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Want Decaf? Swish and Flick.

July 25, 2006 by deCadmus | 1 Comment

It reads like an invention of Hogwart’s own Professor Flitwick, but this magic wand appears real enough. Introducing… the decaffeinating swizzle stick.

The scientific innovation, called molecularly-imprinted polymers, or MIP, is applied and used on the surface of traditional coffee stirrers or cups. The stirrer or cup is coated with harmless molecular polymer beads that specifically attract caffeine molecules. As the consumer stirs the beverage, the caffeine molecules bind to the MIP-imprinted stirring sticks or MIP coated sides of the cup, rapidly reducing the levels of caffeine within the drink itself. The longer the consumer leaves the stirrer in the cup, the more caffeine is removed. With just a few swirls, caffeine can be reduced to up to 70 percent in most drinks.

More: coffee | decaf | swizzle stick | gadgets

Author: deCadmus

Doug Cadmus is a usability guy, writer and sometime dramatist who moved to Vermont for the coffee, where he's the Web Guy for Green Mountain Coffee. When not writing, reading, or tapping out haiku-like Twitter posts, he roasts coffee in his garage.

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  1. Mike Strumpf
    August 2, 2006 at 1:39 pm

    Expeliarmus! I can’t wait to try one out.

    Reply

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