Taika
Coffee that accentuates reality
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Chris Messina

Taika Adaptogenic Coffee - Coffee that accentuates reality

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Taika (“magic” in Finnish) is a perfectly calibrated coffee in a can, balanced with adaptogens designed to keep you calm, focused and clear. Designed by world’s 9th best barista, Taika tastes delicious without any added sugar.

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Kal Freese
Maker
Hey Product Hunt! Thank you @chrismessina for hunting us. For the past year, I've been heads-down building Taika with my co-founder @michael_eyal_sharon. We’re super excited to finally share what we’ve been working on. My background is deep in coffee: I’m a two-time Finnish Barista Champion and was ranked 9th best in the world in 2015. Before Taika, I co-founded Sudden Coffee (YC W17) which makes “instant coffee you’ll actually want to drink”, as NYTimes put it. Both Michael and I love coffee (surprise). Alas, over the past few years caffeine started giving us nasty side effects many people are familiar with: anxiety, jitters, and crashes. Decaf wasn’t the answer: most of the time we wanted some caffeine, but not the side effects. This is when we discovered L-theanine and other adaptogens - natural plant extracts and functional mushrooms - that support the body’s ability to deal with stress. We started researching and experimenting with these compounds. Adaptogens turned out to be a game-changer in balancing the caffeine and reducing the side effects. However, keeping a bunch of random capsules with you and remembering to take them every time you have coffee sucks. We both hate compromising and set out to create a coffee that’s absolutely delicious and perfectly calibrated with the highest quality adaptogens. We’re launching with three flavors, each featuring the same adaptogen blend: - A sugar-free, keto-friendly macadamia latte that tastes like melted coffee ice cream. As far as we know, it's the first macadamia latte on the market. - Oat milk latte which tastes like coffee cereal milk but has no added sugar. - Black coffee - a brilliantly smooth, bold brew, never bitter. Unsweetened and keto-friendly. Taika is currently available in SF, LA, and NYC for 2hr contactless delivery, powered by Postmates. Our motto is for friends, by friends. We think sharing gifts is more fun than discounts. Enter code MYSTERYGIFT at checkout at on our website and we will mail you a fun surprise to go with your coffee 🎁 🔮 What questions can we answer?
Mario 🦊
@chrismessina @michael_eyal_sharon @kallefreese Just ordered some! Can't wait to try. And awesome to see what you're up to now, Kalle :)
Kal Freese
Maker
@chrismessina @michael_eyal_sharon Thanks @mdagabriele! Can't wait to hear how you like it ✌️
Tristan Pollock
@kallefreese this is incredible!
Kal Freese
Maker
@pollock Thanks Tristan!
Rob Morgan
@kallefreese super cool! Let us know when it makes it's way to Europe!
Ilona Mooney
Will you offer make-at-home version of Taika? Love my morning routine of making a cup of coffee, and would love trying your coffee 2.0!
Kal Freese
Maker
@ilona_mooney This is something we're working on. Stay tuned!
Ilona Mooney
@kallefreese Yay! Would love it on a subscription. Just a few days ago ran at 7 am something to grocery store because was out of coffee!
Ashu Desai
Taika is the best coffee in a can/bottle I’ve had. It’s rare that products become an instant favorite for me but this one did. Two of my roommates also started ordering it. Well done!
Kal Freese
Maker
@desaiashu Thanks Ashu!
Ryan Hoover
Love the branding, @kallefreese. What are the nutritional facts? I couldn't find anything on the site.
Kal Freese
Maker
Thanks @rrhoover! Here you go: https://taika.co/ingredients. There's a small link on the product detail page, made a note to make that clearer.
Ryan Hoover
@kallefreese aha! Thanks!
Nate Bosshard
Hands down the best canned coffee I’ve ever had.
Kal Freese
Maker
@natebosshard Thanks Nate!
Taylor Majewski
Very interested in this! It reminds me of Soylent's caffeinated option
Kal Freese
Maker
Thanks @taylormajewski! The key difference is that Taika is first and foremost delicious coffee, whereas Soylent is a breakfast that also includes your morning coffee.
Taylor Majewski
@kallefreese totally - I'm much more drawn to an option like Taika, as I enjoy eating vs. drinking breakfast. This is awesome and needed.
Kal Freese
Maker
@taylormajewski Yep, exactly our thinking as well.
E.b. Rosner
Why does it have a phone number on the can?
Kal Freese
Maker
@e_b_rosner We started by making Taika for our friends and their offices. At first, I put my personal number on the cans so people could text us feedback and order more. It worked so well that we decided to put the number front and center (now it's a shared one). We’ve had some hilarious philosophical discussions with people trying to figure out whether they’re talking to a bot or a human. It’s fun and weird - a pretty good substitute for not being able to go to your local coffee shop right now.
Sami Niemelä
Awesome, congrats @kallefreese & team! So, this is a 100% vegan product, right?
Kal Freese
Maker
Thanks @samin! Yep, all of our products are 100% plant-based.
Rudi Skogman
Well done Kalle and Michael! Tried out the product last summer. Have the products developed since then and what's next in terms of flavors or "coffee meets x"-combos?
Kal Freese
Maker
@rudi_skogman Thanks Rudi! Yeah, I took a look at our change log: we've made 22 iterations to the recipe since last summer and changed the packaging completely. The coffee is so much better than last summer, even if I say so myself 🤠 We have a lot of ideas in the pipeline, including non-coffee products. One that I've been working on for a while is a zero-sugar macadamia chocolate milk that is insanely tasty 🍫
Tiina Liukkonen
I'm not a coffee person and really want to keep my caffeine levels in control so I've preferred tea for several years. But, I did taste an early version of Taika and was sincerely amazed by the rich macadamia flavor and how good I felt after drinking it. What exactly is the magic behind this?
Kal Freese
Maker
@tiinaliu Great question. That's because Taika is not just coffee. We tested dozens of adaptogen blends until we found one that balances the caffeine really nicely for that calm and focused feeling. Our blend includes: - L-theanine for focus: an amino acid found in tea leaves that counteracts some of the negative side effects of caffeine (jitters, crashes) and helps improve focus - Ashwagandha for calm: A leafy, flowering plant that helps you cope with daily stress and promotes calm. - Lion's Mane for clarity: An odd-looking mushroom that supports memory, concentration, and cognitive function. Reishi for improved immunity: A mushroom that supports the immune system and aids the body in coping with daily stress. Cordyceps for energy: A mushroom that supports better energy levels, stamina, and physical performance.
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