Make it a Bulletproof Coffee

It’s just not every day that you put butter in your coffee. Or put your coffee in your Vitamix.

But that’s precisely what we’ve been doing since Bulletproof Upgraded Coffee beans arrived at our doorstep last week.

In case you haven’t heard of this java phenomenon taking North America by storm, here’s how you make it:

• Slow-steep Bulletproof Upgraded freshly ground coffee beans (the company recommends using a French Press to ensure the grinds steep for four minutes, but if you have a Breville YouBrew like we do, you can trust it to grind the perfect amount of beans, heat your water to an optimal drip temperature and steep them for at least four minutes, but usually longer)
• Pour about 1.5 cups of black coffee into a very high-quality blender, like Vitamix
• Pop 2 tbsp. of unsalted grass-fed butter into the blender (this is super-important: don’t get salted and don’t use anything but GRASS-fed)
• Add 1 tbsp. of Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil to the blender
• Blend for about 30 seconds
• Drink and enjoy

Need to see that on video?

THE GOOD

Let me start by telling you that I’ve been drinking coffee for about 20 years, and drinking it on at least a weekly (and, yes, sometimes daily) basis for the better part of about eight years save being pregnant. And up until Bulletproof coffee, I would have NEVER had my caffeine fix without heavy cream and two teaspoons of sugar. In fact, I’ve been known to turn down coffee if cream isn’t available. The Bulletproof coffee ends up so super-rich and creamy that I doubt I’ll ever bother going back to old-school coffee concoctions — there’s just no comparison. It’s like a latte, but way, way better. And I added merely a pinch of Xyla (xylitol) my first few tries and haven’t needed to this week at all because I find a cup so supremely satisfying.

All those good fats from the butter and oil fill me up and I don’t crave anything beyond the bit of breakfast I might have had alongside my coffee. Nor do I go hunting for a mid-morning snack but instead look up, notice it’s lunch time and casually think of what I’d like to eat.

I don’t feel like having any more coffee ALL DAY. At all. That great top-of-the-mornin’ buzz that comes with your first few sips of coffee each day but sends you diving into a deep spiral a few hours later that requires rescuing from another cup (or two) just doesn’t happen with Bulletproof.

Did I mention the coffee is organic, fair trade and “processed” with so much care and attention to quality that I feel almost shameful thinking of buying most other coffee beans?

J’adore the cacao butter and chocolate powder, both of which make even a non-Bulletproof cup of coffee divine.

I honestly didn’t think I’d consciously notice the mental acuity that the brand promises on its website. But I actually did, and so did Big B. I commute once a week into the city for work and it usually takes the better part of two hours. This is after getting two children fed, dressed and out the door for school and a dog fed, dressed and out the door to doggy day care (don’t judge me). So by the time I hit the DVP (for those of you outside of Toronto, this is basically the worst, most congested mini-highway imaginable where there are traffic jams at all hours of the day and night), I usually have to hit the air conditioning on full blast and slap myself in the face once or twice to stay alert. Not so with the Bulletproof coffee running through my veins; and I noticed that my “alertness” stuck all day and into my drive home around 8 p.m. Very impressive.

Bulletproof ships internationally, but…

THE GAFFE

You’re gonna pay for it, starting at US$15.95 for Canada and a whopping US$43.95 beyond Canada or the USA. So if you have cause to be at a U.S. hotel, order at least $135 worth of products and take advantage of the free domestic shipping…just be sure to leave enough room in your luggage and be mindful that the Brain Octane Oil is too big to take in a carry-on because of stupid terrorists. That, or find a Canadian retailer, which — lucky for you — I did (see below).

The cleanup is obviously more labour-intensive than a regular cup of Joe because two appliances are involved.

It’s really, REALLY freakin’ hard to get grass-fed butter here. We spent three weeks searching high and low between at least five cities before finding a stick of unsalted Rolling Meadow (watch for it in a future review).

Bulletproof products aren’t for the faint of wallet. A three-quarter pound  bag of coffee beans will set you back US$18.95, which in Canada is about $947 right now with our lovely exchange rate. The Brain Octane Oil is US$23.50 (although this feels easier on the pocketbook because you only use a tablespoon at a time). But will I pay for it following my review period? Yes. Yes, I will.

THE GEARS

4.5/5

So…where can you get it?

• Directly from Bulletproof (ideal for U.S.-based customers)
• Yes Wellness (in Canada and free shipping on orders $49 or more)