These wooden cuffs from Bentwood are made from cast-off architectural veneer and are molded to double as a sleeve for hot coffee cups. They’re lovely, as wood so often is, but at $70 CAD about $60 more expensive than they should be. I’m all for not wasting paper, but something about using an expensive zebrawood cuff in lieu of a nickel’s worth of cardboard seems strange to me.
Product Page [Contexture.ca via Gadget Lab via Book of Joe]
@13, I go to Starbuck’s when on the road and unable to find a Peets… you should thank them for the double-cupping, their tea water is about 211.9 degrees F. However, they will fill your cup, just like any other coffee shop.
Unfortunately, there’s still no solution for the nasty dishwasher-proof way that coffee oils and milk fats permeate and bond to just about every non-porcelain vessel intended for coffee within a few weeks of use. What’s worse, disposing of 50 cups/lids/rings, or disposing of a steel and plastic thermos after 50 uses?
The only thing I have to add to this is that there’s no need to resort to the term “coffee cuff” when the word zarf exists.
There must be some Makers out there who can do a ‘How to’
I’d assume steam, a former (an old cup filled with sand/plaster of Paris?), some clamps/elastic bands and some sort of Varnish would be a start.
I thought some more. Make the former as described above, bend the veneer round using steam(?), then pop inside another cup to hold it ’til it ‘sets’. Would that work?
When working with veneers, steam probably isn’t necessary. Three layers of veneers glued up while bent in the appropriate form will likely hold their shape. As long as the veneer isn’t flawed, it will bend around something the size of a cup without breaking.
@3 – indeed – Or when it gets crushed in my bag.
While I appreciate the recycled materials aspect of these, it seems that $5. can purchase a non-crushed-in-bag option that is dishwasher-safe.
Forget steam. Buy half a dozen sheets of bending ply (or less depending on thickness), make former (see above), bend and glue to former, trim to shape with whatever tool you prefer (fret saw, sanding drum, scroll saw, whatever), use. I think the other reason that its so expensive is that its supposed to be a fashion accessory (a bangle) *as well* as a coffee cup cuff. And given the nature of fashion, arguments about its use as a bangle seem pointless.
Yeah, especially strange since the nickle’s worth of cardboard in reusable. And what’s the point of not wasting that cardboard if you’re still going to waste the paper cup and plastic lid?
I recommend a thermos.
DAISY BOND:
In some cases, those cardboard rings aren’t reusable. I’ve seen some that have little lines of hot glue that’s activated by the hot drink inside the cup, gluing the ring to the cup. That makes it impossible to get the ring off the cup in one piece. Most of the rings I’ve seen also have a little line that says “Intended for single use only. Do not reuse.”
I’d be afraid I’d throw it in the trash accidentally, or forget to bring it to the coffeehouse with me too much to make it worthwhile.
Remember those pot holders you made as a kid with the little fabric loops? I made a coffee cozy/cuff/sleeve/holder like that for a mug that doesn’t have a handle. Cost less than $5 for all materials (with plenty of extras) and tools and went together in about an hour including figuring out how to do it. I keep meaning to put together an instructable, but I’m now out of loops (but man do I have a lot of potholders).
Just think of all the trees you’ll save by not throwing away your $70!
I’d like to try to make one some time, but my steampunk-esque-like lamp project has priority at the moment.
(Yeah I’ll post it when it happens)
This is beautiful and the use scrap materials is great but yeah, ouch on the price.
For that much I’m most of the way into materials to make my own, sorry.
wow i hope one feels $70 worth of stupid when they accidentally throw this away while still attached to their empty starbucks cup.
It appears to me the person in the photo opted to use a cardboard cup sleeve anyway. Must have forgot about that fashionable chunk of wood around their wrist?
I’m confused. Wouldn’t these conduct heat? Isn’t not conducting heat the whole point of having a cuff around your drink? Isn’t that why the cardboard ones are corrugated or crinkled in some way, to form air pockets?
How about a nice solid gold one?
Heh. I was dragged to Starbucks the other day where I ordered a large tea. They gave me my tea, double cupped with one of those cardboard rings as well. I found it immensely amusing to read on the ring where it said “Thank you for choosing to use an insulating ring. Using this ring consumes 65% less material than using a second cup.”
That being said, there’s a coffee shop near me that has absolutely no issues filling whatever mug you bring in with coffee. It doesn’t have to be one of their branded cups, and it certainly cuts down on consumer waste.