The SCA Global Coffee Expo is to coffee gadgets as the Super Bowl is to commercials or summer is to blockbuster movies—it’s when all the cool new stuff gets released. Walking around the show floor can be expensive endeavor, as there is literally thousands of dollars worth of new coffee tech that you ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE RIGHT NOW. Unfortunately for me—but not my bank account—most of the products aren’t, like, for sale-sale at Expo. But luckily that gives times for cooler heads to prevail and for the SCA to give out its Best New Product awards so I can know which one I just want and which ones I need. Here are the new products from Expo that I definitely need.
December Dripper – Consumer Equipment (Non-Electrical)
The December Dripper is the new brewing device from Nick Cho and Youngmin Lee with an adjustable brew flow aperture. It’s already tripled its Kickstarter goal. Learn more about it in our interview with Nick Cho here.
Breville Oracle Touch – Consumer Equipment (Electrical)
The Oracle Touch is Breville’s take on a super-automatic espresso machine. Users can decide what drink they want via touch screen, and voila! The Oracle does the rest.
Acaia Orion Bean Counter – Coffee Accessories
Acaia cannot stop making sexy looking products. This one counts beans! Kind of. The Orion is weight-based dosing system for roasteries and cafes that is meant to be aesthetically pleasing enough to sit out on the counter. Check out our first look at the Orion–with gifs!–here.
Pinhalense Eco Super – Open Class
The Pinhalese Eco Super is a waterless coffee cherry pulper, which makes it ideal for farms and processing facilities where water comes at a premium. This may be something you need for your home, but you’re probably glad that it exists.
Savor Brands Pono 2017 – Packaging
You know those bags that are like, augmented reality bags? Savor Brands does. Hold your phone up to these bags (using the appropriate app technology of course) and things are all a-wiggle. It’s a little unnecessary, sure but it’s also very, very cool.
Torani Signature Mint Syrup – Specialty Beverage Flavor Additive
“With a refreshing taste of crushed mint leaf and a blend of agave and pure cane sugar, this flavor delivers a clean sweetness in an elevated mocha, aromatic tea latte, and more.” I’d drink an elevated mocha with mint syrup in it, for sure.
Tipu’s Chai Now Concentrate Mix – Green Tea Chai – Specialty Beverage Stand Alone
It’s green tea, it’s chai. It’s made into a concentrate, so just add water! I’ve never had green tea mixed with chai, but I’m sure it’s tasty.
Insent TS-5000Z Taste Analyzer – Technology
Run for the hills! The robots have developed taste! This scary looking science machine “enables the comprehensive and objective taste evaluation of foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals with high accuracy and reliability.” But it still can’t tell you if pairing those shoes with that shirt was a smart choice.
Marco Beverage Systems Marco Mix – Commerical Equipment
As unsexy as water can be–it’s just a few hydrogen atoms with some oxygen splashed in there. I dunno, I’m not a chemist–it’s really important to coffee. The new Marco Mix commercial water heating system reliably delivers water on-demand at a precise temperature. And it doesn’t look half bad on a countertop.
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
