The Worst Kickstarter Coffee Campaigns Ever
We’ve seen our fair share of brilliant Kickstarter campaigns, most notably in recent times the wildly successful JoGo Straw, the simple and sustainable FinalPress, and also the incredibly unlikely but stupidly brilliant Ujjo hot sauce for coffee.
[Sassy_Social_Share]But amidst all the brilliance, we’ve also seen some woefully horrible stuff. We’ve caught ourselves looking at some of them and thinking, “Seriously, why?”.
Have a look through the list of hapless hopefuls, and see what you think. Listed in no particular order. Just 10 of the worst.
A sidenote: There are a few we’d have liked to feature but they’ve been removed. Tooooo embarrassing.
1: The Dipr, a spoon for dunking sandwich cookies
The idea:
“the dipr is a spoon that holds your sandwich cookie while you dip it in milk, coffee or any other liquid that fits your fancy.”
Amount raised: a staggering $10,152
Our verdict:
C’mon. Is it really such a big deal to use your hands to dunk cookies? If it really is, why not just use a spoon? Anyway, despite our thoughts, “The dipr was a huge success at the IHA Home and Housewares Show” and attracted attention from the media and is still around today.
2: ModishSpoon – Lifestyle Coffee
The idea:
Another “spoon”. “Modish Spoon has been engineered so that coffee lovers can stir sugar in their expresso without disturbing natural coffee cream.”
Amount raised: £704 of £12,928 goal
Our verdict:
Another useless, over-engineered piece of junk. If you’re going to stir sugar in your espresso, is it that big a deal if the crema gets disturbed? Thankfully this one never made it off the ground.
3: The Double Headed Spoon – makes your coffee sweeter
The idea:
“A spoon you can scoop and stir with without making any mess. And of course, it’s fun too!”
Amount raised: £609 of £9,750 goal
Our verdict:
What is it about spoons that make people want to make them supposedly better? This ugly, pointless piece of metal never made it into production either.
4: The StramperPress: Let the FrenchPress time your coffee
The idea:
A french press with a built-in egg timer to time your coffee to perfection.
Amount raised: £579 of £7,082 goal
Our verdict:
Somehow it just ruins the beauty and simplicity of the french press. It’s fragile and fiddly, and we’d never own one. Plus, what happens if the timer is too fast or too slow for your preference? Funding wasn’t successful, and the world of coffee was spared.
5: Little Jitter Mug
The idea:
“This little novelty mug shakes, jitters & cries out for coffee (Just like you). With sound, vibration & coffee aroma! Just 1-1/2″ tall.”
Amount raised: £529 of £11,331 goal
Our verdict:
A tacky little plastic gadget that is totally pointless. We really can’t think of any good reason to buy one of these, except maybe to give to that colleague at work that you can’t stand.
6: The Kerf Cuff™ – Wooden Coffee Sleeve (Cozy)
The idea:
“Reusable sleeves for your favorite coffee. Add style and reduce waste on your next trip to the coffee shop.”
Amount raised: £1007
Our verdict:
If you’re really concerned about saving cardboard, why promote a product to enhance disposable takeaway cups? A pretty but fundamentally hypocritical little gadget.
7: Prestocrema Coffee Crema Maker
The idea:
“Espresso machines make yummy crema (the foam on an espresso). Why not add crema to regular coffee? The Prestocrema does so, quickly.”
“Just rest it on the rim of a freshly brewed cup, pump for 5 -10 seconds, and admire the delicious crema that flows out of the exit nozzle back into your cup. It may seem like the crema produced would be “faux” or somehow inferior to the crema produced with an espresso machine. Amazingly enough, it’s not.”
Amount raised: £822 of £11,689 goal
Our verdict:
How does it actually work? You shove this ugly gadget in your cup of coffee (without crema) and start pumping like a madman. It doesn’t actually produce a real crema, it just makes a foam on the surface. Why? Just make a decent coffee in the first place. This is easily one the worst Kickstarter coffee campaigns ever.
8: COF-WI: Choose an another way to make your coffee!
The idea:
“COF-WI is a smart device that gives you control of your coffee maker with your smartphone. You can prepare up to 6 coffees autonomously”.
Amount raised: £832 of £38,784 goal
Our verdict:
This possibly shouldn’t have made it onto the list of worst Kickstarter coffee campaigns ever, but we didn’t get past the name to even consider the coffee maker. Cof-wi? Sound like what happens if you’ve had too many coffees and you have incontinence. Go figure.
*Coughs, then wees*
9: No Drip Sip Catch-ee Cup (coffee cup with a built in ninja)
The idea:
“A new out of this world ceramic coffee cup with a built in ninja for keeping clothes and important documents free of drip stains!”
Amount raised: £635 of £2,124 goal
Our verdict:
Use one if you want to look like an idiot. Save your money and stay at home learning how to drink coffee without dribbling instead.
10: Sipping Safely: Reusable Drinking Face Mask + Secure Valve
The idea:
“The Sipping Safely Drinking Mask was born out of necessity. With the global pandemic in full swing and no clear end in sight, the Sipping Safely Mask allows you to enjoy a beverage on-the-go or while social distancing with friends and family.”
Amount raised: £1,445 of £7,082 goal
Our verdict:
The little plastic valve makes you look like you’re a human beach ball being inflated. Just a bit pointless, over-designed and unnecessary.
About CoffeeCode
This article was written by Gregg Romano who is the founder of CoffeeCode, the UK’s fastest growing and most exciting coffee blog. CoffeeCode has a focus on great coffee, inspirational design and sustainability.
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