Mineral water pods. Think about that idea. I'll give you a second.

A German company called Mitte has created a new, titular device that’s designed to create purified mineral water at home that can be dispensed either hot or cold. It relies on proprietary mineral cartridges, aka pods, to populate the water with various minerals, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. One cartridge should last for 400 liters, or around 105 gallons, and they vary in price from €40 ($47) to €50 ($58). The machine itself costs around $328, although it ships with one pod if backed on Kickstarter.

Of course, it also relies on a companion app to control water temperature, access information on the water quality, and monitor the cartridge's levels. You can order pods from the app, too.

From what I understand about the device, it relies on distillation, which means it boils the water and cools it for purification. That's not very high-tech. You're also boiling the minerals out, just to put them back into the water.

You can already make your own mineral water at home by buying certain additives. Mitte says its cartridges are easier and cheaper, and yes, if you want to make your own mineral water, you have to mix everything by hand. That's definitely more work.

But, if you care about where your minerals come from, Mitte doesn't name its sources. Ordering online and mixing by hand could give you more control.

I don't know what else to say about water pods, other than I think they already exist in the form of water bottles? Mitte says water bottles waste plastic, which is true, but the company's proprietary cartridges also appear to be made of plastic. We're bound to plastic, and pods definitely cannot free us.