It’s Friday. We did it, y’all, we made it to yet another weekend mostly unscathed by work and entirely unexploded by a maniac with a nuclear football, which means it’s time to start thinking about our bounty: the weekend and what it will have in store. For some, this means getting out into the world, seeing new sights and having new experiences. For others, it means staying in the city but looking oh so good doing it. Whatever the weekend holds for you, there’s a coffee Kickstarter to help you, well, kickstart it. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites—all of whom have made their funding goals so you’re essentially just buying at a discount at this point—to help you treat yourself this weekend. You’ve earned it.
Pakt Coffee Kit
As anyone serious about good coffee no matter where they may find themselves can attest, travel coffee setups can be clunky and consume a lot of space, something that comes at a premium when trying to pack light. Enter Pakt, a (mostly) all-in-one coffee brewing system. Using Russian nesting doll technology, Pakt includes an electric kettle, conical pour-over brewer a la v60, mug, reusable filter, and coffee storage canister that all collapse together into a space no larger than a pair of shoes. Weighing in at a total 3.76lb, Pakt measures just 12.5” long and 4.5” wide, making it a pretty ideal travel companion. My only beef is that there is no grinder, meaning you’ll have to bring pre-ground coffee. There certainly seems like there would be room in the nested coffee canister to fit a portable Porlex-type grinder, alas there is none.
The Pakt Coffee Kit has already blown through its $25,000 goal with a whopping $135,000 in funding, which means all the really, really good deals have been scooped up. But you can still grab your own Pakt for $139, 26% off the $189 MSRP. Backer rewards have an expected delivery of December 2019.
Voyager Kettle
Maybe you don’t need an entire travel coffee kit. Maybe you are like me and are only missing one component—and the clunkiest one at that—the kettle. For we coffee sojourners there is the new Voyager Kettle, a portable electronic variable temperature kettle. With its collapsible design, the food-grade silicone kettle can be compressed down to a slim 2” when packed and then popped up to 6” in height. The Voyager can heat 20 ounces of water at a time to a user-set temperature and can hold it at that temp for 30 minutes. The only drawback—and one that kinda gets downplayed in all the campaign photos—is that the kettle requires electricity; there’s no battery-powered option, which limits its outdoor/camping utility. But, if you’re super serious about making it work, this limitation can be overcome with a travel solar-powered battery.
There are only two days left on the campaign, and the Voyager Kettle has met its $25,000 funding goal; it’s only $9,000 away from its $50,000 stretch goal and with it two new kettle colors—light blue and navy—which is great for those who aren’t fans of lime green. Retailing at $130, all interested parties can still get their hands on a Voyager at a discounted price of $109. Expected delivery for all backers is June 2020.
Rens Recycled Coffee Shoes
Maybe your weekend warrioring doesn’t involve leaving the cozy confines of the city. For you, the Kickstarter gods have offered up Rens, waterproof—and admitted pretty decent looking—shoes made from recycled coffee grounds. Lightweight, odor proof, antibacterial, UV blocking, and quick-drying, Rens use some sort of magic called “AquaScreen Tech™” that keeps water from passing through the material while still letting air through. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Each pair of the 100% vegan shoe is made of “300g of coffee waste and six recycled plastic bottles.” Currently, Rens come in a total of nine different colorways.
Their Kickstarter has already raised an astounding $308,000, which is roughly a million times their $19,000 goal. Nonetheless, there are still good backer rewards available. You can grab your own pair of Rens (in any size and color) for $99, 50% the $149 MSRP, with free shipping worldwide. Expected delivery for backers is November 2019.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
