canola oil when you cook. Makes good popcorn, too.
I will try the popcorn suggestion! Thanks
I like to use coconut oil on my toast with peanut butter and honey. Then I drink the coffee. I have tried coconut oil in my coffee but the oil slick on top was creepy. I gave up coffee in solidarity with my husband who has acid reflux. LAME. We both crawled back to it after my 7 month old went on a sleep strike. I like 8 o’clock coffee, it was rated a best buy by Cooks Illustrated( or maybe consumer reports, I forget).
I like your comment on “going places in the world where rich people go to do rich people things”, LOL. I was fascinated by this recipe after seeing it in some kind of health magazine. I love coffee and drink 2-3 cups a day. I’m glad you made the recipe and I didn’t cause it sounds really gross. Besides, milkfat is milkfat right? What difference does it make whether you get it in butter or half and half? The MCT, I don’t know, but I do know that fat is satisfying, which made me switch me and my family from skim milk to 2%. Kids burn so much energy I don’t think it will hurt them any and I love the taste of 2%. Fat isn’t the enemy, overeating and not doing anything is the enemy.
Thanks! And well said.
I just had my first cup with my wife and we love it! I really think you,are missing the boat by not following the recipeit. You would not put diesel in a gasoline engine, would you? They are both types of fuel, you know. Using coconut oil instead of straight MCT oil adds flavor that does not mesh well with the concoction. Also, not all milk fat is the same. It all depends on the diet of the cow. Again, the recommendation for grass-fed milk is specific. The vitamins and nutrients and taste is different than your typical corn/soy diet cow’s milk fat.
I would recommend you read the reasoning and science behind the recipeit and give it a shot. Just google it and read up on it.
To me, it taste just like a mild cappuccino with a nice frothy head. I’ll come back and give a better opinion after I have experimented with it a bit as I do like to sweeten my coffee a little.
Thanks for taking the time to write up your review!
Kerry Gold butter is the butter recommended on the Bulletproof Executive’s website. That’s why I used it.
Wow, I had never heard of this. I am glad that you made the sacrifice and tried this so that I don’t have to! I do paleo, too, but you won’t catch me putting butter in my coffee. I think I remember my grandmother running out of half and half and using butter as a (terrible) substitute.
Haha, it wasn’t terrible. Not great. But not terrible.
Kerrygold is the king of butter and probably not like anything your grandmother used unless she had her own cows or knew someone who made butter. This stuff is made from pastured, grassfed cows. It is crazy expensive compared to other “butter” but so worth it. Don’t know what you’re missing but that means more for me!
Heard about this new “blend” of coffee with fat and my research found your blog! Thanks for doing the experiment. I’ll admit I was skeptical. My morning coffee is like a sacred drink – don’t mess with it, ya know?
As for coconut oil, it really IS good for you and fats are important. As a nutritionist I’m amazed at the amount of people that are fat-averse. It is not the hellish thing BigPharma and the ridiculous USDA would have people believe. Your brain needs it! I have coconut oil in my bathroom to take off make-up and moisture with. I have it in the kitchen to add to foods and cook in – a spoonful on top of oatmeal is wonderful!
Love your blog – signed up for it! Keep writing
Susan
Thank you! Good info. Much appreciated.
I just tried coconut oil in my decaf coffee this morning.. and I just came back from a 4 mile trek around my neighborhood, in the middle of a fast/ketosis diet. It most definitely gives you a boost of energy, but I happen to like the flavor and texture too. I did add a little sweetener though.
Nothing weird about adding butter to a drink……it’s made of cream, same stuff one can whip into fluffy peaks that cap our Starbucks and Coffee Beans.
Also I think it is recommended that the MCT, butter, coffee is best mixed with a blender, so it’s not separated.
;]
Husband bought 5# bag for me for Christmas. I am a serious Coffee drinker. I am on my second home espresso machine, retiring My last one after 15,000 cups. I think this is a very mild coffee. However, I am finding the caffeine amount very low. I usually feel pretty good after one espresso made with a Starbucks blend or a Jamaican blue Mountain blend from Costco. I have had three Upgraded coffee espressos this morning and feel like I can’t get out of bed.
I didn’t even read this whe article but you know what I do t care cause what I read says you think Dave Asprey is a cook. Your whole money issue is dumb if your eating truly bulletproof it is not that expensive… You need to re think Dave is definitly on to something and Iv Never felt or looked better then now eating completely bulletproof
You have excellent writing abilities.
Congratulations, Tyler, Single-handedly setting back the whole Bulletproof movement in one stupid post. Brilliant work and excellent spelling.
Steve, this is my first encounter with your blog. I also live roundabout Tampa and am highly interested in the Bulletproof Coffee experience. I actually do not enjoy coffee in the slightest, yet I’m fascinated by the ritual and the excitement of friends. Always feels like I’m missing out. I am however, very interested in MCT oil and specifically it’s use in the reduction or reversal of Alzheimer’s issues (family member.) There’s some anecdotal evidence and some studies underway to show it can make a dramatic difference.
