27 Amazing Coffee Products Showcasing Crowdfunding Bliss
These days, crowdfunding is a popular way to launch innovative products without the need to please traditional financial backers. Lucky for us, this results in some unique and creative designs. Sure, some are flops, but some are well worth supporting. Here are 27 coffee-centric products that fall into the latter category.
1. The Kelvin Home Coffee Roaster
The Kelvin Home Coffee Roaster is brand new, only recently fully funded on Kickstarter, and pre-orders are shipping soon. It has a beautiful modern design and is incredibly simple to use, roasting up to 85 g of bean in as little as 10 minutes.
But that’s not all! It’s the only home roaster with an associated green coffee bean subscription service. Use the app to have ready-to-roast coffee delivered right to your door.
2. Hiku Coffee Grinder
A group of coffee obsessives designed this premium hand grinder from Kanso Coffee, and it shows. It’s not cheap, but that’s because no sacrifices have been made in terms of quality.
It includes a large conical burr set (either stainless steel or titanium nitride), a patent-pending shaft stabilization system, and a perfectly machined grind adjustment ring. For drip coffee lovers, the latest version is even better for coarse grinds.
3. The Oomph Portable Coffee Maker
The Oomph is a portable all-in-one coffee maker funded on Kickstarter a few years ago that has already sold over 50,000 units worldwide. The new-and-improved Oomph 2.0 is currently on Indiegogo.
The Oomph uses a plunger to extract, similar to an AeroPress, but with a few bonuses all, its own. It works with an array of grind sizes thanks to the Intelligent Grind Correction technology, and a patented multi-chamber design ensures no over-extraction.
4. Kruve Coffee Sifter
As any good coffee nerd knows, to get a consistent brew, you need consistent grind size. Higher-end prosumer coffee grinders do their best with this, especially the wildly expensive models, but a far cheaper and more reliable alternative is to use the Kruve Coffee Sifter. This clever device sifts your ground coffee, using one of 15 sieve sizes to achieve precise and consistent grounds. It’s a quick and simple way to take your coffee to the next level.
5. Nitro King 2.0
Are you a fan of nitro cold brew? It’s hard not to be with its rich, creamy body and utterly refreshing flavor. The only downside? It’s always SO expensive at a coffee shop. Well, with the Nitro King and now the updated 2.0 version, you can quickly and easily make your own at home! No barista experience is required.
6. Steepshot Coffee Brewer
Need a coffee and need it fast? Steepshot has you covered with a portable coffee maker that brews in just 30 seconds. Steepshot’s patented brewing method uses pressure, which allows it to brew ultra-fast and avoid any unwanted bitter flavors. The likes of Tim Wendelboe even endorse it, so you know it’s got to be good!
7. Goat Story Arco Coffee Grinder
Goat Story has mastered Crowdfunding, as manifested by their THREE products on this list, all of which have inspired funders and gone on to considerable success.
The most recent addition is this 2-in-1 grinder, which is both manual AND electric. How cool is that? Want the portability or quiet of a manual grinder? You’ve got it. Want to spare your arms and rely on a motor? You’ve got that too!
8. Goat Story GINA Smart Brewer
The next Goat Story product on this list is the Gina Smart brewer, a unique and award-winning design that can brew coffee in three different ways: pour-over, immersion, and cold drip. And that’s not the only thing that makes these machines “smart.” It also includes a built-in scale that you can pair for a coffee app for ideal brewing precision.
9. Goat Story Mug
And now we come to Goat Story’s final product on our list, the first they funded through Kickstarter: the distinctive Goat Mug.
This leak-proof kickstarter coffee Mug is shaped like a horn, tapering to a point at the bottom. It’s eminently portable, and its unique aesthetic certainly stands out from the crowd. Want to put it on a table? The sleeve, available in various fun colors and designs, comes off to act as a stand.
10. Fellow Ode Grinder
The Ode Grinder was one of the most hyped coffee products of 2020, and to a large extent, its buzz was well deserved. This high-end grinder, featuring an attractive industrial design, is compact, well-built, and more than worthy of your pour-over and French press brews. Just don’t count on it for that perfect espresso grind; that was never its goal.
11. Niche Zero Grinder
If espresso is your goal, take a look at the Niche Zero instead, the other ultra-trendy grinder to hit the market in the last few years. This single dosing grinder was designed with two aims in mind: to grind with virtually zero retention and to make it easy to switch from fine to coarse grind. And it delivers in both cases! There’s a reason this grinder is nearly always sold out.
12. Flair Espresso Maker
These days there is a whole slew of Flair manual espresso makers. But in 2016, crowdfunding backed the Original to much fanfare, and it continues to be one of the company’s best sellers.
These barebones espresso machines were designed to keep just what you need to produce a perfect shot. Doing away with any extra bells and whistles makes them by far the least expensive way to make top-quality espresso.
13. Wacaco Minipresso
Over the years, Wacaco has become the unofficial master of amazing travel espresso makers. I’m talking so portable that you can carry them around in your pocket.
The Minipresso is the original model. Thanks to its patented piston pump design, you can generate enough pressure for a proper espresso with foamy crema. The whole system, which even includes a little espresso cup, comes in well under a pound.
