Sorapot

Sorapot is an another piece of design from an idea by Joey Roth, who Polkadot already featured with his Ceramic speakers. Sorapot is a simple, modern teapot. Its architectural shape and simple functionality bring tea’s quiet beauty into sharp focus. Made from 304 stainless steel, borosilicate glass (Pyrex), and food-grade silicone, it articulates the ritual of tea making in a thoroughly modern way.

Sorapot’s vaulting arch and curved geometry belie its industrial toughness. Made from investment-cast stainless steel, borosilicate glass (Pyrex), and food-grade silicone, your Sorapot will only look better as you use it. My dream is to find a well-loved, well-used Sorapot in an antique shop fifty years from now, and I designed with this image constantly on my mind.

Sorapot’s stainless steel backbone is made using the same process as jet turbine blades and space shuttle components. Investment casting, also called lost wax, is one of the world’s first ways to form metal, yet it’s still used when precision and strength are critical. Investment casting costs more, but it imbues the Sorapot with a certain feel that’s unachievable any other way.

Sorapot encompasses two approaches to sustainability: design for patina and wear, and design for impermanence. As you use your teapot, it will acquire a patina based on how you hold it, how you clean it, and the type of tea you use. The uncoated stainless steel will develop a sheen where you grasp it, and will gradually become more matte in other areas. Over time, a completely unique gradient of surface shine will form over your Sorapot’s body, making it more valuable and personal than the day you took it out of its package.

I took an opposite, yet still sustainable approach with the packaging, designing its shape and choosing materials with impermanence in mind. It’s made from post-consumer recycled cardboard and molded pulp- exactly the same material as egg crates. Instead of hiding these materials behind a layer of glossy paper (as is often done with retail packaging), I tried to articulate the cardboard’s natural beauty as much as possible, using its fluting and imperfections as central design elements. The package is fastened with natural jute rope, and avoids the use of tape and staples.

Capacity: 11 oz, just enough for two cups of tea.
Dimensions: 8?L x 6?H x 5?W
Materials: Stainless steel, Pyrex, Natural silicone

Watch Joey Roth talking about Sorapot with Digg founder Kevin Rose…