STiR coffee and tea magazine

26 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 2, 2022 (April / May) erhaps no other brewing technology since the filter cone has revolutionized the coffee market so much as single-serve pods. Pioneered by Keurig and later spread around the globe by Nescafé (Nespresso) and Dolce Gusto, pod brewing machines have today become fixtures in countless of- fices, restaurants, bars and cafés, upmarket hotel rooms, and of course a myriad of private households. Yet as the years have passed, one particular flaw became increasingly apparent: despite many brands today offering pods made from newly developed biodegradable materials, the vast, vast majority of used pods continue ending up in garbage dumps, landfills, or incinerators; and explicitly not in recycling or composting plants as they should. The average consumer is lazy and values personal convenience. Secondly, there simply aren't enough collecting and recycling options around – not even in developed countries – to make a noticeable difference just yet. So somebody was bound to come up with an idea sooner or later. The only logical solution to counteract garbage dumps overflowing with discarded single-serve pods was to create… infinitely reusable pods. That "somebody" was Erwin Meier, a Swiss inventor. mycoffeestar: Pioneer and multiple award winner Getting to task, Meier created a first Nespresso-compatible reus- able coffee brewing pod as soon as Nespresso's patent had lapsed in 2011. One year later, he officially launched an improved version as "the world's first refillable Nespresso-compatible pod made of medical-grade stainless steel" under the registered trademark of mycoffeestar. The pods proved an almost immediate hit with coffee lovers. So much so that in 2013 mycoffeestar won the prestigious Red Dot design award in the "Best of the Best" category. Reusable Pods: Reusable Pods: Eco-Consciousness Eco-Consciousness at its Best at its Best Reusable coffee pods are a fantastic option for eco-conscious consumers. STiR inquires with a Swiss inventor and a UK online store. By Thomas Schmid P By 2014, Meier added further versions for the Dolce Gusto and Tchibo/Cafissimo systems to his portfolio. A Caffitaly-com- patible capsule followed in 2016, as well as a Vertuo pod in 2019. Meier, who markets the mycoffeestar portfolio through his company, Swiss Innovation Products GmbH, said that all of the pods adhere to the same original idea irrespective of their system compatibility. "They have the eco-conscious end con- sumer in mind, are infinitely refillable, save cost, and allow us- ers to choose the coffee brand they personally like." While the pods do have a few parts that require replacement from time to time, such as silicone sealing rings and lids, the steel cups themselves are almost indestructible. Meier recounted the re- cent case of a female customer who had purchased some of his first-generation capsules back in 2011… and was still using them in 2022. Of course, that extraordinarily long life cycle in itself makes Meier's pods a truly environmentally friendly coffee brewing option. Hefty savings and free coffee brand choice Prefilled single-use pod are unfortunately notorious for the pre- mium prices they charge consumers for the tiny bit of ground cof- fee they contain. On the other hand, using mycoffeestar almost guar- antees hefty savings, according to Meier's straightforward sample calculation. A 2-person household in Germany, he claimed, would on average spend €1,168 per year and discard 1,460 single-use pods. By switching to his reusable pods, that same couple could save almost €700 a year – with no waste generated but home- compostable coffee grounds (plus the occasional worn-out sili- cone ring). "An additional advantage is that the user is free in their choice of coffee brand, for example one from certified sustainable sources," said Meier. The stainless steel SealPods are sealed with aluminum sticker lids after each refilling. Credit : Gabriela Matei.

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