Have you ever noticed that it’s actually easy to miss the aroma when drinking coffee?
Whether you are drinking cola, eating siomai fish balls, or ordering a bowl of hot and sour noodles in Kwai Guang, the first thing that attracts you is often not the taste, but the smell that hits your nostrils. Our sense of taste may not be as sharp as we imagine; on the contrary, it is the sense of smell that is the key to unlocking the entire sensory experience.
This idea was the starting point for the birth of Sharing Cup Alpha.
Why is aroma more important than taste?
According to sensory science research, up to 80% to 90% of the “taste” we perceive actually comes from the sense of smell. This also explains why food always tastes "tasteless" when you have a cold and stuffy nose.
Scientifically, humans have two olfactory pathways:prenasal sense of smell(orthonasal) is the perception of external odors when inhaling through the nostrils;retronasal sense of smell(retronasal) is felt through the throat and into the nasal cavity when eating. These two pathways involve different neural processing mechanisms and together constitute our complete experience of "flavor".
The aroma world of coffee is especially rich. A cup of specialty coffee contains more than 800 to 1,000 volatile compounds, more than four times that of wine. These compounds include:
- Furans: Caramel, creamy sweet aroma
- pyrazines: Roasted nutty aroma
- Aldehydes: Malt, chocolate tone
- sulfide: Characteristic aroma of fresh coffee
- Phenols:Smoky, woody flavor
These compounds must evaporate from the surface of the liquid before they can be sensed by our noses. According to Pearson correlation analysis, the correlation coefficient between aroma and total coffee score is as high as 0.9535, confirming the core position of aroma in quality judgment.
How does professional cupping evaluate aroma?
In the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) cupping process, aroma is an independent scoring item and is divided into three stages:
- Fragrance: Evaluate the smell of ground dry coffee powder
- Aroma: The aroma accumulated under the coffee grounds layer after adding water
- Breaking the Crust: Stir gently three times with a spoon and put your nose as close to the cup surface as possible
Breaking the grounds is a key step in cupping. The foam, oil and coffee grounds layer formed on the surface after water injection acts as a natural barrier to capture the aroma. When the grounds are broken, the trapped aroma is instantly released, allowing the cupper to evaluate the most prominent aroma characteristics of the coffee.
The Q Grader (coffee quality appraiser) certification exam also includes a specialized olfactory test that requires the identification of 36 common coffee aromas, highlighting the importance of aroma identification skills in professional evaluation.
What do we miss when we drink coffee on a daily basis?
The problem is that when we drink coffee on a daily basis, we rarely smell it as deliberately as we do when cupping.
Maybe give it a whiff for the first one or two sips and shake the glass like you would a wine tasting. But when you consistently drink a cup of coffee, you won’t do it every time. Especially for daily drinkers, our habit is to just drink, and we rarely put our noses close to smell.
Moreover, the general cup has a physical limitation: when the cup is tilted to the mouth, the coffee liquid is easily poured out; but if it is not tilted that far, your nose is too far away from the liquid and cannot inhale those aroma molecules.
This is the problem we want to solve.
Does cup design really affect flavor?
In 2018, Brazilian neuroscientist Dr. Fabiana Carvalho and Professor Charles Spence of Oxford University held a Food Quality and Preference The journal published groundbreaking research that provides the first systematic evidence that coffee cup shape significantly affects flavor perception.
The study used three cup types (tulip type, open type, split type) to test professional baristas and general consumers and found:
- Narrow the mouth of the cupIt can trap volatile aromatic compounds in the space inside the cup, extending the residence time of aroma molecules and enhancing aroma perception.
- Larger liquid surface areaPromote the volatilization of aroma molecules and release more odor
- thin rimOptimizes liquid flow and exposes the palate to richer flavor layers
The scientific rationale for this discovery lies in the "headspace effect": volatile aroma molecules accumulate in the space above the liquid in the cup, and the design of the cup determines how these molecules are received by our noses.
Sensory scientist Verônica Belchior pointed out: “Cups with larger headspace can enhance the perceived intensity of coffee aroma.” Daniele Ricci, runner-up in the 2023 World Barista Competition, also collaborated with Dr. Carvalho to develop a special cup, specifically designed to promote the post-nasal olfactory flavor experience.
Tim Wendelboe, a well-known Norwegian roaster and 2004 World Barista Champion, also said: "I immediately noticed that the shape of the cup allows the coffee to express itself in different ways."
oxygen mask inspiration
Our idea is simple: since the nose can’t fit in, let the cup cover the nose.
