Do you think coffee shop customers would want a way to know their drink has cooled?

[inkndrink]

Hi everyone-

Two years ago I burned my tongue drinking a Starbucks coffee and thought it'd be cool if the name they wrote on the cups changed colors to show when it's cooled down a bit.

After a lot more work and money than anticipated, I made a marker with ink that does this. youtube.com/watch?v=qWORQbA8l-w

I only made a few hundred markers but do you think people would want this?

It's kind of neat since people can use it for a few other reasons (i.e. microwaving a totally cold drink to know the temperature based on color change)

I'd love to hear your thoughts and send out some samples if it interests you.


Best,

Jimmy

 

[PinkRose]

Hello "inkndrink" (Jimmy)

Welcome to the Coffee Forums website.

The ink on the cup starts out being blue, and then it turns green after you add the hot beverage. At what temperature does it turn back to blue again?

 

[inkndrink]

150 degrees F!

 

[John P]

You wait. The coffee cools. You drink. The indicator doesn't change this AND it's really only geared for people who want their coffee in a paper cup. If you worked the ink into the logo as a proprietary process, you might have something.

You asked this on Linked In and other than the suggestion by Marshall that it may provide an extra layer of legal protection for owners. As an owner, I really don't see any benefit or desire to have the kind of customer that would find this useful. "Caution contents hot!" and common sense are probably enough.

 

[PinkRose]

I like the colored ink in the logo idea. It would show the difference in the temperature of the beverage in the cup, and it would be interesting to see the color changes as the coffee cools. But, I really don't think people would care much after seeing it happen several times.

Do any cafes write a person's name on the cups? I've only known Starbucks to do it.

I haven't been to Starbucks in many years. Besides not liking their coffee, I hated it when they would write my name on the cup. After some jerk saw my name on the cup and started calling me by my name (pretending that I he knew me "from somewhere"), the next time, I made up a fake name for them to put on the cup. Then I stopped going to Starbucks, even if I was traveling and desperate for a cup of coffee.

 

[inkndrink]

I agree 100%. The logo concept is where I want to go. Introducing this with a marker was easier though since the logo idea would require me to disrupt how shops make their cups (in the short term). I'm also playing around with stickers.

The product is really still at an early stage. However, it's not just to show you when it's cooled down. As the ink fades to blue, if you like your coffee hot it's an indicator to drink up; you can also use it as a good baseline if you're microwaving your drink as well.

However, thank you for the candid feedback, it's very helpful.

 

[eldub]

I'm not sure if food reaching 150* in a microwave conveys important information or not. If a drink is cool enough to consume at that temp, it's not warm enough to come out of the oven, imo. I'm pretty sure its possible to warm a drink in the microwave consistently by using a timer.

 

[Bob_E]

$0.02
The color changing marker is neat, but I wouldn't buy coffee from one place over another because of it. I think the idea has merit, but more for industrial applications.

 

[Zimmy]

Added thought:

Many drinks (anything milk based) in many specialty coffee shops are served about 145º so you are looking at a smaller market potential than you might think...

Cheers!

 

[PinkRose]

I can see how the colored markers would be helpful for when a parent buys a hot chocolate for a small child and asks for a few ice cubes to help cool it down before letting the kid drink it. The kids are so impatient, and they don't want to wait for the hot chocolate to cool down. I imagine if they would sit and watch the cup to see the color of the marker change, they'd be okay waiting.

 

[eldub]

That sounds like the winning market to me, Rose.

Put the phrase, "Danger-Child on Board," and you'll be set.

 

[ODanchez]

A newbie here thinking about ideas for my hopefully someday coffee shop. I actually like the idea. I think I almost like the sticker idea better as my logo isn't colored and I wouldn't want to have to change that. I've burnt my mouth several times as well and just hate the feeling of that. It's always hard to tell what the temperature is with the cooler whipped topping some drinks have. I would just be a little afraid of the what if it didn't work right one time and somehow the child or person got burnt after it had changed color. Would they have more ground to sue you then? Which reminds me I need to next research what all you have to put on your cups and signs like Caution hot to help protect you from lawsuits. So much to learn! Just my two cents.

 

[CoffeeLovers]

Everyone I think is interested of this ink drink markers. I support on this as long as it is neatly done on the cup. Because of this, everyone is worry free drinking the too hot coffee that could burn our tongue if drunken carelessly.

 

[SuperRoast]

I think it's a really interesting idea and could be really helpful (particularly for children). On the stickers transition, I think most roasters and coffee shops will be focused on how this technology effects their unit economics and if that will enable them to 1) charge a higher price to compensate for lost margin / per cup 2) increase traffic based on perceived customer benefit.

Great video!

 

[tazzadiluna]

Maybe you could make drink plugs (either stickers or plastic stubs/sticks) that change colors. That way they have dual use: plug the drink hole to prevent spills, then when the color changes it shows a safe temp. Remove it and the drink is ready for consumption.

The only problem is that there's no way of knowing if the drink got too cold, that's one thing you'll need to figure out because that's a problem, too, when waiting for the drink to cool off.