Coffee Dripper
Our dripper project began three years ago with an ambitious goal: to design something mechanically over-engineered yet aesthetically simple. A dripper that’s not only optimized to draw out unrealized flavour notes, but also sensitive to seasonal shifts—something that represents more than a utility-focused tool.
To get there, we made a series of intentional decisions. We chose 304 stainless steel for its timeless visual quality and its sensitivity to seasonal shifts. We designed a double-walled structure to retain thermal mass. The flat bottom helps bring out the sweetness in coffee, while the just enough diameter enhances aroma. Its cylindrical form echoes the cyclical nature of seasons, and a detachable puck introduces a new way to activate flavour. These decisions weren’t just functional—they were philosophical. Together, they gave form to the feeling we were trying to express.
Yeoyu
We believe the act of brewing pour-over coffee is a meaningful, daily reminder to make space and savour ordinary moments. From selecting lightly roasted beans and smelling them as you open the bag, to making mental connections to the flavour notes on the label, adjusting the grind, and taking that first sip—each step invites presence. It’s in this process that we noticed something quiet but consistent: the dripper is the object we end up looking at the longest. Not the kettle. Not the server. The dripper holds our gaze. That observation led us to rethink what a dripper should be—and what it could become.
So we designed one that remains quietly in the background. It doesn’t try to be the centrepiece. Instead, it sets the stage for the aroma of coffee to rise, for the sound of water to fall over the bed, for a flow that becomes ritual. The goal isn’t to make a statement. The goal is to invite attention to the coffee, the moment, the season.
Design
Aesthetically simple, mechanically over-engineered, experientially tuned—this vision came together thanks to a serendipitous collaboration with the product design studio over_engineered. In the early stages of the project, we had both qualitative and quantitative data on what made a great flat-bottom dripper. But translating that into something tangible proved difficult. After our V1 and V2 prototypes, we hit a wall—conflicting design philosophies, manufacturing issues, and too many questions about how to merge form with function. Working with over_engineered gave us the clarity we needed. Together, we were able to define what “a daily reminder to make space” could look like—through steel, proportion, and presence.
Though the dripper was designed in Vancouver, the idea was first dreamt in Seoul, encouraged in Berlin, inspired in Kyoto, and confirmed in Copenhagen. We’re Canadians living in a city shaped by coastlines and forests, with roots that trace back to South Korea, Japan, and China. It felt important to acknowledge that, and reflect it in the final design. A reminder that good design is a shared language. For us, this is more than just a dripper.
Special Thanks
It takes a village to build something from zero to one. From the earliest conversations about brand identity to the introduction to over_engineered, to every word of encouragement along the way—thank you Studio Faculty. You made the hardest part of building something new feel calm, clear, and quietly joyful.