Evaluation 1: The 3D printed prototype
There exist two 3D printed prototypes representing the current design of the teapot. One was printed including the integrated strainer, whilst for the other, the integrated strainer was omitted. However, the support scaffolding of the 3D printed blocked the holes of the integrated strainer, thus making it impossible to pour water from this version. The version without the integrated strainer pours water nicely without suffering from the teapot effect.
Evaluation 2: The Ceramics Prototype
There are several flaws with the ceramics prototype. First, liquid runs down the underside of the spout when pouring tea. The slow-motion video below showing the ceramics prototype pouring water unveils why the teapot suffers from the teapot effect. This is a result from the rounded edges at the inner lip of the spout (see the modelling section for more details on non-dripping spouts). Initially, the edges of the spout’s lip were designed to be sharp. Furthermore, a triangular groove was cut out at the spout’s lip to direct the flow of the stream. However, the glaze applied to the prototype is too thick thus making the edges of the spout’s lip round.
Furthermore, the lid does not perfectly fit the opening of the teapot, thus creating the lid to slide back and forth when pouring tea. Also, the opening of the body is very large. This causes the teapot to spill, when tilted too steeply when pouring tea.
What about my design criteria?
Size:
Both, the 3D printed prototype and the ceramics prototype have a filling volume of roughly 200ml.
The filling volume has to be the same size as the corresponding cup in the tea set. However, as 98% of the British people drink black teas with milk, one must consider that a corresponding cup will potentially have to be larger than the tea pot (Tea Council, 2014).
Heat Retention:
The ceramics prototype produces satisfying results in terms of keeping the tea at an adequate brewing temperature (see the “Modelling and Analysis” section above for more details). The walls of the ceramics prototype are about 5-7mm thick. The original computer aided design intended the teapot to be much finer. This will affect the heat retention capacities of the teapot. Further testing with a ceramics prototype with thinner walls needs to be done.
Taste-Neutrality:
First tastings results do not raise suspicions that the teapot might absorb tastes. However, if the teapot was to absorb tastes, this would probably only become apparent after a certain amount of time. Therefore, the ceramics prototype can only safely be declared taste-neutral after a longer testing period.
Non-Drip
The 3D print without integrated strainer pours nicely and does not suffer from the teapot effect. The ceramics prototype drips heavily when pouring. This is probably due to the rounded edges of the spout (c.f. Modelling and Analysis section). A new ceramics prototype with sharp edges needs to be produced in order to see whether this ameliorates the effects of the “Teapot Effect”.
Strainer:
The 3D printed prototype does not have a functioning strainer yet. The ceramics prototype has a very rudimentary strainer. However, its holes are too big and tea flushes through them. In order to test different strainer shapes and hole sizes, it would be useful to print multiple models of strainers differing in terms of shape, and size of holes.
Easy to clean:
First testings with the ceramics prototype showed that one can easily reach into the inside of the pot and take the leaves out. The ceramics teapot has not yet been tested in an industrial dishwasher. Furthermore, the strainer is the part of the teapot that is the most hard to clean as tea leaves might get stuck in the holes. Hence, conclusions on whether the design will be easy to clean can only be drawn once the strainer is finalised.
Prize:
No cost analysis for mass producing the teapot has been done so far.As the teapot is supposed to be mass produced, a cost analysis on the prize of slip-casting the design in high quantities must be done.
Both, the 3D printed prototype and the ceramics prototype have a filling volume of roughly 200ml.
The filling volume has to be the same size as the corresponding cup in the tea set. However, as 98% of the British people drink black teas with milk, one must consider that a corresponding cup will potentially have to be larger than the tea pot (Tea Council, 2014).
Heat Retention:
The ceramics prototype produces satisfying results in terms of keeping the tea at an adequate brewing temperature (see the “Modelling and Analysis” section above for more details). The walls of the ceramics prototype are about 5-7mm thick. The original computer aided design intended the teapot to be much finer. This will affect the heat retention capacities of the teapot. Further testing with a ceramics prototype with thinner walls needs to be done.
Taste-Neutrality:
First tastings results do not raise suspicions that the teapot might absorb tastes. However, if the teapot was to absorb tastes, this would probably only become apparent after a certain amount of time. Therefore, the ceramics prototype can only safely be declared taste-neutral after a longer testing period.
Non-Drip
The 3D print without integrated strainer pours nicely and does not suffer from the teapot effect. The ceramics prototype drips heavily when pouring. This is probably due to the rounded edges of the spout (c.f. Modelling and Analysis section). A new ceramics prototype with sharp edges needs to be produced in order to see whether this ameliorates the effects of the “Teapot Effect”.
Strainer:
The 3D printed prototype does not have a functioning strainer yet. The ceramics prototype has a very rudimentary strainer. However, its holes are too big and tea flushes through them. In order to test different strainer shapes and hole sizes, it would be useful to print multiple models of strainers differing in terms of shape, and size of holes.
Easy to clean:
First testings with the ceramics prototype showed that one can easily reach into the inside of the pot and take the leaves out. The ceramics teapot has not yet been tested in an industrial dishwasher. Furthermore, the strainer is the part of the teapot that is the most hard to clean as tea leaves might get stuck in the holes. Hence, conclusions on whether the design will be easy to clean can only be drawn once the strainer is finalised.
Prize:
No cost analysis for mass producing the teapot has been done so far.As the teapot is supposed to be mass produced, a cost analysis on the prize of slip-casting the design in high quantities must be done.
So what comes next?
First, I would use a tea set prototype to test the basic underlying assumptions of my design. If people show to respond to the idea of the tea ware set positively, more work can safely be invested into (1) solving the technical difficulties revolving around the dripping spout and the integrated strainer (2) translating the computer aided design into a mould from which a ceramics teapot can be slip-caste
Also, so far this design only focuses on one third of the eventual tea set: the tea pot. Although the design of the teapot lies at the heart of the tea ceremony that the tea set is supposed to create, much more work will have to be put into designing the relationship and interaction between the three objects. Especially much work will have to be done into the vacuum flask. First, it requires a very good flask in order to keep the water at appropriate brewing temperatures over longer periods of time. Second, the design of most vacuum flasks on the market today are made from metal, glass, foam or plastic. Harmonising a flask aesthetically with a ceramics tea set will be a challenging task, especially if it were to meet the high standards of high-level restaurants.
There yet is much to be done in my quest towards designing the perfect tea set that will create a ceremony engaging every single British person into the perfect tea experience in their every day lives. Lucky me.
Also, so far this design only focuses on one third of the eventual tea set: the tea pot. Although the design of the teapot lies at the heart of the tea ceremony that the tea set is supposed to create, much more work will have to be put into designing the relationship and interaction between the three objects. Especially much work will have to be done into the vacuum flask. First, it requires a very good flask in order to keep the water at appropriate brewing temperatures over longer periods of time. Second, the design of most vacuum flasks on the market today are made from metal, glass, foam or plastic. Harmonising a flask aesthetically with a ceramics tea set will be a challenging task, especially if it were to meet the high standards of high-level restaurants.
There yet is much to be done in my quest towards designing the perfect tea set that will create a ceremony engaging every single British person into the perfect tea experience in their every day lives. Lucky me.