Design Zealot

Sorapot is designer Joey Roth's modern take on the teapot. As the first product he's releasing under his own brand, the teapot was designed to emphasise one of his favourite things in life – the unfurling of tea leaves.

He designed Sorapot for the green and oolong teas that he loves. As Roth explains, «these teas show their character over course of multiple short steepings and to best when they have full run the entire pot so they can expand completely. This is impossible with small mesh baskets in most teapots, so I designed the entire body of Sorapot to essentially be the basket.» This means that the tube also acts as a sensual window onto the process of the leaves unfurling.

Sorapot's closest teapot relative is the small Yixing pot that's the central to the Chinese tea ceremony. Roth wanted Sorapot to function like a Yixing, but emphasise the tea leaves themselves.

But ancient tea ceremonies weren't his only source of inspiration. As he says, «I've always loved teapots because there's so much variation within the category. Any vessel that pours in a tight stream ans insulates the user's hand from heat could qualify. Like chairs and lamps, I fell that a teapot is a chance for designers to articulate their DNA, since there is so much room for experimentation.»

Roth feels the Sorapot perfectly communicates his approach to design – sustainable, mindful and narrative-based. Of equal importance though is that the teapot also makes great tea. To show how Sorapot brews the tea leaves, Roth created a demonstration video on Youtube (sea above).

But expecially is one of those things in life that can't be looked at in isolation. So Roth's website also links to tea blogs he loves, and discusses such topics as modern tea tools and the concept of topography to teacup. In Roth's words, «leaves, hot water, and teapot or cup combine to form a complete universe, which you then get to drink up.» Enjoy on your own, or in the company of friends, a cup of tea is still one of the life's great pleasures. [via]