Jake and Quin Zavislake can trace the inspiration for their unique coffee-brewing system back to a remote area of northern B.C., well before they were born and decades before the two developed a taste for the beloved brew.
Jake, a third-year Dal Commerce student, explains that he grew up around coffee due in large part to his father, whose passion for it blossomed when he was planting trees in B.C. and brewed coffee for everyone in his camp, a ritual, Jake says, "that quickly became part of his routine."
As children, Jake and his brother watched as their eco-conscious dad brewed coffee every morning, often home-roasting beans and testing new ways of making it. The simple cotton filter he made was always part of that routine, and it's the design the brothers have since developed into their own.
This year they launched the , the only Canadian-made 100 per cent organic cotton brewer.
We have embarked on a journey to tackle one of the most overlooked contributors to everyday waste: disposable coffee pods and filters
"We have embarked on a journey to tackle one of the most overlooked contributors to everyday waste: disposable coffee pods and filters," says 19-year-old Jake, adding that in the U.S. alone, an estimated 100 million single-use paper coffee filters are discarded every day — the equivalent of 11,000 trees or 30,000 acres of forest.
"Our venture is not just about convenience; it's about creating a tangible, sustainable change in how people enjoy their coffee."
Rich flavour, without the grit
The brewer distinguishes itself from other similar products because it uses a new method that combines immersion and filtration coffee brewing. Users steep their grounds directly in hot water and then pour that through the reusable hand-sewn cotton filter, which sits in a light stainless steel frame on top of the cup. It has the richness of a French Press, but without the grit, delivering the clean cup you’d expect from a filter.
"Whenever people try it, the first thing they notice is how instantly the coffee flows through," says Quin. "Drip and pour-over coffee were invented more than a hundred years ago, so it's no surprise people are shocked by the speed. With ACE, you can have a rich, clean cup in as little as a minute, before your coffee even has the chance to cool."
The cotton itself is proprietary and engineered for coffee brewing, so it filters out sediment while letting the oils pass through, creating a rich, clean cup. And just like the rest of the brewer, it reflects their commitment to Canadian-made quality.
Shown right: Quin brews a fresh cup.
The product appears to be catching on.
Sales have picked up faster than the duo expected after Quin started selling the brewer in locally owned Toronto coffee shops. It is now in over a dozen retail stores and is being marketed on social media to drive online sales. Recently, Jake officially joined his 21-year-old brother in building ACE, taking the lead on outreach from the East Coast as part of his studies at ±«Óãtv.
"We feel our story could inspire other students and the broader community to think differently about small, everyday choices that carry a big environmental footprint," says Jake.
'A massive, overlooked problem'
The brothers are following closely in the footsteps of their father, who sewed his own reusable cotton filter at age 22, as part of their lifelong commitment to tackle waste and bring greater transparency to the coffee industry. It was Quin's experience at school that motivated him to share the innovation with a broader audience.Ìý
"At university, I saw how most people brewed coffee: pods, paper filters or cheap machines. It frustrated me because the environmental cost is huge. I was the only one I knew using a cloth filter, the one my dad had made years ago," says Quin, who studies Economics at Queen's University.
"That's when it clicked: this is a real solution to a massive, overlooked problem."
For the Zavislake brothers, the enterprise is not just a way for them to practise the teachings of their parents that they should take care of the world around them. It also allows them to honour their late father, who passed away last year from cancer.
Not only does the ACE Brewer give us the opportunity to work with him in spirit, but it also allows us to start something of our own.
"I decided to carry forward a small part of his legacy and take on ACE. He would be so proud of my journey and my growing passion for great coffee," says Quin, who is shown on the company website learning how to use the ACE system at age three.
"Not only does the ACE Brewer give us the opportunity to work with him in spirit, but it also allows us to start something of our own."