A Coffee Cup That Fits in Your Pocket
There are many people who drink coffee or tea every morning on the
way to work. And there are those that drink another cup or five at the
office, once they get there. So how can a person who doesn’t want to use
disposal cups because of all the waste it would generate, but would
prefer something smaller and cleaner than a thermos, use for their
caffeine fix?
A Kickstarter project has launched for a product called the Smash
Cup. It is a personal cup that holds 12 ounces of hot liquid, about the
same as a disposable cup. When you are done using it, you can smash it
down so that the plastic collapses into the top section of the cup.
The result is a hockey puck-shaped form that is only 1.75-inches
tall, for easy stowing in a purse or bag. The cap can be locked into
place, creating a tight seal that won’t allow any liquid that remains to
leak out and cause a mess in your bag. The top is also large enough so
you can safely hold the cup if it is filled with hot coffee, tea, cocoa
or whatever.
The Smash Cup is
made from food-grade silicon, which does not contain BPA. It is
dishwasher safe, and the creators are offering the cup in five different
colors: green, blue, red, orange and pink, as well as either a white
top or a black top.
Ben Melinger, the creator of Smash Cup, got the idea of the product
while he was out having some coffee with some friends. They soon began
designing prototypes, figuring out materials, etc. Two years later, the
prototypes of the cup are real and after the Kickstarter project
finishes in August, the first official production run of the Smash Cup
will be manufactured.
The $15 reward level will nab you a single Smash Cup. Higher reward
levels will get you multiple cups at a lower price point, down to a
dozen for $120, which results in each cup going for $10 each. The
current schedule is for the Smash Cups to be delivered to backers in
October.
The creators were asking for $10,000, but have already raised over $32,000, with 26 days left in the Kickstarter project.
