Hotshot entrepreneur and cans of coffee

Ever since Starbucks put cold coffee in a can and threw it on the supermarket shelves, it has become an easily accessible, reasonably priced, perfectly acceptable way to consume cold coffee.

Therein lies the only fault - it's cold. And it's Starbucks. There are a few faults but let's focus on the temperature - it'll sew the column together more neatly.

In Japan, coffee in a can is a $14 billion industry, but there's a significant improvement on the Starbucks version - it's hot. And it's not Starbucks. Again, let's not do the 'Starbucks is the devil' thing. At least not today.

In America, there's a show called Shark Tank. It's like Dragons' Den but not as good because it's American and Theo, Duncan and Peter aren't in it. A man called Danny Grossfeld went on the show and tried to gain an investment for his version of the Japanese hot-coffee-in-a-can thing.

His product is called HotShot and consists of a Hotbox (which looks like one of those little tabletop fridges from Argos), and the actual cans of coffee which he's calling HotShots. HotShot is a brand of ant killer. HotBox is a bar and grill in Spitalfields. Just saying.

Danny didn't get an investment from the Sharks, but after the show aired, private investors offered to fund the project. Mark Cuban is like the American version of Deborah Meaden, except he's worth $3 billion (versus Meaden's measly £40 million) and he graduated from Indiana's Business School (Debs went to Brighton's Technical College). Mark agreed to trial Danny's HotShots in his movie theatres. Deborah hasn't got any movie theatres.

HotShots are available for pre-order. For $69.99 you can order a starter kit (Argos mini-fridge and 12 cans), delivery of which will be fulfilled in January. Initial flavours will be espresso, caramel, hot chocolate, and vanilla frappe (yawn).

Perhaps they'll make the leap across the pond and when you desperately require a hot vanilla frappe or a tinned espresso, you can buy a HotShot. Until then, your only option will be the terribly archaic act of venturing into a coffee shop. Maybe Danny could expand the range - perhaps with chocolate teapots, parachutes for seagulls, or little furry jackets for cats.