Is Electronic Coffee Really an E-Cigarette?

“The so-called electronic coffee is actually just a coffee-flavored e-cigarette, just a gimmick.” said an e-cigarette industry insider.

The concept of “electronic coffee” was redefined and promoted by an e-cigarette brand, featuring coffee pods that can be inhaled. On July 29, the domestic e-cigarette brand Xuejia launched a new product called electronic coffee, priced at 298 yuan for a device and two pods. Xuejia explained that this product, named electronic coffee, aims to help users replace coffee beverages, achieving the refreshing effects of coffee through inhalation, while the pods contain no nicotine. Inhaling electronic coffee can also avoid gastrointestinal harm from excessive coffee consumption and reduce the staining of teeth caused by coffee.
 
Searching for “electronic coffee” online, the first store selling it on Taobao is Xuejia, priced at 298 yuan with a 100 yuan discount for orders. Currently, this product is not available on JD or Pinduoduo apps.

When contacting customer service at the store, I asked if electronic coffee is an e-cigarette. The customer service replied that this product is an electronic coffee vaporizer, similar in principle to an e-cigarette but contains no nicotine, only caffeine, providing the same effects as coffee, such as refreshing and aiding concentration.

Due to the caffeine content, I asked if it could be addictive and if it was safe. The customer service stated that due to individual differences, there might be slight dependence, but assured that their colleagues use it regularly. It’s similar to drinking coffee; some people do not become addicted to coffee. They also mentioned that they are a legitimate business, so it’s safe to purchase, as they wouldn’t be allowed to sell it otherwise.

Contacting Xuejia, they stated that electronic coffee does not belong to the category of e-cigarettes but is a new category.

Since caffeine is a controlled substance, according to the “Caffeine Management Regulations,” the production, operation, use, and import/export of caffeine are overseen by the National Medical Products Administration. Except for pharmaceutical manufacturers designated by the drug administration, no other entities or individuals are allowed to produce caffeine.

On July 31, Xuejia issued a statement responding that the coffee extract in the pods is not a controlled substance or a caffeine additive, but rather a natural coffee extract, claiming it is essentially no different from concentrated coffee made in a coffee machine. Xuejia also displayed the caffeine content of electronic coffee, stating that each coffee pod contains about 1.2-1.6 grams of coffee liquid, with a caffeine content of approximately 0.48-0.6 mg. 80-100 coffee pods are equivalent to a can of cola or Red Bull, while 200 coffee pods are equivalent to a cup of coffee.

According to the “National Food Safety Standards,” a 330ml can of cola can contain up to 49.5mg of caffeine; a 250ml can of Red Bull contains 50mg of caffeine as indicated on the packaging; and Nestle's website states that a cup of ground coffee contains about 100mg of caffeine.

In summary, Xuejia's response indicates that the caffeine in electronic coffee is derived from natural coffee extracts and is compliant; the content is lower than that of cola, Red Bull, and regular coffee, with caffeine intake below the safety threshold set by the US and EU food safety authorities (the recommended daily caffeine intake limit is 400mg). In Japan and the US, caffeine-containing energy products are common consumer goods, with no safety incidents reported. Xuejia informed me that while caffeine can lead to dependence, the caffeine content in electronic coffee is particularly low.
 
One question remains: is Xuejia's claim that electronic coffee contains no tar or nicotine truly accurate?

The second product that appears when searching for electronic coffee on Taobao is a Japanese inhalable energy stick coffee, which the store sells as “refreshing coffee.” I also chatted with customer service to inquire whether refreshing coffee is an e-cigarette or electronic coffee. The customer service told me that refreshing coffee is a disposable e-cigarette that does not contain any tobacco components. It can also be understood as beverage vaporization, with a caffeine content of 3%, priced at 48 yuan.

I further inquired with the RELX store, and they stated that electronic coffee is a coffee-flavored e-cigarette. There are two types of e-cigarettes: those containing nicotine and those without. The nicotine-free electronic coffee is considered a type of e-cigarette.

According to Blue Hole New Consumption, electronic coffee is indeed an e-cigarette; even CBD and THC products are referred to as e-cigarettes.

This aligns with what the e-cigarette industry insider mentioned at the beginning: whether referred to as vaporized coffee, refreshing coffee, or electronic coffee, they are essentially all coffee-flavored e-cigarettes. According to this insider, they also have coffee-flavored e-cigarettes, which use coffee bean extracts for caffeine. The production cycle for a coffee e-cigarette is about a week, with costs around several dozen yuan. Xuejia's electronic coffee seems to be more of a marketing strategy, perhaps “overdoing it at the start.”

If Xuejia's electronic coffee does not belong to e-cigarettes, then what category does it belong to?