Inspired by oxygen masks - designed to allow a person to inhale the maximum amount of oxygen. If you apply this concept to a coffee cup and let the rim of the cup naturally cover the area around your nose, your nose will already be inside the cup every time you drink.
When you sip coffee, in order for the surrounding air to enter your nose, it must first pass through the space inside the cup that is filled with the aroma of coffee. In this way, you don’t need to smell it deliberately, the aroma molecules will naturally enter the nasal cavity with your breathing.
We did a lot of testing during the design and found that this cup rim opening design can cover about 70 to 80% of the nose. Even if there is air flowing in from the surrounding area, it must first pass through the distance inside the cup before it can reach your nose. This physically greatly increases the chance of aroma perception.
The first concept rejected
In fact, before the concept of oxygen masks, we also thought of a more "perverted" plan: installing a mini fan outside the cup to continuously blow aroma molecules towards the face.
It may work in theory, but in practice it’s too cumbersome—the cup needs to be washed and charged, and it’s uncomfortable to drink from. So I quickly rejected myself.
Sometimes, the simplest way is the best way. Rather than letting the aroma "come out", it is better to let the nose "walk in". This also echoes the "first principles" often said in design - return to the most fundamental problem and find the most direct solution.
Comparison with other coffee cups on the market
There are many excellent coffee cup brands on the market, each with its own characteristics:
Japanese Origami
The Mino-yaki craftsmanship from Gifu Prefecture has jointly developed a series of flavor cups (Aroma/Barrel/Pinot) with the world champion barista. The Aroma cup highlights the bright acidity and fruity aroma, the Barrel cup emphasizes the sweetness and is suitable for chocolate tones, and the Pinot cup balances the sourness and sweetness to release the floral aroma. The design refers to the concept of a wine glass, emphasizing the narrowing of the mouth to concentrate the aroma.
Hong Kong Loveramics
The official brand of WBC / WLAC World Coffee Competition, fired at 1300°C high temperature, providing more than 25 glaze color options. The Brewers series is divided into three tasting cups, Floral, Sweet, and Nutty, specially designed for hand brewing. The classic Egg series is famous for its egg-shaped design.
American Fellow
The Joey mug uses a double-layer ceramic wall and a copper base. It has excellent thermal insulation effect and the outer wall is not hot. It is known as the "tuxedo of the coffee industry." The design originates from San Francisco and emphasizes modern minimalist aesthetics.
AVENSI professional drinking cup
Developed by ICOSA Brewhouse, it adopts an ultra-thin cup rim design that is 60% thinner than ordinary coffee cups to maximize the speed and amount of coffee liquid flowing to the tongue. The design draws on the scientific principles of wine glasses and focuses on enhancing the sensory experience.
The Sharing Cup Alpha Difference
Most of these excellent cups focus on "narrowing the mouth of the cup" to concentrate the aroma, or "optimizing the thickness of the cup rim" to improve the taste. Alpha tries to approach it from another angle:Let the nose directly enter the space inside the cup。
The problem with a narrow scent cup is that when the cup is tilted, the nose will quickly hit the edge of the cup, and the opening is too small, making it easier for other air to mix in. The design of a wine glass or champagne glass is suitable for alcoholic drinks because you will sip slowly and have time to shake the glass and smell the aroma. But the pace of drinking coffee is different - a cup of hand-brewed coffee may be finished in 15 to 20 minutes, and there are not so many opportunities to "stop and smell".
Alpha's design attempts to combine the surface area advantages of a wide-mouth cup, while allowing the nose to naturally enter the space inside the cup through the rim opening, so that you can feel more aroma during daily drinking.
Production challenges: Why is it so difficult to do?
To be honest, making Alpha was a lot more difficult than we thought.
Each Sharing Cup needs to be fired twice. The first time is plain firing, and the second time is glazing firing. Each clay and glaze has its own shrinkage rate—the clay may shrink by 10%, and with the glaze added it may become 10 to 12%. These contractions create tensile forces during the firing process.
The Alpha's cup rim opening is a streamlined arc, which is a particularly vulnerable position. Under the high-temperature shrinkage during firing, the pressure on the opening is much greater than that of the ordinary cup rim, and the chance of breaking is extremely high.
We tested different glaze color combinations:
- night blue: About 30 pieces were burned, and all of them were broken (including the glaze).
- Mountain blue + black mud: The most stable combination currently
This is why Alpha currently only has the color Shanlan Blue. It’s not that we don’t want to make other colors, but we are still looking for a technically feasible solution.
