A Thrilling Sports Coupe, a Better Coffee Maker, and More Gear We Love This Week

Humm Kombucha

Kombucha. I can’t get enough of it. About 90% of the reason I love it is because of the taste—and 10% ‘cus I know it’s good for me as it promotes beneficial gut bacteria. So a few afternoons a week I’m sipping on a bottle of Humm Kombucha. There are loads of flavors, but I’m partial to pomegranate lemonade and hopped grapefruit—a seasonal offering. Keep in mind these still have sugar in them, somewhere between 8 and 20 grams, which is not insignificant, so consider it a bit of a treat. Some of that’s from organic cane sugar, and some from fruit juices. But it offers a nice jolt, and it’s arguably healthier than a diet soda. — Marjorie Korn, Senior Editor [prices vary according to retailer; hummkombucha.com]

2018 Audi RS 5 Coupe

“You said it was going to be a nice car, you didn’t say it was going to be THAT nice.” This was my friend on a recent weekend when I picked him up in a brand new Audi RS 5. And that pretty much summed up the car: blowing away expectations. It began with the color. Audi calls it “Sonoma Green.” I call it a scintillating shade that managed to turn more heads than any fire engine-red sports car I’ve driven. Seriously, I got nearly a dozen thumbs ups from other drivers on my 200-mile trek. Beyond the paint job, it’s a powerful sports coupe that outshines its price point (not cheap but starting at $70K), and puts pure driving joy front and center. The riotous 444-hp twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 delivered more than enough power (it was admittedly tough to remain chill on the open road), and the steering was as tight as my college jeans. But I’m a bells and whistles guy, and those cockpit details? Oh boy. There are racer inspired touches like red contrast stitching, multi-adjustable massaging seats, and customizable interior lights that you can even switch to green to match that fetching exterior. I returned the car, but I fear my friend is still in it. — Greg Emmanuel, Editor-in-Chief

[From $69,900; audiusa.com]

Anker Battery Case 2850

I must be turning into my father. The old man would run cars into the ground before upgrading. I’m the same way with my smartphones. The most common reason I upgrade? The battery can’t hold a charge. So, I took my aging iPhone 6S to cover a trade show for two days while testing the Anker battery case. Typically, my phone drops from 100 to 50 percent power after my morning commute of light Googling and podcast listening. A trade show of texting, emailing, and surfing 3G from inside a convention center would have drained it in a couple hours. But, after juicing up the Anker, my phone bounced back from 50 percent two or three times during a single afternoon, which kept me going without joining the subculture crowded around a public wall outlet. Expect about 12 hours worth of web browsing power when the case is fully charged. The two-piece black shell adds a little bit of weight, but it’s still rather sleek and uses a micro USB to recharge. It comes with an extension (you’ll need to use the audio jack), but that’s a tradeoff I’m happy to make for access to instant power. — Sal Vaglica, Senior Editor [$50; anker.com]

Presto 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

The Presto 12-Cup coffee percolator is not new. In fact, the company introduced its original model when Dwight D. Eisenhower was still in the White House. But I’m here to tell you that every other way of brewing coffee at home is garbage compared with using one of these stainless-steel beauties. Pour-over coffee is never hot enough. Drip coffee isn’t much better on that front, plus you have to deal with filters and all that mess. And French presses and AeroPresses are for coffee dweebs with too much time on their hands. The Presto percolator, on the other hand, heats coffee to mouth-scalding perfection, so you can sip it as it gradually cools. Plus, it makes strong-as-hell brews and doesn’t need filters. Stop wasting your life with terrible, lukewarm morning coffee; you deserve better than that. — J.R. Sullivan, Senior Editor

[$50; walmart.com]

Dakine Drafter 10L Bike Hydration Bacpack

This sucker’s coming along with me on a mountain bike tour through South Africa. It’s perfectly compact with a three-liter lumbar reservoir that doesn’t slosh around on technical terrain. The air suspension back panel keeps your back from getting swampy, and there are plenty of smart storage pockets for gear—pump, spare parts, nutrition—plus it has a handy external helmet carry. — Brittany Smith, Senior Editor

[$125; dakine.com]