These Individual Coffee Pour-Overs Are Changing The Game
Making a good cup on the go just got a whole lot easier
In a world that's constantly developing technology to improve your cup of coffee, stumbling upon a simple, no-frills but ingenious new product is refreshing. When the company in question happens to have a noble goal—in this case, donating water filters to areas in need—it's not only refreshing but inspiring.
Enter Libra Coffee's Pourtables, which hit the market just a few weeks ago. Pourtables are individual disposable pour-over pouches that allow you to make coffee pretty much anywhere. They're also biodegradable. You simply affix the pouch to your cup, tear open the pouch and pour hot water onto the grounds. Since all you need is hot water, they're ideal for camping. But they're also great if you're traveling or simply too busy to brew a proper cup.
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Libra Coffee founder Eric Medina says he thought of the idea as he grew increasingly addicted to his phone and found the growing need to unplug by camping and spending time outdoors. But the worst part about camping was the coffee, he says. So he came up with a solution that extends well beyond fulfilling his own needs.
Libra Coffee donates water filters to the regions where it sources coffee beans. For every bag of coffee you buy through its subscription service, or every 10-pack box of Pourtables, Libra donates $1 to the water filters effort. One filter can provide five years' worth of clean water for 100 people. So far, Libra Coffee has sourced beans from farms in Ethiopia, Colombia and Guatemala, and given filters to the areas around the respective farms.
The single-source coffee in Pourtables comes from a collective of coffee farmers in Colombia. The pouches are available on Libra Coffee's website, as well as on Amazon, and they'll be rolling out at some speciality stores soon.
After test-driving the pouches a few times, we can attest that they work like a charm. Some advice: Make sure to pour the water slowly so that the pouch doesn't overflow, or else you'll be left with coffee grounds floating around your mug. Pouring slowly also helps ensure the pouch stays in place; too much force could dislodge it from the mug. Be kind to your Pourtable, and it will be kind to you. And wherever you find yourself, never settle for bad instant coffee again.