Another challenge was the curvature of the opening. Ceramics will deform when fired. The deformation coefficient of this streamlined opening is difficult to control, and not every one can achieve the ideal curvature. This is a bit like the yield problem in wafer manufacturing - even if the process is the same, not every piece can pass quality inspection.
The unique value of handmade ceramics
Unlike mass-produced ceramics, the core value of handmade ceramics isuniqueness——Each work is unique and embodies the creativity and skills of the ceramic artist.
Handmade cups go through multiple processes: shaping, trimming, glazing, and firing. The glaze color changes and texture cannot be replicated, and the kiln transformation effect creates an unpredictable beauty. That’s why every Alpha has slight differences in detail—not a flaw, but a testament to handcrafting.
The price of a handmade cup may be equivalent to several cups of coffee shop drinks, but it can be used for many years and accompany you during your coffee time every day. More importantly, there are stories, thoughts, and countless failures and attempts behind it.
An honest statement about who it’s suitable for
A friend asked: Is this cup suitable for everyone?
We have to be honest: if you have a plumper face, this rim opening may be a little uncomfortable. Because the opening is designed to fit close to the general contours around the lips, if there is a lot of fat near the lips, it may get stuck in the opening.
This is not discrimination, but physical limitations. We hope to try to make a version with a larger opening in the future, but the premise is that the current mass production problems must be solved first.
Why is it limited? Why is the price higher?
Based on the above production challenges, Alpha currently uses limited sales:
- limited quantity: 200 pieces
- Estimated yield: About 10% (that is, only about 20 of 200 may be successful)
This is why Alpha’s pricing is relatively high. It’s not because we want to sell it expensively, but the production cost and failure rate are really high. For every successful Alpha, there may be nine that failed quality inspections.
If we can solve the yield problem, we will consider opening it for normal sale later. But until then, every Alpha was born from a lot of failure.
Design Inspire 2025: We are here
Sharing Cup Alpha in Design Inspire 2025 on display.
Design Inspire is an international creative design exhibition organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. It will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center from December 3 to 6, 2025, bringing together more than 260 design brands from 14 countries and regions. This year’s theme is “Where Connections Spark Inspiration”, emphasizing the connection between design and life.
The core exhibition areas of the exhibition include BOTTEGA HONG KONG curated by design master Chen Youjian, Paris design authority Maison&Objet Intérieurs Hong Kong 2025, and Design Factory focusing on sustainable design and material innovation.
Being able to showcase Alpha on this platform is an important milestone for us. This represents recognition of our design philosophy – integrating sensory science into everyday appliances – and gives us the opportunity to communicate with design enthusiasts from around the world.
Related records of this product on this website：https://designinspire.hktdc.com/en/directory/exh/coffee-stage
Why might you want an Alpha?
If you are this person, Alpha may be suitable for you:
You value the aroma experience
You know how rich the aroma of a good cup of coffee is, from floral and fruity to nutty and caramel, with different changes in every sip. You want to be able to fully experience these layers during daily drinking, not just during cupping.
You already have good coffee and brewing equipment
You have invested in high-quality coffee beans, a precise grinder, and a sophisticated hand brewing kettle, but you find that there may be room for improvement in the cup aspect. You believe that good equipment can make the performance of coffee more complete.
You are interested in design and crafts
You appreciate products with stories and thinking behind them, not just ordinary containers. You are willing to understand the designer's ideas and support handmade craftsmanship.
Are you willing to try new experiences
The drinking method of Alpha may require a little adaptation period, and the opening of the cup rim feels different from that of ordinary cups. But you are willing to give yourself a chance to explore and see what different feelings this design can bring.
Specification information
- Capacity: Approximately 230ml
- Material: black clay ceramics
- glaze color: Shanlan Lan
- Suitable for brewing: 15g coffee beans (about 1:15 ratio)
- Origin：Hong Kong design, handmade
- limited edition: 200 pieces
finally
Sharing Cup Alpha is not meant to replace your existing cup, nor is it saying that other cups are bad. There are many excellent coffee cup brands on the market, each with its own design concepts and features.
Alpha is just our attempt to see if we can use a simple design to make daily coffee drinking a little more aromatic. The idea came from our own observations while drinking coffee, and after countless tests and failures, we came up with the current version.
Everyone's perception of aroma and coffee drinking habits are different. This cup may not be suitable for everyone, but if you are interested in it, you are welcome to learn more.
If you have any questions, please leave a message or send us a private message.
Coffee Stage Official website:mycoffeestage.com
Instagram：@5lungcoffee / @coffee_stage_5lung
YouTube：Designed by Alpha
Sharing Cup : https://mycoffeestage.com/products/coffee-stage-sharing-cup
