Sense Glass Collection

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About a year ago, OREA and I wanted to take on the challenge to create the perfect shapes to enjoy filter coffee. This was an important moment for me because it would be the first product with a brand I admire that also had my name on it. I was motivated to make the best!

Light roasted specialty coffee is a relatively new product. While we have enjoyed coffee for generations, the expression of that product was dark, burnt, harsh and often full of milk and sugar to compensate. The products made for coffee were largely conceived with this in mind.

Specialty coffee brought a new age of light roasted coffees that celebrate the farmer, the terroir and the uniqueness of each coffee. These coffees don’t taste burnt, they are aromatic, like fine teas, they have a light beautiful colour, they are delicate, nuanced. But we drink them out of a mug. A heavy, thick, tall mug. Surely we can do better!

We looked at other specialty drink products and how they’re consumed. From fine wine, to fine tea, and even craft beer. In all categories we found delicate pieces, thin walls, intentional designs, exquisite materials. We knew that light roasted specialty coffees deserve to have the same - so we decided to make it and to obsess the shapes, materials, and ways of using that lead to the ultimate experience.

The initial collection is composed of two glasses, 175ml and 275ml, and a 300ml carafe, with delicate shapes and a sensory-forward design. Each glass and carafe is carefully hand-blown from lab-grade borosilicate glass.

Photographed by @jerney

The Sense Glass

A sensory glass designed to heighten the sense of smell, touch, sight and taste. ⁠⁠The glass is delicate with thin walls but with a dependable bottom. The neck provides a perfect cool spot to grab and hold, so you don't have worry about the heat. ⁠

The wine glass-like body with steep angles helps collect and concentrate aroma in a central point. The wide mouth positions your nose right in the middle of this, while also spreading liquid evenly across your palate when you drink.

The glass you will buy for coffee, but use for everything.

The Sense Carafe

The Sense Carafe features a wide bottom and a narrow neck, with a similar lip to the Sense cups and glasses. This helps to trap and express the beautiful aromatics of coffee. Fill up to 300ml in order to leave space for aroma to build up and assure optimal usability.

The wide bottom provides ample space for the coffee to settle in, with the tall narrowing body acting like an aroma trap.

There are many carafes out there and many great ones at that but we felt that none really obsess over the details that can peak all of your senses. Touch, Smell, Sight, and Taste - all impacted by this beautiful carafe. ⁠⁠The neck is narrower than similar products, which helps concentrate aroma into a central focal point even more. The lip is steeper, which helps with aroma delivery, providing a comfortable spot to grab and hold. You can even drink out of it comfortably!

Design Process

We wanted to find the perfect shape, size, and configuration for a carafe that would fit the rest of the Sense collection perfectly. We tested different sizes for the mouth, spouts, and the carafe as a whole. We played with different curves and shapes and designed many types of handles. In the end, we decided that the best choice was a carafe without handles, not too tall, a pretty narrow mouth, and plenty of room to grab, hold and serve.

Printing each iteration helps us to understand how this product will function and how the tactile experience is. Pouring in theory is not the same as in real life and while some models looks beautiful on screen, when you hold them, you know it’s just not there yet.

Manufacturing

Photographed by @orea.uk

Coffee community

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