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Food and Beverage

Nano Heated Wireless Mug keeps it hotter for longer

No morning is complete without a cup of hot coffee. The big challenge is always figuring out how to keep that coffee hot all throughout the morning.

patent-claimedThe Nano Heated Wireless Mug provides just such a service. Using a charge, it keeps coffee hot for 45 minutes. The technology Nano uses allows for the coffee (or tea) to be heated evenly. In addition, the battery remains good for seven refills. To charge, one can use any standard USB cord. This thermos also features a handle, snap lid, light weight, and food grade plastic so it’s safe for consumption.

There are many wireless heating mugs around, but most focus on actually brewing coffee on the go, like the Hey Joe Coffee Mug. Nano is more versatile in a way because it works with whatever beverage the user craves at the time, including tea. One will cost backers a donation of $39 for delivery in August 2015. Nano is looking for a funding goal of $40,000 with the help of Kickstarter.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries Nutrition/Hydration

EFFIC mug holds coffee, charges smartphones too

For people on the go, a typical morning routine may include grabbing a coffee and checking smartphones. If that’s the case, the EFFIC mug may be the solution the connected crowd did not know they were looking for. The mug combines a traditional thermos with the utility of a smartphone charger all in one.

The mug comes in a variety of bright colors and is molded with an indent designed to hold a device with the help of a magnet. The other side of the magnet attaches directly to the smartphone. EFFIC uses an external lithium-ion battery that can fully charge a device up to three times. The inner container is made out of stainless steel and BPA-free plastic.

While it may be nice to have a device nestled in the side of a coffee mug, users may not want their smartphones right next to liquid. The company touts a leak-free lid, but most thermoses leak anyway. Pledging $5 or more gets backers the EFFIC mug for delivery in May 2015. The campaign is looking to raise at least $58,000 on Kickstarter.

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Food and Beverage

Brewover 2.0 coffee maker makes it cold or hot for you

Coffee is not only a great way to start out the day, but pretty much mandatory for any caffeine fanatic. There are lots of different ways to make coffee, but some are better than others.

The Brewover 2.0 combines three different methods for making coffee: the ever-popular filter method, the pour-over method and the cold brewing method. With its copper design and hourglass shape, this brewer does it all—or at least does three.

The lesser known pour-over method involves pouring hot water through a filter and directly into the cup for super fresh coffee. For those who like iced coffee there’s the cold brew method. This technique is known for producing much more flavorful iced coffee than simply putting hot coffee over ice. It involves brewing coffee with cold water over a 2-10 hour period.

There have been lots of coffee brewers recently on Backerjack, such as the Evolve 3.0 and Cafflano. What sets the Brewover 2.0 apart, however, is that it provides cold brew, something that few coffee makers can offer. One will cost backers $60 AUD (~$49 USD) for estimated delivery in May 2015. Brewover 2.0 hopes to raise $35,000 AUD (~$28,800 USD) on Kickstarter.

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Food and Beverage

Twistter cup stirs up your drink when you tilt it

For those icy cold, bleary-eyed Monday mornings when stirring one’s java with one’s own hand is just too much effort, there is an automated alternative awaiting its big moment to spin onto the scene. Twistter cup uses a magnetic rotor and tilt of the mug to blend caffeinated delights and help burn off the post weekend haze within one’s mind that may well be as thick as the fog outside. And when one grows weary of all that swirling, the user maintains complete control by simply tilting the cup in the opposite direction – at least where the stuff in the cup is concerned. Even the intensity of the spinning can be determined by choosing whether blades will remain up or face down away from the liquid. If only all things in life were so simple. But alas, while a spoon and the ‘hassle’ of stirring one’s own beverage may be avoidable, it’s unclear as to whether or not the cup is dishwasher safe.  This campaign seeks to raise $20,000 by November 20, 2014. Backers get one Twistter for $16, with an expected delivery of February 2015.

