Travel Buddy
Portable Tea Bottle / Walk-Cup

red dot: best of the best
red dot award: product design 2008

It’s tea time – design and the rituals of modern times
The Gong Fu Cha describes how tea is prepared in the Chinese tea ceremony according to minutely defined steps for utmost pleasure. The drinking of tea is at the heart of a highly developed way of life and in China is an expression of peace and contemplation. In many countries, including in Japan and England, the daily pleasure of drinking tea follows ritualistic rules too. Drinking tea is an important aspect of cultural rites, a rite however that has become difficult to maintain in the everyday life of global mobility. The concept of this portable tea bottle thus offers an uncomplicated way to add cultural value to one’s life. The design of the walk-cup is logical and functionally well thought out: Its construction integrates a heating element and an infuser, a pot and a cup stacked on top. The pot is made of polycarbonate that was developed especially for baby’s bottles; it is shatter-resistant and heat-resistant. The pot’s built-in strainer filters all kinds of teas (and even coffee) via a patented lid that also relieves air pressure automatically. Tea drinkers can rely on this system and decide freely when and where they would like to make and drink their tea. Moreover, the tea bottle also has the looks of a well-designed accessory that reveals its true function only on second glance. It allows easy recycling and conserves resources because its integrated teacup reduces waste generated by disposable cups and other single-use items. The portable walk-cup is an aesthetic companion, and one which, in a figurative sense, turns into an ambassador for a cultivated way of life.