Terra Kaffe’s TK-01 Espresso Machine Checks All the Boxes
Sahand Dilmaghani, the founder of Terra Kaffe, was frustrated with user-unfriendly espresso machines, so he designed a sleek, easy-to-use alternative that offers a crash course in conscious consumption.
When Terra Kaffe launched in 2018, the brand’s mission was simple: enhance morning routines with a sustainable, easy-to-use espresso machine that brews an unparalleled cup of whole-bean coffee. After seeing his friends grow frustrated with expensive and confusing espresso machines on the market with few alternatives, founder Sahand Dilmaghani decided to build Terra Kaffe’s flagship product: the TK-01, a handsome, minimalist device that effortlessly achieves a balance of great design, forward-thinking technology, and seamless user experience. (Its foolproof iOS-like interface lets users run wild with customizing their desired brew.) Perhaps most importantly, the TK-01 promotes conscious consumption, eschewing the pesky plastic pods that are increasingly piling up in landfills.
Surface recently sat down with Dilmaghani to learn how his idea for TK-01 came together, what to expect from Terra Kaffe in the future, and his ideal cup of coffee.
Walk us through the inspiration behind the TK-01.
Ironically, it was inspired by looking at a Nespresso machine that many of our friends were complaining about but still used every single morning, and often multiple times a day. It seemed everyone viscerally disliked the pods, but didn’t see another alternative that would be a sensible solution to switch, or graduate, to. That’s where we came in, and what we decided to build: a sustainable solution for whole beans.
What makes Terra Kaffe stand out?
Terra Kaffe stands out with its sustainable brewing approach, minimalist design language, uniquely accessible price point, and level of customization that ensures each brewed cup meets your preferences. Until we came around, super-automatic espresso machines were prohibitively expensive (i.e. thousands of dollars), sported shockingly complicated and unappealing user interfaces, and offered only limited parameters for the user to control. We aim to modernize consuming quality espresso coffee at home, and make it more accessible.
How did you approach the machine’s design elements?
We focused first on building a full brand identity for our company and products to live in. Once this brand universe was created, it was very straightforward to determine how the products and brand extensions would exist within it. Much of the inspiration came from the Eastern European artistic community, with a strong focus on minimalism and robustness. We want users to feel the simplicity that comes naturally with a minimalist aesthetic and details that reinforce the quality of the overall product.
Besides creating and selling coffee machines, how is Terra Kaffe connecting with consumers?
In addition to selling coffee machines, Terra Kaffe partners with like-minded brands and coffee companies that enable us to have closer proximity to our customers in environments that resonate with our company and educate customers about their options when it comes to coffee consumption. Much of the coffee market is obfuscated with labels like “fair trade” which consumers do not truly understand (not at any fault of their own). We want to be an advocate for the tacit knowledge our brand has on the market and be a champion for coffee companies that are doing things that make a difference for the entire supply chain.
What about the brand are you most proud of?
The pillars we’ve chosen for our brand to stand on. Sustainability, design, quality, and accessibility. We hope to be an advocate for conscious consumption and in order to achieve that we wanted to create something that would be both fun and exciting to use on a daily basis, as well as accessible. Coffee is something most Americans consume every day and we’re excited to elevate that experience. We’re still early in our journey, but excited to keep pushing this mission further.
What’s your go-to coffee beverage?
No question, 50ml double-shot espresso. It’s the golden cup.
What can we expect from Terra Kaffe in the future?
Great products and a continued commitment to being an advocate for conscious consumption. Everything we’re working on will help offer consumers choices that uniquely enable them to have a more meaningful and memorable start to their day.
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