Hey Joe Coffee GoJoe-The World’s First Battery Powered Self Brewing Coffee and Tea Mug

UpdateI now have the Hey Joe Mug in hand. It took a bit to ship from Georgia to Seattle. I brewed two rounds last night. All of the other 1-star reviews are spot on. The first with hot tap water and the second with cold filtered water from the refrigerator. Both on the high temp brew setting. The first hit 160 degrees. The second topped out at 140 degrees. Neither cup was worth drinking straight. I let the first cup steep for a good 20 minutes and it was reasonably strong but still bitter from a just plain poor extraction method. On the box it says "A Different Way to Brew Coffee" which is definitely in the sense of different bad and not different good. The second cup was steeped by the book, swirling and removing the grinds once the brew was done. I tasted both cups and then let them cool. This morning I had to mix the coffee flavored water with my chocolate protein shake to make it drinkable.The HJC team was kind enough to include a whole box of coffee with my early bird order. So I have 15 pods to run some tests on and see if changing the extraction method makes any improvements on the cup of joe. Perhaps the company could be salvaged as a coffee distributor? Otherwise I think Jordan Warren and folks need to pack up and call it a day. The single chamber brew method, current battey, and brew temperature all lead to an uncompetitive, inadequate mug of coffee. If you really want a mobile coffee mug that will make a real traditional drip cup of coffee, and can handle your own grinds, check out the mojoe.com for a something worth waiting for.Original ReviewThis is a Kickstarter that project that was funded in June of 2014. The HJC team has provided clear and consistent updates on the progress and changes they have made over the last 18 months. Unfortunately the final design had to go through a few major revisions to be completed for shipment. Here is the link to the campaign: [...]The HJC team has commented that a wave of about half of the rewards are going to be shipped on Wednesday January 13th. I will be sure and update this review with pictures and additional commentary once the product is firmly in hand. I am not very optimistic that my stars will change but as an early bird backer, I am hoping that this review will let you learn from my chance to bring a project to life at a small savings from being an early bird.Here are the list of features from the campaign that had me so excited for the project but have changed with the final design: 1) Separate water reservoir and coffee reservoir. 2) Ability to brew from ground coffee 3) A battery that can brew 3 cups of coffeeThe final design has replaced the separate water reservoir, coffee tray and coffee reservoir with a single chamber design. The HJC team recommends that coffee pods be used and provides a filter very similar to this:  Ipow Brew-in-mug Teapot Extra Fine Mesh Tea Strainer Infuser Steeper with Lid and Handle for Loose Leaf Grain Tea Cups, Mugs, and Pots  with instructions to swirl the brew after the water has heated for maximum extraction. The HJC team also claims the proprietary Hey Joe Coffee pod mesh is finer than other pods and is intended to be brewed in a manner very similar to these:  Folgers Coffee Singles Classic Roast Coffee Bags, 6 Ounce, 38 Count  When I backed the campaign it was so revolutionary I didn't even consider flavor of the end result that could be impacted by the low operating temperature of the Hey Joe Coffee mug. I ignored the clear presentation of the two brew temperature options: 140 degrees and 160 degrees. I am also a bit skeptical of heating the water while the coffee is immersed.The HJC team has commented that the battery tests are showing about 1 cup of coffee per charge on the higher brew temperature. Not to worry the mug was designed so that you can drink your coffee while it is charging. Here are the final design specifications:Height: 9.5" with battery or 6.75" withoutWeight: 1.7lbs with battery, 0.75lbs withoutFits in all standard cup holders2 temperature settings: 140° F and 160° FTime to brew: 4 minutesVolume: 10 fluid ouncesBattery: 45 minutes to rechargeIn closing my review, I would like to say that there is still hope. I have since found another more promising campaign on Kickstarter for a mobile joe that is hoping to ship this summer. The design has separate reservoirs and a real mesh coffee filter. Much like I have waited for my Hey Joe Personal Coffee Maker, I would highly recommend that you wait for a much better design.

This thing is a waste of money. Battery needs to be recharged after one use. Barely heats the water up. Only brews a small amount of coffee despite it's size. Leaks unless you measure your water out on a scale carefully which detracts from it's "on the go" functionality. Feels very cheap/poorly constructed. Unless you pay for third party coffee filters you have to use Hey Joe's coffee pods which are part of a monthly subscription service. Did I mention that the coffee is "pre filtered"? That means it's instant coffee. The kind that dissolves in water.All issues with the kickstarter aside, this product is WAY overpriced and simply a waste of your money. I simply don't see any reason to purchase a device that requires you to pay 100$ dollars for a product that will require that you pay an additional payment of 20$ a month just for it to work and only makes instant, lukewarm, low quality coffee.

If you're actually wondering if the final product (which is the one that is listed on Amazon) is a good product, and not in reviews based on their Kickstarter campaign, here you go: The product is awesome. It's also revolutionary which makes it even more awesome. Why anyone would give a 1 star review to something they haven't tried is absurd. I just got mine today, used it, and made everyone at work jealous. Plus the coffee is awesome. It's a fantastic product, and I feel like the price at $100 is a steal. It seems like magic when the cup finishes brewing. Total sorcery.Notes: Takes about 5 minutes to brew on the strong setting. The cup is a nice size after the battery is removed. Easy to clean with a damp towel.