A phone case that makes coffee?
In an age where are smartphones have become mere extensions of who we perceive ourselves to be, the ability to question anything, entertain ourselves and constantly stay connected is a real benefit but also a curse.
Whilst we might have applications that can turn on the lights provided your lights are compatible or control our heating, provided you have a WiFi connected boiler, there seems to be a real gap in the market for coffee.
But wait, one enterprising Italian startup has realised that our need for espresso is so great, they’ve designed and created a phone case that allows you to make coffee on the go.
Mokase are the company behind the product, which is a phone case that doubles up as an espresso dispenser.
Advertised as being able to heat espresso to between 50 and 60ºC, the case allows you to serve yourself a smaller than usual 25ml shot of espresso wherever you find yourself.
Having just launched on Kickstarter, as coffee people we think this could be a great idea, but as tech people and people with common sense, this could be one of the single worst ideas we’ve seen involving coffee for a long time.
But just how does Mokase work?
Utilising a specially designed espresso-filled cartridge, the case has its own built-in battery that heats up the pod. The espresso is then pumped through a small pipe made of an aluminium-silicon alloy that has been developed to handle hot liquids without releasing any toxins.
The whole process is slated to take around 5-8 seconds, so not too bad in reality.
Controlled by a companion application, unfortunately, we’re not sure if the case itself is powered by your phone battery or if it also requires a charge or separate battery.
The worst thing is the lack of information about the coffee used to make the espresso. There is no information as to whether Mokase are sourcing the beans directly or provenance.
As with many Kickstarter campaigns, the Mokase does leave you wondering both why, how and what? But that in some respects makes it all the more intriguing, even more so as the entire campaign is written in Italian.
Having used the site before, we completely understand that many Kickstarter campaigns often leave a lot of information to be fleshed out over the further development process, and in some instances are just a proof of concept before a big company swoops in and buys up the idea.
As for the phones that Mokase is compatible with? It can fit multiple devices from Apple, Samsung, Huawei and LG, with prices starting at €49.
The Italian brand want €75,000 to reach their goal, and are nowhere near this target. Maybe because even as a concept, it just doesn’t seem to work!
Despite the lack of funding, the company are confident they can make an exceptional product, stating they will be able to produce up to 11,000 Mokase cases each month.
We can’t help but think that it would make more sense to just make a tiny espresso machine instead of a phone case. What if the case overheats
Either way, it’s still an interesting idea, even if we will stick to popping using our phone to locate the nearest coffee shop to get our caffeine fix instead. After all, there are around 20,000 coffee shops in the UK, so you won’t be too far from a quality espresso.
Check out the Mokase in action below: