Qterra Craft Tasa de Viatge by Pierre Baston, Raeshon McNeil and Patrick Bailey

Qterra Craft Tasa de Viatge by Pierre Baston, Raeshon McNeil and Patrick Bailey is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award de Bronze in Ustensilis de Cosina Competition Category.

BronzeUstensilis de Cosina· 2022

Qterra Craft Tasa de Viatge

by Pierre Baston, Raeshon McNeil and Patrick Bailey

Client: Qterra Travel Brewers

A' Design Award de Bronze Winner in Ustensilis de Cosina Category

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Colors

The Design

About Qterra Craft Tasa de Viatge

Qterra Craft es una tasa de viatge que prepara cafè o tè fresc per contraròtle extèrn. La tasa transpòrta lo cafè molut o las fuèlhas de tè e l'aiga cauda separadament, e la preparacion comença e s'arrèsta a la demanda. Un panièr telescopic s'espandís quand se torna un cadran extèrn, atal la tasa demòra tampada pendent l'utilizacion. Un material a cambiament de fasa dins las paretas rebaissa la beguda cauda fins a 60 gras Celsius per una consomacion segura. Un anèl jaune càmbia de color quand lo refregiment es acabat. De medalhons decoratius magnetics s'ataquen a la basa per la personalizacion.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronze

Qterra Craft Tasa de Viatge a ganhat la distincion A' Design Award de Bronze, una reconeissença plan prestigiosa acordada a de designs excellents que se destrian per la creativitat, l'engenh e la finessa. Los ganhaires del Bronze son d'artefactes largament abils e sorprenentament creatius que provan la vasta experiéncia, l'imaginacion e l'engenhositat de lors designers. S'espèra que Qterra Craft Tasa de Viatge siá un objècte fòrça considerat, admirat e estimat, notablament professional e innovant. Aqueste design ganhaire de la distincion A' Design Award de Bronze integra las melhoras practicas de l'art, de la sciéncia, del design e de la tecnologia e es excellent per son atencion al detalh. Qterra Craft Tasa de Viatge satisfa esplendidament los besonhs, toca los desirs, encanta los sentiments e interèssa la curiositat.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Qterra Craft is a travel mug that makes fresh-brewed coffee or tea on the go with just the twist of a dial. The Craft carries ground coffee or tea leaves and hot water separately, starts and stops brewing on demand, and quickly cools hot beverage for safe drinking, all without the user’s ever opening the mug. A bright yellow ring changes color to signal when cooling is done. Interchangeable artistic medallions attach to the bottom and show the user's style every time he lifts his mug to drink.
Dimensions & Packaging: Dimensions: 100mm (widest), 62mm (base) / 230mm. Weight: 0.7kg. Volume: 355ml brewed beverage. No electrical power, cords, or batteries required.
Tags: travel, mug, brew, coffee, tea, infuser, French press, steep
Production Technology: To enable control of brewing time without opening the device and risking spills, Qterra created a telescoping basket with cam-and-follower design. The basket keeps brewing ingredients dry and fresh in transport, but expands 2-1/2 times in volume for brewing in response to the twist of an external dial. A heat-absorbing phase change material (PCM) in the walls quickly cools hot beverage to a safe 60C, and keeps it there for drinking. A thermochromic paint ring changes color to let users know when it's safe to drink, to avoid burned tongues. And magnetic disks of various materials and artistic designs attach to the Qterra's bottom to allow easy personalization to match users' changing moods.
Design Challenge: For richest flavor from tea and coffee, Qterra Craft would have to keep water hot until the user decided to brew. But to avoid a long wait or burned tongue, the Craft would also have to cool hot beverage quickly for drinking once it was brewed. Qterra solved this dual challenge by enabling the user to switch from insulating to cooling his drink just by twisting to lengthen the mug 2.5cm (1 in).
Research: Tackling the dual challenges of Qterra Craft's temperature control required a search for exceptional insulating and cooling materials, computation of ideal tapering angles, thermodynamic modelling, and prototype testing. The team found inspiration in items as diverse as telescopes, 18th-century Japanese teapots and high-end footwear. The result is a stylish design enabling the fresh brewing of hot beverages on the spot, safely and seamlessly, for richest flavor and maximum antioxidants.
Inspiration: Pierre Baston developed a deep appreciation of hot beverages over many trips to Argentina. There, he was struck by the Argentine passion for mate - a hot herbal infusion created by indigenous Guarani people 500 years ago. In Argentina, to drink mate is to brew mate, as it is almost always prepared by the drinker on the spot, just moments before drinking. With Qterra Craft, Pierre brings the freedom of easy, eco-friendly craft brewing on the go to coffee and tea lovers everywhere.
Project Duration: The project, inspired in Argentina, started in the form of initial designs created in Philadelphia in 2017, and launched in November 2021.
Operation Flow: Qterra Craft delivers rich flavor and antioxidants that come only from tea or coffee that is brewed fresh on the spot. The slim unit contains all brewing ingredients and equipment within it, and brews by external control for safe and easy brewing wherever you may be. Users get an unlimited choice of ground coffee or loose leaf tea, precise control of brewing time and agitation, and freedom from coffeehouse prices and lines. With rapid cooling to prevent burned tongues too, a seamless experience.
Team Members: Inventor: Pierre Baston
Industrial Designer: Raeshon McNeil
Lead Engineer: Patrick Bailey