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Food and Beverage

Koffeepress French press lets you brew Keurig K-Cups on the go

The Keurig brewer and K-Cups have made brewing single servings of hot beverages easy. Unfortunately, Keurig machines aren’t portable, so anyone wanting a fresh beverage while out of the house needs to stop at a cafe.

KoffeePress is a new way to enjoy Keurig K-Cups on the go. This 10 fl. oz. cup is insulated and clear, able to hold hot or cold beverages. To use, just insert the K-Cup inside and the KoffeePress acts like a French press, pushing the coffee or tea down in the cup to brew. This product is microwaveable and dishwasher safe. For $15, $20 and $25, early backers will get the KoffeePress at a discounted price. At regular cost, the product goes for $30 with an estimated delivery date of March 2015.

We’ve seen a couple of variations on this idea of brewing coffee on the go. Hey Joe uses a battery to brew coffee and regulate water temperatures. In addition, it requires its own specialized coffee cartridges, which is not ideal. The Mojoe had slots for the user to fill with their own coffee, cream and sugar, making it more cost-effective, though the mug itself cost $90.

Even without the convenient temperature regulation for water that KoffeePress lacks, it still has the added bonus of compatibility with K-Cups which can be found everywhere and come in tons of varieties even though they’re pricier than grounds. The mug is also cheaper than most and has the cool French press effect for true coffee enthusiasts. With hot water and K-Cups readily available, this mug makes on-the-go brewing easy.

Categories
Food and Beverage Travel

Mojoe satisfies the need for mo’ joe on the go

MojoeFor most, when mid morning hits, it’s necessary to get a caffeine fix. For those who don’t have access to a coffeemaker, a trip to the local café is the only option, which can get costly and time-consuming in the long run. For on-the-go brewing, try Mojoe, a portable single serving coffee maker. Simply load up the filter with your own coffee and put sugar and cream in on the other side for a fresh cup of java. Mojoe is similar to the Hey Joe Coffee Mug, but has the added benefit of letting the drinker use their own coffee, making it more cost-effective and convenient. One Mojoe costs $89 for delivery in December 2014. This portable brewer hopes to raise $50,000 on Indiegogo.

Categories
Nutrition/Hydration Travel

Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that brewing mug in your hand?

The Premise. Coffee can, unfortunately, make or break a meeting, lecture or work event. Without it, it’s hard to focus and getting anything done becomes extremely difficult. While most schools and offices recognize this by providing cafes and coffee carts in house, that cup of java is not always right at hand.

The Product. The Hey Joe Coffee Mug is a convenient way to get that caffeine dosage for hardcore coffee addicts. It looks like any normal travel mug and is tall and black. The mug comes with small cartridges of coffee and with the push of a button will brew a cup of coffee. It is designed so that drinkers are welcome to use their own coffee as well. The temperature can be regulated with the push of the power button and the coffee brewing is powered from a rechargeable battery on the bottom of the mug. Cleaning is easy since the coffee is relatively contained. One simply needs to fill the mug with water and soap and then press brew sans coffee cartridge.

The Pitch. The campaign video really stresses the environmental friendliness of the product. It goes through statistics for how many disposable coffee materials people consume and how the Hey Joe Coffee Mug cuts down on that waste. In addition, the coffee cartridge package comes with seeds so that when the coffee grounds are used, one can plant them to grow into flowers. Hey Joe is looking to raise $20,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. Early birdies will receive the travel mug for $39. For $49, backers will receive the mug in black. At the $69 level, backers have the choice of color for their mug and also get 40 coffee cartridges so that they can start brewing. Reward tiers go all the way up to $10,000 with estimated delivery in November 2014. 

The Potential. Coffee convenience has become a thing of concern in recent years. The ever-popular Keurig machine has made it possible to brew one cup at a time easily. This type of machine, however, leaves behind little plastic cups of waste. Other products, like the highly touted AeroPress still requires a source for hot water. The Hey Joe Coffee Mug is the first of its kind that can brew on the go and regulate temperature. This product will certainly be a staple for all caffeine addicts with hectic schedules.