Overview:
Brewing coffee is an art and we coffee lovers are the artists.
Just like with other art forms, the process (brewing) is just as beautiful as the result (a steaming cup of coffee).
This brand new pour over coffee brewer was designed to enhance the beauty of the process and make your coffee time each morning even more special.
If your priority when it comes to coffee brewing is speed and convenience, this isn’t the project for you.
However, if you’re someone who finds pleasure in the daily meditation of coffee making—of grinding your beans, measuring and weighing the perfect amount, blooming the grounds, methodically pouring water into the brew, and waiting as the coffee drips down—this is for you.
Features of this dripper:
- Beautiful Japanese design is revealed as boiling water is poured in to the dripper
- Made in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture in one of the greatest pottery-producing regions in Japan
- Makes the ritual of coffee-brewing even more beautiful
- Works with standard V60 coffee filters
This product is not yet in production, and needs to raise funds first in order to be produced at scale. Please help us bring it to life by becoming an early supporter and pre-ordering on Kickstarter!
Everyone who signs up as an early follower via this page will get a special thank-you gift: a free coffee cup cover that matches the coffee dripper and cup set!
The Story Behind the Beautiful "sometsuke" design
Tajimi, where this coffee brewer is made, is located in the famous pottery-producing region of Japan known as Mino. The pottery produced there is known collectively as “Mino-ware” and there are many kilns scattered across the region.
The owner of one kiln nearby had no one to take over the business and needed to shut down. Marumo Takagi took on their property and have since began renovating it, turning the old buildings into a guesthouse, a bakery and cafe, and a shared studio that young artists starting up can use to produce and sell their own pottery.
Inside an old storehouse on the property was a large collection of old pottery tiles, hand-painted with beautiful Japanese “sometsuke” designs. We thought it would be interesting to use one of the old designs on a coffee dripper, so we shared several of the designs with our followers and asked which one people liked best.
The most popular was the design that you see here, adapted to fit on the brewer and mug.
When stored at room temperature, the design is covered in a black silhouette, which is beautiful as-is. However, when hot water is poured in, the colors and details of the original design are beautifully revealed, making the coffee brewer look almost as if it were an antique.
Made by Marumo Takagi in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture
Much coffee equipment these days is cheaply mass-produced overseas. However, Marumo Takagi believe in the quality of their products, which they have been making here in Japan for generations.
Their facility in Tajimi is home to the largest tableware showroom in all of Japan, and they know Japanese tableware better than anyone.
The color-changing designs are also one of Marumo Takagi’s specialties, as they pioneered the idea many years ago and are responsible for the original 4-seasons of Japan color-changing glass products.
Ever since 4th generation president Masaharu Takagi had the idea of creating tableware that visually expresses the temperature of food and drink, Marumo takagi has been innovating and created many different products with designs that change with the temperature of the dish.
Since coffee involves a hands-on brewing process, using this color-changing technology is a natural fit. We hope that this brewer will bring an extra dose of beauty to your morning routine.
Makes the ritual of coffee-brewing even more beautiful
Although Japan has a very strong coffee culture, it is far younger than Japan’s tea culture, which goes back to antiquity. The tea ceremony in Japan is a beautiful, choreographed process that involves many steps and is just as much about the process as it is the result (tea).
However, anyone who brews their own coffee can attest that the process of brewing coffee (grinding the beans, setting the brewer, measuring, blooming, pouring) can itself be quite meditative. If you are someone who appreciates taking time out of each morning to go through these repetitive steps, we think you will love this brewer and the simple joy that it adds to the brewing process.
Now as you inhale the glorious aroma of the brewing coffee, you can also enjoy watching the design as it is gradually revealed on the dripper. What a beautiful way to make coffee!
Works with Standard Coffee Filters and Cups
Don’t worry, this coffee brewer has a standard conical shape that works with V60-style paper filters. You won’t need to buy any additional parts.
The base of the filter is also fairly wide, allowing it to be used on a variety of cups or brewing flasks
About Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture
Tajimi is located in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture and is about an hour’s train ride north of Nagoya (Japan’s 4th largest city). Pottery has been produced in this region for about 1,300 years, and Mino, the area that encompasses Tajimi and neighboring Toki is known in Japan as “Ceramic Valley.”
Actually, about half of all the ceramics in Japan are produced here in this region. Anyone who is interested in ceramics or traditional Japanese crafts should definitely visit and see the amazing pottery produced there.
Despite its history and importance to Japan's ceramic production, the Mino area is not often visited by tourists. Marumo Takagi is hoping to change that, however. As mentioned earlier, they have been investing in the local community, working to make it a destination where pottery lovers from around the world will want to visit. Be sure to stop by on your next trip to Japan!
TIMELINE
August 2024
・Project launches
September 2024
・Project finishes
・Production begins
December 2024
・Production finishes
・Shipping begins