I love iced coffee. Especially Starbucks Frappuccinos. If it weren’t for the prohibitive price I’d buy them all the time. For an individual 9.5 ounce bottle I’ve seen the price range from $1.50 to $2.99. That’s a bit much to pay for coffee, even if it happens to be delicious. Sorry, Starbucks, but your coffee is way overpriced.
The other day I happened to be browsing through the Japanese section of a local international grocery store. While looking at the various oddities, I noticed some cans of chilled coffee. This struck me as odd, since I usually don’t associate Japan with coffee. I was admittedly intrigued, but what really drew me in was the oddly shaped can and the amusing name of the coffee. “Hello Boss” isn’t exactly a phrase that makes me think “coffee,” but it was exactly the sort of goofy name one would expect to adorn a Japanese product (although I believe the coffee actually comes from Taiwan). I was curious so I decided to buy a can. Each can was only around 70 cents so if I totally hated it I wouldn’t be out too much money.
After letting it sit in the fridge for a day, I decided to have a drink. The can was surprisingly hard to open. I had to get out a knife and wedge it under the tab. I think the can may be made out of steel instead of aluminum since I couldn’t crush it like I could a soda can ( or maybe I’m just pathetically weak). As for the drink itself, it was quite good. I’d say it was as good as anything Starbucks sells in a bottle or can.
I only regret that I didn’t buy more of this stuff. There were several other flavors of Hello Boss coffee that I’ll have to try next time I stop by the store. I’m not sure if Hello Boss comes in six packs or twelve packs or whatever, but for 70 cents does it really matter? Not only is Hello Boss cheaper than Starbucks Frappuccino, the cans are 11.5 ounces compared to the 9.5 ounce bottles Starbucks sells.
Just FYI, Hello Boss happens to have a competitor called Mr. Brown. Both brands have almost identical pictures of cartoon bearded men on their cans, and from what I’ve read from people who have tried both, they taste virtually the same. I think that Hello Boss may actually be the ripoff brand, but Hello Boss’s cans are bigger and cost the same as Mr. Brown.
Contains “coffeine”.
I want some Hello Boss coffee. Buy me some
Hi,
According to this web page,
http://homepage1.nifty.com/fumo/juice03.html
it seems this is from Taiwan. I’m afraid I have never come across a decent can of coffee in Japan.
Cheers,
Oh no! You have discovered my favorite secret!
I’ve been buying Hello Boss! Coffee from 99 Cents Only stores for a few years now, where they’re 2 for $0.99.
Their tastes are a little bit more bitter than Starbucks coffees, but they have more caffeine, are cheaper, and travel better than Starbucks Frappuccinos in their glass bottles.
The vanilla flavor is my favorite, the mocha is also quite good
I’ve had that coffee before. It’s not that bad.
According to the description on the can ‘Ca Phe Sua’, it’s from Vietnam, it means Milk Coffee.
I’ve never seen this brand in Vietnam but the label “Ca Phe Sua” is indeed Vietnamese. Vietnam is one of the largest coffee producing countries (next to Brazil I think). The quality is good, but little known because lack of marketing and weak branding.
Actually asian markets are great places to get these tasty drinks ($0.40/can):
Mr. Brown iced coffee - yum. lots of different versions (mocha etc…)
Chrysanthemum Tea - super tasty light tea made from flowers and sugar
Winter Mellon Tea - tastes just like toasted marshmellows
Thai Iced Tea and Coffee - yum!
Sometimes even $.25/can
i do not understand why the american culture tolerates…i cannot even come to say the company name star…. coffee, for it is not coffee…in fact i throw it up when i first tasted it…the marketing certainly works because it forces this cacca down fast food throats..and do not get me started on coffee drink in a can!!!!!
I am in Japan right now.
I am an entrtainer that has been coming to Japan for over ten years.
I have never seen this brand here.
They do have a hugely popular brand called Boss, but the logo is completely different and much cooler.
It’s not bad for canned coffee. I’m sure you can find it on Google images.
I did find a coffee in a vending machine here with the worst name ever, “Deepresso”
I think they were trying to combine the words deep and espresso but the name ended up conveying the opposite of what coffee shoud try to do for you.
23.5 grams of sugar per can. That’s 6 teaspoons of sugar. Would you like some caffeine with your sugar water?
I live in Taiwan. The brand Mr. Brown is a very old one, owned by a company called King Car. They have quite a range of products in Taiwan.
The logo of Hello Boss seems way too similar to Mr. Browns’. I suspect it’s an illegal rip-off.
Maybe, this is the same thing from weird asia, http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/05/10/free-drink-vending-machines-in-japan/.
I have set up a company to sell Hello Boss Iced Coffee over the Internet, The Far East Company at www.thefareastcompany.com.
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I buy a can of this every morning for 89 cents, rather than getting a Starbucks at three times the price. I found a store that sells it for 75 cents in a nearby city, but I bought every can in their cooler… and they have yet to restock (after two months).
i have dat but its not the french roast kind its just an iced coffee dat i have and its good! i sneaked dat in the basket and my mom dont even know i brought it
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go die!!! mr browns sooooo much better than waaa waa hello boss waa waa, dont ever copy mr brown even with a stuip name like hellllo boss ahh it makes me sick with unoriginality!!!
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I would love to find it in San Diego. Can anyone help?
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