I’m going to be honest: my travel coffee setup is anything but portable. Any time I road trip, I have a literal box full of gear: Chemex, filters, Acaia scale, smaller dosing scale, variable temp kettle, hand grinder, a selection of coffees, maybe an Aeropress for when I’m feeling single-serve. Flying, on the other hand, is a woefully different affair. I bring nothing. I’m not checking another bag just for my coffee gear and don’t get me started on the treatment I received when trying to get through airport security with a hand grinder that may or may not look like an explosive device. This leaves me at the whims of the coffee community in the city I am visiting, which can be abjectly terrifying.
But my travel coffee prayers may just have been answered thanks to a Kickstarter that went live today. It’s called Dripkit and it’s a pocket-sized pour-over containing everything you need to make a good cup of coffee. Just add water.
Created by Ilana Kruger and Kara Cohen, the Dripkit is a paper-based pour-over device with self-contained, pre-ground, pre-measured coffee. And the fold-flat packets are incredibly easy to use; all you have to do it tear open the oxygen-sealed packet, unfold the triangular dripper, put it on your favorite mug, and then had eight ounces of hot water.
And Kruger and Cohen haven’t skimped on quality for the sake of portability. The duo has tapped Bushwick’s City of Saints Coffee to roast the Guatemala Antigua coffee that will be used in all Dripkits. And according to the Kickstarter, thanks to the oxygen seal, each individual serving can stay fresh for up to six months.
For those looking to back the project, the Kickstarter still has a handful of early bird specials, including a case of 10 Dripkits for only $20 and three cases of 10 Dripkits for $50. Personally, I’d go with the $100 option that includes 30 Dripkits and that stunning handmade Malka Dina ceramic mug, but that’s just me. I’m a sucker for a good mug.
In the few hours since going live, Dripkit has already raised close to 10% of its $25,000 goal, so it appears destined to make. Assuming it does, rewards are expected to be delivered in October of this year, with the company’s official launch the month after. For more information about the Dripkits or to check out some of the other reward options, visit their Kickstarter page.
Finally, no more “random screenings” when I show up to the TSA line with a hand grinder.
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
*all media via Dripkit
