Mad Coffee pods contain dehydrated coffee powder for making 7- to 10-ounce drinks instantly. All images courtesy of Mad Coffee.
A new instant coffee brand called Mad Coffee formally arrived on June 25, with a solution for 3-second hot or cold coffee drinks and commercially compostable packaging.
The brand comes courtesy of Toronto, Ontario-based company Genecis Bioindustries, which specializes in the creation of biodegradable plastics and has been backed by some big-name investors such as Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Khosla Ventures and Y Combinator.
The new Mad Coffee brand offers what it calls “MadCups,” which are single-serve, single-use biodegradable plastic cups filled with enough powder to produce 7- to 10-ounce drinks instantly when mixed with water or milk.
The cups are designed to break down in commercial composting facilities. A thin peel-back aluminum layer is not likely recyclable, depending on the municipality.
Mad Coffee adds to the consistently growing field of “craft instant” or “specialty instant” coffee, phrases that would have seemed oxymoronic a decade ago. Other major North American players in the category include Pennsylvania-based Swift Coffee (formerly Swift Cup), which produces private label instant coffee products for scores of U.S. specialty coffee roasters, as well as Cometeer, which sells boxes of frozen concentrated coffee pucks through partnerships with dozens of specialty roasters.
The Mad Coffee production and product format take a slightly different approach, offering what the company calls LyoExtract technology. The company says the process involves controlled-temperature “slow brewing” followed by flash chilling within 60 seconds of the finished brew. From there, the coffee mass is dried in a vacuum environment for 24 hours, resulting in what the company describes as “pure, snow-like crystals” that rapidly dissolve at the hands of consumers in coffee or milk, hot or cold.
“Every pod delivers a perfectly portioned, barista-level experience with zero guesswork,” Mad Coffee Founder and CEO Luna Yu told Daily Coffee News. “This format also dramatically reduces food waste and allows for on-the-go consumption. That said, we’re exploring larger formats and bulk refill options as part of our long-term roadmap to serve broader use cases while staying true to our mission.”
The company collaborated with 2017 Swiss Barista Champion and longtime coffee professional André Eiermann in developing the product.
Though not providing names, the company said it is sourcing coffees directly from smallholder farmer cooperatives in Colombia, Ethiopia and Yunnan, China. Coffees are roasted in Yunnan.
“Our full-time quality team is based on-site to oversee roasting profiles, freshness and traceability,” Yu said. “This close partnership with coffee collectives, roasters and local Q Graders ensures that every batch meets our high standards for flavor and sustainability.”
The company is currently selling 12-packs of its proprietary coffee pods directly to consumers online, while its “Classic Cold Brew” and “Americano Iced Coffee” formulations will soon be sold in 8-packs for $14.99 at more than 400 grocery stores operated by Sprouts Farmers Market.
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Nick Brown
Nick Brown is the editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine.
