The 5 Best Coffee Gadgets
Everyone needs a little caffeine pick-me-up now and then – at the office or at home.
Since the world moved indoors this year, a home-brewed coffee has been a regular feature on most of our desks. If The Modems decided to do a The Deskies feature with your features editor, it would just be a collection of half-drunken cups scattered across the workspace amongst a Macbook, to-do lists, and newspapers.
As a self-confessed coffee addict, I rotate between three methods of brewing. The first, my De'Longhi espresso machine, is my favourite piece of technology in my house. The second is a Cezve pot, the coffee of which I first experienced in Marrakech many years ago. The third is just a simple cafetière.
With this in mind, I decided to bring my love of WFH brewing to The Modems, and research the best coffee gadgets that money can buy for tech-loving brewsters.
The Investment Piece
Sage Appliances
Billed as automation at every stage, The Sage Oracle Touch is the espresso machine made for those with a desire to make exceptional coffee, with a tech spec to match.
The Sage has an automated, touch screen operation split into three sections - grind, brew, and milk. You can change the coffee strength, milk texture, and temperate to perfectly suit your taste. After finding your perfect beverage, you can then save your special blend to enjoy over and over again. Think of having a barista that remembers your precise order every time, but in the comfort of your own home - and minus the queues.
At just shy of £2,000, the Sage Oracle Touch is an investment and should be viewed as such. You can't put a price on good coffee, but you can certainly put a price on a bad one.
The Grab And Go
Nanopresso
Portable Espresso Machine, £49.90
The Nanopresso espresso machine from Wacaco may look small, but appearances can be deceiving and this brewer certainly packs a punch. The portable machine has a specialised pumping system that can produce up to 18 bars of pressure, which is what's responsible for the beautiful cream on a perfect espresso.
Perfect for those on the go, this nifty piece of kit can provide you with the perfect espresso, wherever you are. Chuck it in your Prada and seize the day, it's anti-leakage system and sleek, small design makes it the perfect handbag companion.
The Technological Masterpiece
Goat Story
Gina, £233.77
The Goat Story - Gina smart coffee maker is an award-winning piece of kit that turns making coffee into an 'experience'. At first glance, it looks like a complicated, drip coffee maker you'd find in only the most dedicated coffee lovers' homes.
But on closer inspection, the Gina takes making coffee to another level. The Gina comes with its own brewing app, where you can control everything from the drip, strength to size, all via your phone. The machine connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and has a rechargeable USB battery that allows up to 20 hours of brewing time and 30 days of standby. The app also connects you to the Goat Story coffee community, where users can share brewing tips and images of their latest creations.
Oh, and if all that wasn't enough, it also brews teas
For the women who can never finish their cup
Temperature Control Mug 2, £99.95
We've all done it, made ourselves a cup of coffee in the morning, only to find two hours later it's sat on the kitchen table cold and undrunk. We get it, we're all busy. But what if there was a way to keep your coffee as hot as when it was first brewed, for as long as you need it to be?
The Ember temperature control mug is here to solve all of our problems. Perfect for your work-from-home office, or just for long weekends reading The Modems, this cup and its companion app on your iPhone or Apple Watch allow you to set your precise drinking temperature for hot beverages, track your caffeine consumption, save presets for your favorite drinks and even customize the internal LED colorway of your mug. It also comes with a nifty portable charging coaster too.
The Ember will maintain your drink at your chosen temperature for up to 1.5 hours, so you need never worry about a forgotten cup of coffee ever again.
For when you can't stop hitting snooze on your alarm clock
Joy Resolve Barisieur 2.0,
£345.00
SHOP NOW
As the nights grow cold and dark, we're all often tempted by the allure of the snooze button on our alarms. But zoom duty calls, and there's nothing quite like a fresh cup of coffee to wake you up in the morning.
Created by London-based designer Joshua Renouf, the Barisieur wakes you up to the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans with a brew, right by your bedside. All you need to do is set your alarm, fill your machine up with water and beans, and then wake up to a fresh brew the next day. The 2.0 edition of the Barisieur also comes with a wireless charging dock for your smartphone or Airpods.
With gadgets like this, you'll be tempted to never return to the office and its terrible coffee again.