Photo by Molly Milroy courtesy Tempered Coffee
History: A fan of French-press coffee, University of Richmond alum Tom Quigley wanted to achieve a similar taste but with single-use, on-the-go containers. “It kind of dawned on me, ‘Why not make it like a tea bag?’” he says. Quigley joined forces with his friend Isaac Wilson, a chemistry graduate with a background in industrial manufacturing, and the duo began tasting coffee and testing materials for disposable, environmentally friendly coffee bags. In 2018, they launched Tempered Coffee.
Specialties: Tempered Coffee sources local beans for its coffee bags, which steep in hot water for five to seven minutes, depending on desired strength. The bags allow the oils from the beans to be retained, which leads to a bolder flavor.
Production: Compostable, the bags are made from plant-based synthetic fibers and are available in packs of six and 10. “We talked about how much plastic is thrown away with single-serve coffee,” Quigley says.
Buy: Find Tempered Coffee at Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox, Little House Green Grocery, The Market at 25th, and online at temperedcoffee.com.