Incidentally, s this is a food blog, being an expatriated new yorker, I’m also a pizza snob. After having tried all the New York-style shops around Tampa, I’ve found a perfect slice. Correct balance, right sauce, right cheese, and most importantly the right crust: a thin, light crust with a cracker-like very bottom that cracks when you fold it. Good stuff. Taste of New York Pizza off of 75 and BB Downs.
Looking forward to reading more. All the best.
Hey thanks.
Bulletproof was an interesting experience. There’s something to it. I’m just too lazy to add it to my daily routine. I may revisit it with straight MCT. Everyone thinks that’s where the flavor went wrong.
And I will definitely check out the pizza place. My favorite pizza joint is Gianni’s in St. Pete.
Funny! “rich people ” LOL have no idea how i got here but I like your writing style! will be back to read more stuff!
Thanks!
I’m sure people covered this before but try just the MCT oil instead of the coconut oil. The pure MCT oil has no taste and I friggin hate coconut. I’ve been trying the bulletproof coffee for 2 weeks now. By the second day I was dreading it but by the fourth day I started to really enjoy and crave it. I think it is having a positive effect on my mood but who knows. I’m not totally sold on it yet. I would have loved to do an full experiment with before and after lipid profile but that was a lot of money.
Haha, such hatred for coconut! Thanks for the comment. Think I’m going to revisit this in the summer.
Kate – I am just starting the Paleo and isn’t it all about NOT counting calories and teaching your body to live off of good fat and not grains?
Oh, forgot to share that I Love BPC! plenty of clean energy and clarity! it makes the brain work better!
I heard Dave Asprey on the Joe Rogan podcast (he was on last October, but I listen randomly) and got excited to try the Bulletproof coffee. He made it sound like it would change your freaking life! Will post an update tomorrow after I try it. Am a bit skeptical – it’s a lot of fat! But I think your experiment was tainted by the use of coconut oil instead of MCT oil as other posters have opined. Just opened my bottle from Amazon and had a little nip, and it is nearly flavorless. Reminds me a bit of grapeseed oil.
Glad I stumbled upon your blog – sounds like a pretty intelligent forum.
Here’s my promised update: I made the coffee with 24 ounces brewed coffee (the recipe says “2 mugs”, I figured a mug is 12 oz) from organic, high quality beans I found locally, 2 TBS Kerrygold butter (from Trader Joes) and 2 TBS MCT oil (from Amazon), and blended it with an immersion blender till it was frothy. To my astonishment, I found it really tasty and satisfying. Very smooth, not greasy, goes down easy. I definitely noticed the energy pick-up, but I felt a little too wired. I hadn’t slept well the night before, so this may have enhanced that effect. I wasn’t hungry for about 6 hours and when I did eat, I filled up quickly. It’s been 8 hours since I drank the coffee (all 24 oz BTW) and I still feel high. I can’t say I’ve gotten anything more accomplished today than ususal, but then again, I am the lazy sort unless I have a gun to my head. Hope this doesn’t interfere with sleep tonight.
Thanks for doing the review. I have nothing invested in Bulletproof coffee but I can’t help to make a comment or two based on your review: first, you approached your experiment as a cup of coffee to another cup of coffee. I think that is comparing apples to oranges. I would say the reason most people are using the Bulletproof coffee system is because of the “no mycotoxin” thing. I am sure you can find better cups of coffee in a lot of places but those coffees might (probably) have mycotoxins. We know Bulletproof coffee does not so we gladly make the trade off to have a safe cup of coffee. Maybe not the most delicious but free of toxins our bodies can’t handle.
Second, I have no idea what Bulletproof executive says on his interviews but I seriously doubt a lot of people would see any fat burning effects with this coffee unless they had already converted to a fat burning body which takes some time. When I first started Paleo, my body was converting from carbs as a quick source of energy to fat as a longer burning source of energy and using the fat stores on my body. In that light, Bulletproof coffee in the morning makes sense in a Paleo world but not necessarily to the average person who just wants a good cup of coffee when they wake up.
Third, we both agree that Kerrygold butter is the bomb and could probably make cardboard taste good.
I just thought I’d mention these things because some of the comments seem to be comparing coffee to coffee and I don’t think Bulletproof is trying to compete on the coffee market. I think they are trying to compete on the “no mycotoxin Paleo market” and that is a much smaller market. If you have a problem with mold allergies, you are thankful that this coffee is available and free of toxins. Drinking it the Bulletproof way, is just an added Paleo bonus to start your day off right.
Hey. Love your article. I love Bulletproof Coffee. I make it using Community Coffee, because I’m not sold on Upgraded. I think any of the semi-gourmet labelled coffee you buy has to meet certain “clean” standards. Anyway, you should drink it for about a week. You really don’t feel all of the goodness until you’ve got it in your sytem for a few days.
Thanks! I think I’m going to experiment more in the summer. No early rising.
I just tried “Upgraded Coffee.” It tastes good to me, but it’s pretty expensive. I’m not sure about the whole “mycotoxin” stuff. I’m sure some peoples’ bodies are more sensitive than others. I’ve never noticed negative effects from normal coffees, personally.
I love “bulletproof” coffee though. Try adding some cacao powder to the mix.
What are some good tasting coffees that you’d recommend?
I buy from a local roaster called Buddy Brew. They have a website. It’s a good place to start. Also, cacao powder, great idea!