Every good idea starts with a problem. Ours was a dirty coffee machine.
In 2013, Rowan and Judy Isaacman, now husband and wife, founded a Cape Town-based coffee business. We started by renting out Nespresso-compatible coffee machines and soon uncovered a problem that many coffee drinkers did not even realise existed.
Machines were coming back clogged and dirty. Coffee oils, residue, and build-up were affecting coffee taste and were bad for the machines overall, causing leakage and break downs. Giving a machine back to another customer in that condition was just not an option. We had to find a way to clean them properly, specifically the brew unit which was not easily accessible. Taking the machines apart was not practical, and at times impossible, as it would void the machine’s warranty.
So Rowan started experimenting.
Coming from a mechanical and engineering background, he had been part of one of the first Nespresso-compatible capsule manufacturing companies in the world (back in 2010). He was certain there had to be an easier way to clean these machines, so he invented one: The first ever cleaning capsule world-wide for Nespresso-compatible machines that worked inside the machine removing all old residues without taking anything apart. One capsule, one button, and the brewing chamber was clean.
That cleaning capsule became Caffenu, our very first product.
Judy, originally from Germany, brought marketing experience with a global vision for the brand. The range expanded to many more machine-specific care products like descaling, cleaning tablets, cleaning powder, milk system cleaners for all the major coffee machine brands, for home and professional use.
Today, Caffenu products have been sold in over 50 countries. Alongside our consumer range, we have built a strong reputation in private label manufacturing, supplying businesses of all sizes with cleaning solutions that support their brand and their customers coffee experience.
Despite this growth, the heart of the business remains the same. Everything is manufactured under strict quality controls in-house in Cape Town. Our products are food-safe, Intertek certified, and formulated with natural, biodegradable ingredients. Rowan still leads product development and manufacturing. Judy still leads brand and global communication.
We still believe that the best cup of coffee starts with a clean machine and that caring for your equipment should be simple, not complicated. If you have ever wondered how to clean your coffee machine, how to descale properly, or why your coffee suddenly tastes off, you are in the right place. Caffenu’s mission is to make coffee care simple, easy, and fun.
