Tearista: The Hassle-Free Automatic Tea Maker

Revolutionizing Tea Drinking with Technology and Design

Tearista stands out from other tea makers with its unique properties and strengths. It is fully programmable for five different tea types, each with precise steep times and water temperatures. This ensures that each tea variety's unique flavors and aromas are brought out to perfection. The high contrast display showcases the different tea types, making it easy for users to select their desired brew.

One of Tearista's standout features is its automatic tea basket. The basket lowers and rises once the pre-set temperature and steeping time are reached, ensuring optimal brewing every time. Additionally, users can program a delayed start to have their tea ready when they wake up in the morning. Tearista also keeps the tea warm for up to 60 minutes, allowing users to enjoy a hot cup of tea at their own pace.

When it comes to the design and production of Tearista, technology plays a crucial role. The tea basket's lid and kettle's long post are magnetic, making it easy to remove and secure during brewing. The materials used include plastic injection molding of ABS for the main body and stainless steel for the metal parts, ensuring durability and functionality.

Operating Tearista is a breeze. Users simply fill the tea basket with their favorite tea leaves using the provided tea scoop. The assembled basket is then slid into the glass jug. By pressing the respective button, users can choose from the five preset tea types recommended for optimal brewing of green, black, white, herbal, and oolong tea. The teapot is programmed with the optimal temperature for each tea type, but users can also set their preferred temperature. The LCD screen displays the brewing temperature for the selected tea type, and with a press of the tea button, the brewing process begins. Once the tea reaches the optimal temperature, the basket automatically lowers into the heated water and rises to the top of the glass jug after brewing, activating the keep warm feature.

The Tearista project started in June 2016 and was completed in July 2018 in Hong Kong. It has since been exhibited in Europe, gaining recognition for its innovative design and functionality. The design process involved extensive qualitative market research on global tea consumption, interviews with targeted users and tea experts, and the development of prototypes to test usability.

Overcoming challenges such as the lack of reference for user interface design and the need to develop the best tea brewing formula for the design and technology, Tearista has successfully created a seamless tea drinking experience. With its combination of technology, user-centric design, and optimal tea brewing formula, Tearista ensures that tea lovers can enjoy a perfect cup of tea anytime, anywhere.

Shilton Chong, the designer behind Tearista, has been recognized for his exceptional work. Tearista was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Home Appliances Design category in 2019. This prestigious award honors designs that exhibit outstanding creativity, resourcefulness, and technical skills, contributing to improvements in quality of life.