How Jhon Christhoper from Indonesia Turned a Cheap IKEA Funnel into a Global Coffee Trend
Jhon Christhoper has been deeply involved in the coffee world for years, both as a trainer and a competitor. His name gained even more recognition after his simple yet creative innovation—using an IKEA funnel as a coffee dripper—caught people’s attention with his team.
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| Jhon Christhoper | Founder Fugol Roastery |
HUDES: You’ve been in the coffee scene for quite some time now. No doubt about that. With your experience in training and competing, what’s your take on innovation in brewing tools, especially with so many new drippers coming out?
Jhon Christhoper: Brewing tool innovation has been evolving rapidly over the past few years. More and more people are thinking beyond traditional methods like the Hario V60 or Kalita. This is happening because the specialty coffee world keeps growing. We’re expected to understand coffee from start to finish—from the soil to the cup.
Brewing coffee isn’t as simple as it looks. It’s deep and complex. That’s why many people are exploring ways to optimize extraction by playing around with dripper geometry and materials. At the end of the day, though, it’s still a business—money plays a role. But the fact that new drippers keep emerging shows that many people, including in Indonesia, want to bring their coffee dreams to life through brewing tools.
I’ve actually dreamed of creating my own dripper for a long time, but I guess the time hasn’t come yet.
HUDES: Have you always been interested in experimenting with brewing tools, or did this idea come from a specific need?
Jhon Christhoper: I’ve always been fascinated by new drippers. I love figuring out why they were made and what sets them apart from others. I enjoy testing different brewing variables and applying them to different drippers.
Sometimes, I find myself thinking about ways to get better extraction, but I don’t have the right tools. So, I have to experiment with different combinations of equipment and brewing techniques.
HUDES: You’ve pointed out that brewing tools are becoming increasingly expensive. How big of an issue is this for baristas in Indonesia, especially when it comes to competitions?
Jhon Christhoper: I actually see this as a bigger issue in everyday life rather than just in competitions. The average barista salary in Indonesia is around 1.5 to 2 million IDR per month. That’s really low.
Why? There are many reasons. Maybe they work in a small café, maybe wages in their area are generally low, or maybe their skills aren’t advanced enough yet to demand higher pay.
Meanwhile, new drippers I’ve seen recently are priced at 500,000 IDR and above—some even reach millions. Imagine a barista who’s just starting out and doesn’t get financial support from their workplace. They have to save up for months just to buy a single tool. And by the time they finally buy it, three new drippers have already hit the market.
I’ve been in that position—having just enough money to get by. Forget buying gear; I had to budget tightly just to eat. That’s why I really care about this issue.
HUDES: Do you think there are certain “barriers” in competitions that make innovations like this harder to be accepted?
Jhon Christhoper: Not really. The specialty coffee world grows because of innovation. Without it, this industry would stagnate.
Innovation is important because it provides solutions to problems we haven’t solved yet. So, if an idea seems weird or unconventional, I think that’s totally fine. As long as there’s a solid reason behind it and it makes sense, why not?
HUDES: Can you share the moment you first discovered the IKEA funnel? What made you immediately think it could work as a dripper?
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| IKEA funnel | photo by Jhon |
Jhon Christhoper: I had walked past that funnel in IKEA so many times without thinking much of it. But one day, last year, I was strolling through IKEA with my wife, Mandie, and suddenly a lightbulb went off in my head: why not try brewing with it?
I love innovation. If I use the same tool in every competition, it gets boring. I instantly thought, “No one in the world would ever use this funnel in a national competition. It’s a cheap, overlooked tool that people wouldn’t take seriously.”
I grabbed four of them and headed for checkout. But Mandie stopped me and said, “Why buy so many? If it works, you can get more. If it doesn’t, no harm done.” That just made me even more determined to prove it. Game on! The rest is history.
HUDES: Once you decided to use the funnel, did you test it extensively before being confident it would work?
Jhon Christhoper: Of course. I brewed with it dozens of times to make sure it produced good results. I tested it myself, with Mandie, with my team, and with a few friends.
Once I saw that it could actually deliver a great brew, I realized this could help a lot of people who want to make great coffee with an affordable tool.
HUDES: What’s the biggest difference between the IKEA funnel and commercial drippers commonly used in competitions?
Jhon Christhoper: It’s cheap.
HUDES: When you first shared this idea, many people were skeptical. How did they react after seeing the results?
Jhon Christhoper: Oh, for sure, there was skepticism. In fact, the first skeptic was Mandie herself. That alone was enough motivation for me to prove it works.
I told a few friends—both in Indonesia and overseas—and they all laughed. They thought I was joking. I just said, “Wait and see.”
HUDES: This idea has now sparked a lot of discussions. Why do you think such a simple innovation has gained so much attention?
Jhon Christhoper: Because it’s too cheap. For some people, it even seems too cheap to be taken seriously.
Plus, it comes from IKEA—a company that has nothing to do with coffee. More people are talking about how cheap it is rather than its actual technical aspects.
HUDES: Since this idea went viral, have any brands or coffee communities reached out to you?
Jhon Christhoper: Surprisingly, IKEA Indonesia actually reached out to thank me. Other than that, not really.
But I’ve seen a lot of home brewers tagging me on Instagram, showing that they’ve bought the funnel to brew coffee with it. That’s the kind of thing that makes me smile.
HUDES: What advice would you give to baristas or home brewers who want to experiment with simple tools like you did?
Jhon Christhoper: Just experiment! Don’t be afraid of skeptical comments. You’re the one drinking the coffee, not them. If it tastes good, keep going. If it doesn’t, move on.
HUDES: After this innovation, do you have any other projects in the works?
Jhon Christhoper: A lot. Too many ideas, but never enough time or energy to make them all happen.
HUDES: What’s your take on the balance between "experimentation" and "standards" in the coffee industry? Do you think there’s any bias against non-conventional methods or tools in competitions?
Jhon Christhoper: Experimentation means doing something new, something that hasn’t been done before, while standards are the established benchmarks. The good thing about this industry is that it’s super dynamic—new experiments keep happening, pushing things forward. So, there’s no rule against experimenting, just like there’s no rule against sticking to the standards.
As for bias, I don’t think there is any. Everyone has their own standards and beliefs, depending on who they’re serving coffee to and personal preferences. But in competitions, as long as everything follows the rules and regulations, anything goes.
HUDES: Any advice for baristas or home brewers who want to experiment with simple tools like you did?
Jhon Christhoper: Just go for it! Don’t let limitations or skeptical opinions hold you back. At the end of the day, you’re the one drinking the coffee, not them. If it doesn’t taste good, don’t force it. If it does, then great—enjoy it! Haha.
HUDES: After this innovation, do you have any other projects you’re currently exploring?
Jhon Christhoper: There are a lot of things I’ve been working on since the beginning of the year—both within and outside the coffee industry. Too many ideas, but never enough time and energy to make them all happen.
HUDES: As the founder of Fugol, the brand has now become widely recognized as a training ground for both national and world coffee champions. What core principles have brought Fugol to this level?
Jhon Christhoper: All I can say is amen and praise God. All glory and honor belong to the Almighty. I’m just a servant, a vessel that God is using to be a witness in this industry.
I pray that God, in His grace and mercy, will continue to use my unworthy life in this industry to serve and glorify His name through coffee. I don’t know how, I don’t know where this path will lead, but I surrender my life and work to His plans. I submit to His sovereignty. If He wants to use my life through coffee, then praise God. If He chooses to take it all away, then praise God as well. (hudes)
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