JoGo: This reusable straw lets you brew coffee wherever you are

For many of us the secret to having a productive day is not a power-packed routine or a holistic mantra, but a wholesome cup of coffee. It might be a cup brewed at home using the humble French press or one bought from a favorite café or even the one made from instant powder, there’s something about the beverage that has people hooked on to it across the globe.

And, there are numbers to prove it too. According to the International Coffee Organisation, India is among the Top 10 producers of coffee in the world, while Finland and Sweden bag the top spots when it comes to the consumption of coffee. Not to forget, there is ample research to prove how a cuppa a day is good for health.

Despite how revered a cup of coffee is, getting your hands on one is not always as easy. For instance, not everyone can manage to brew coffee perfectly in a French press because of the mess it leaves behind and the appliance is not very easy to clean. On the other hand, coffee makers can be tad expensive and take up a lot of time to maintain.

Also, it’s not feasible to run to a café every time you need a caffeine fix. It is not only time-consuming but is also adding to plastic pollution across the world. Over 16 billion single-use coffee cups are consumed worldwide every year, which end up either in water bodies like oceans or in landfills.

But, what if there was a way to avoid all these hassles without disturbing your coffee routine? The JoGo, a portable coffee brewing straw, is the answer many of us have been looking for. For starters, it is roughly the size of a pencil which means you can easily fit it in your pocket. Plus, you won’t have to give up your daily cup of coffee just because you can’t lug your Espresso machine or French press around or there is no café near you.

Designed on an eco-friendly model, JoGo is the brainchild of entrepreneur duo Joey Jones and Nicky Yehle. It is not only dishwasher-safe but is made of BPA-free silicone and stainless steel which make it easy to clean. Plus, the reusable straw is teeth-friendly.

It is available in four colours – agave blue, pebble gray, rose quartz and forest green.

JoGo’s journey can be traced back to a 28,000-mile road trip Joey took on his motorcycle in 2016 from Minnesota to Argentina. While staying with a family in Argentina, Joey got to use a ‘bombilla’ which was a straw with a filter at its bottom and is used for drinking the popular loose leaf Yerba Mate tea.

He never thought of the bombilla again until he and Nicky went on a canoe trip in Canada. During one of their conversations over breakfast while camping, the two started wondering if the bombilla could be customised to be converted into a reusable straw that could also brew coffee. The two started brainstorming and worked on customising the bombilla’s design.

One of the problems they faced while finalising the product design was that while the bombilla worked perfectly with Yerba Mate, its filter wasn’t fine enough to separate the ground coffee. This meant, that without any customization the fine powder would end up in the drinker’s mouth.

Several iterations and prototypes later, Joey and Nicky were able to design a straw that could filter out the grounded beans, was easy to use and was eco-friendly. And, the rest as they say is history.

The straw ensures that you get the robust aroma of ground beans while giving you the same taste as a coffee maker or a French press. It’s designed to do away with the need for lids for cups, plastic straws, paper filters and K-cups.

To use the JoGo, just scoop up your favourite ground coffee into a cup, pour hot water and stir with the straw to enjoy. You can also use the mesh filter of the straw to enjoy mojitos or to brew tea from loose leaves.

What sets this product apart is its pinchable tip. You might remember times when you ended up burning your lips or tongue when you drank hot coffee in your hurry to taste it. The pinchable tip allows you to have maximum control over the flow of the beverage as the food-grade silicone and insulated surface keeps your lips cool.

Moreover, the straw features a heat-regulated tip for comfort and adjusting the temperature so that you can sip at ease. Its ergonomic design allows you to drink from it in any natural position.

The mesh filter is made of micron metal and hence, can be easily cleaned. These benefits make JoGo a must-have item for road trips, camping, hiking, picnics, and even office so that you never have to stay away from your favorite beverage for too long.