☕ Issue 12: Brewing coffee from air, and a cat to cool your drink
I hope you’re having an excellent week, and enjoying some amazing coffee. Here’s a round-up of notable news throughout the beginning of this year:
CES kicked off 2025 on Jan 7th to Jan 10th, showcasing some interesting coffee gadgets worth a mention (including a a CES Innovation Award winner).
Starbucks eliminates 30% of its menu and requires a purchase to use its facilities.
Reborn Coffee to open over 100 new stores in the U.S.
Triazole fungicides are toxic to farmers (a common fungicide used in agriculture).
Diplomatic tensions between USA and Colombia causes a spike in coffee prices.
A beautiful café in Hue, Vietnam
Let’s jump right in…
New gear showcase
A winner of 2025 CES Innovation Award, this new entry does something remarkable: It extracts water from the surrounding air, to brew coffee. It functions like a dehumidifier, condensing atmospheric moisture and purifying it through heat treatment, UV light, and replaceable filters. This ensures a continuous supply of clean water (3.2L / Day) for brewing without the need for manual refills. The KaraPod is pre-sale right now for $349.
Source: Tech Radar, KaraPod
Also unveiled at CES 2025, the Meticulous Espresso is the world's first robotic lever espresso machine. It utilizes a digital motor and high-precision sensors to automate the espresso-making process, providing users with precise control over brewing parameters. This prototype has managed to fundraise $5m on Kickstarter and $1.6m on Indiegogo. The first batch of machines is slated for shipment in March 2025. You can preorder on Indiegogo for $1,350.
Source: TechCrunch
Cold brew lovers got an exciting surprise at CES 2025 with the debut of the AstroBrew, a compact machine promising to deliver authentic cold brew coffee in just five minutes. Traditional cold brew requires at least 12 hours of steeping to achieve its signature smoothness, but the AstroBrew speeds up the process using a combination of pressure, turbulence, and recirculation to match the same total dissolved solids (TDS) found in slow-brewed coffee. AstroBrew works with any ground coffee.
Source: Astro-Brew
The Nékojita FuFu, a little robocat that blows on your coffee to cool it down. This was an invention that also made its debut at CES 2025. This cat has an internal fan with different blowing modes to help cool your coffee to your ideal temperature.
Source: Tech Radar
Big brands making waves
Starbucks announced plans to streamline its offerings by eliminating approximately 30% of its menu items. This decision aims to simplify operations and enhance customer experience. Effective January 27, customers are now required to make a purchase to utilize store facilities, including restrooms. This shift reverses the 2018 policy that allowed non-paying visitors to use store amenities. Following a decline in sales, Starbucks has reintroduced self-serve condiment bars to expedite service and extended free refills on brewed coffees and teas to all customers, not just reward members as a move to boost sales. Still, Starbucks has unveiled major leadership changes aimed at streamlining management to push for a turnaround for the struggling coffee giant.
Source: CNN, Reuters, Business Insider
U.S. based specialty coffee chain Reborn Coffee announced plans to open over 100 franchise stores across the country by 2028. Currently operating 11 outlets in California, the company has received approval to franchise in multiple states and is seeking applications in others. This move marks a shift from its previous focus on international expansion which has only yielded a single Reborn Coffee site in Kuala Lumpur.
Source: World Coffee Portal
To our health & science
Coffee leaf rust fungicide is toxic to farmers in Brazil. A recent study published in ScienceDirect has revealed significant health risks for coffee farmworkers in southern Minas Geris, Brazil, due to exposure to triazole fungicides used for leaf rust. Despite the proven health risks of triazole chemicals, their use remains widespread due to their effectiveness in controlling plant diseases. The field research found that men working on the farms experienced significantly reduced levels of testosterone and androstenedione — key hormones for various biological functions
Source: Daily Coffee News
Global industry
In late January 2025, diplomatic tensions between the United States and Colombia led to significant volatility in coffee prices. The dispute began when Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to allow U.S. military planes carrying deported Colombian nationals to land in the country. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Colombian imports, including coffee, with a warning that tariffs could escalate to 50% within a week. The mere announcement of potential tariffs caused immediate ripples in the coffee market. Arabica coffee futures surged, with prices reaching $3.53 per pound by mid-day Tuesday, a 1.7% increase from the previous Friday. The two countries reached an agreement within a few hours and President Trump paused the proposed tariffs.
Source: CNN, ChemAnalyst
The capsule coffee machine market is projected to grow by USD 931.1 million, with an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.3% during the forecast period. This growth is due to increased demand and the wide availability of these machines through organized retail channels. However, The Capsule coffee machine still faces environmental threats such as waste accumulation, and are difficult to recycle, thus posing challenges to the industry.
Source: Yahoo News
San Francisco's oldest coffee roastery, Graffeo Coffee Roasting, founded in 1935, was acquired by Walter A. Haas III in January 2025 at an undisclosed amount. Haas aims to preserve the roastery's rich heritage while expanding its presence in fine dining and gourmet retail sectors, ensuring the continuation of its artisanal coffee roasting traditions.
Source: SFGate
Thoughtfully designed
Tiem Tra Cua Trang Coffee
Hue, Vietnam
Source: ArchDaily
Creative corner