14. The CoffeeJack
If you want the portability of the Minipresso but the flexibility to brew a full 16 g double shot of espresso, then the CoffeeJack may be for you. This patent-pending design generates the 9 bars of pressure needed for proper espresso using a unique micro-hydraulic system. The only trade-offs are that it’s a touch pricey and doesn’t come with a built-in mug.
15. The Cafelat Robot
Like the Flair, the Cafelat Robot is a manual espresso machine that promises incredible shots at a low cost. You just need to employ a bit of elbow grease. It’s a nifty little design that earns its robot moniker. It’s made exclusively of high-end materials like stainless steel and, crucially, features a standard commercial-size 58 mm portafilter.
16. The Hyperchiller
You know that feeling on a steamy summer afternoon when you’d do just about anything for an iced coffee? But unless you’ve prepared in advance, your only option is to drop your hard-earned cash at the local coffee shop.
No longer! Enter the Hyperchiller. It can cool freshly made coffee (or any other drink) in under a minute without having to dilute that precious brew with ice cubes.
17. Brux Coffee Maker
Portable coffee makers seem to be a common theme of crowdfunded projects, and here is yet another successful travel brewer, the Brux from Boco Living.
This one is unique because it is a pour-over brewer instead of the more common immersion or espresso devices. Its minimalist design includes a clever retractable pour-over cone built right into a vacuum insulated travel mug.
18. uKeg Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Maker
If you liked the sound of the Nitro King but are worried it was a bit too small to quench your thirst for nitro cold brew, the uKeg is here for you. It can make up to 12 cups at a time, and the double-wall stainless steel keg with vacuum insulation will keep it cool all day long. Bring it to a summer barbeque with friends, and prepare to be the hero of the day!
19. Twist Press Compact Coffee Maker
Sick of portable coffee makers yet? No? Good, because this one is pretty special. It combines pour-over, immersion, AND pressure-based brewing methods for a small and strong shot of coffee that’s as good on the road as it is at home.
Just check out this user rave: “So glad I have purchased this. It has become my go-to for a quick but strong coffee at home.”
20. H2Joe
The H2Joe is the morning commuter’s dream. It’s so easy to prioritize drinking coffee over drinking water, and before you know it, you’re a jittery, over-caffeinated, and dehydrated mess.
With the H2Joe, you don’t have to choose. It’s the first insulated coffee mug/water bottle combo that lets you drink either easily, and its vacuum insulation guarantees hot coffee and cold water for hours.
21. Pakt Coffee Kit
The Pakt Coffee kit is an entire pour-over brewing set-up designed for travelers. This isn’t an ultra-compact portable brewer, but rather a durable and beautifully designed high-end coffee system for hotels, campers, or AirBnBs.
It includes a stainless steel dripper, a vacuum insulated travel mug, some accessories, and amazingly, an electric kettle! Each component nests perfectly inside another to create one sleek package, with protective silicone sleeves to avoid any bumping or scratches.
22. Trinity Zero
Remember when I talked about the tiny Minipresso, the brewer that could fit in your pocket? Well, imagine something one-third the size, and you have the Trinity Zero.
If the Minipresso is ideal for car camping and short hikes, the Trinity Zero is perfect for those long adventures where every ounce counts. Mountaineers, backpackers, and rock climbers are all going to want to get their hands on this clever patented design.
23. VSSL JAVA Grinder
VSSL is a Canadian company, and the idea for the JAVA grinder was born on a journey in Canada’s far north. Like all VSSL products, it’s built with adventure in mind. Made with aircraft-grade aluminum housing and stainless steel burrs, it’s powerful, light, and incredibly durable.
The patented “clip & flip” handle is a special touch. The grinder handle doubles as a carabiner when not in use, making it easy to attach this grinder anywhere.
24. Pourx Oura Scale
Making truly great pour-over coffee is no easy task. You need to know just how to pour to coax the best flavor from your beans. Sounds complicated? Don’t worry. This scale guides you through it with a system even a child could grasp: green light for the pour, red light for stop.
By linking it with the associated app, you can download pour-over recipes or save your favorite brews. Welcome to the future!
25. GoSun Brew Travel Coffee Maker
I know what you’re thinking—yet another travel coffee maker. But hear me out because this one is special.
While the others require you to add hot water, this French-press-in-a-mug has a heater built into the base! It’s not the quickest to heat, but that’s still pretty cool. You can brew by plugging it into a wall or buy a separate power pack or solar kit if you’re planning to go off-grid.
26. The Morning Machine
Most coffee makers are a trade-off between convenience and control. The easier it is to make a coffee, the worse it’s going to taste. Just compare a Keurig brew to a carefully crafted pour-over. But the Morning Machine is here to change all that. This innovative coffee machine pairs the complex recipes of a skilled barista with the convenience of Nespresso capsules. Win-win!
27. Timemore Chestnut Xlite
Timemore is a Chinese brand that has quickly gained a reputation for making great burr grinders. Their flagship grinder, the Chestnut G1, won a Red Dot design award. And they built on that success with the Chestnut X, which just won a 2020 Good Design award, and the new-and-improved Xlite.
The latest model has an improved grip, a unibody design machined from a single piece of aluminum, and patented burrs made from ultra-hard high carbon stainless steel. It’s even easier to use than the original Chestnut X and offers better grind uniformity.
Wrapping It Up
What do you think? Do you have any experience with kickstarter coffee products, either good or bad? Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
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