The Journey of Creating the Tetra Drip: A Coffee Dripper for Adventurers
Updated: Oct 5
From Hiking Dreams to Coffee Innovations
By Shingo Numata
With the arrival of the so-called third wave, high-quality coffee became easier to find year by year in the late 2000s. I was one of the many who became captivated by specialty coffee. In 2009, my wife and I planned a hiking trip to Nepal. Before the trip, we talked about how nice it would be to drink coffee while looking out over the mountains. So, we started researching gear.
Compact, packable outdoor coffee drippers did exist at the time. However, since we were living in China for work, getting our hands on well-designed outdoor equipment wasn’t easy. I ended up making my own dripper by cutting up a 1.5-litre plastic bottle and heating it to fit a conical paper filter. I didn’t know the term at the time, but that was my first experience with MYOG.
The trek in Nepal was unforgettable. Sipping coffee brewed with my homemade dripper while gazing at the majestic Himalayas was truly exceptional. Looking back, that moment was the origin of it all.
The Search for the Perfect Dripper
The following year, after returning to Japan, I began seriously researching coffee drippers. I bought and tested nearly every dripper I could find. Solid drippers used in cafés and at home brewed great coffee, but they were heavy and bulky to carry around. Outdoor models, on the other hand, prioritized being lightweight and compact. This made them unstable, lacking in rigidity, and difficult to use. Most seemed designed with the attitude that as long as they could extract coffee, that was good enough.
At that point, there simply wasn’t a portable coffee dripper anywhere in the world that I felt satisfied with. It was a small thing, but I remember feeling as though I had found a problem that I needed to solve. It was exciting.
Designing a New Solution
From there, I threw myself into developing a coffee dripper. While exploring different structural ideas, I looked at the designs of the VARGO Hexagon Stove and Snow Peak’s fire-grill-style dripper. Seeing those, I realised that a polyhedral structure made from flat plates could accommodate the conical paper filters that had already become the standard. If the plates could be disassembled, the whole thing might pack down flat like a card.
In this case, increasing the number of plates brings the shape closer to a cone. However, once a structure has four or more faces, the angles between the panels cannot be fixed. Eliminating this lack of fixed angles requires adding extra mechanisms—such as stoppers—which complicate the structure and compromises portability. I spent some time searching for a solution to this structural limitation and eventually arrived at the idea of reducing the number of faces to three.
A triangular pyramid made of three panels naturally locks the faces together, fixing the angles. In effect, it could be a simple, flat set of plates that, when assembled, forms a dripper with excellent stability and rigidity.
Prototyping the Tetra Drip
I started by cutting thick paper to create the shape. From there, I searched online for a factory that could laser-cut metal and had them make samples, which I tested myself. After several rounds of prototyping, the basic design took its final form in 2014—five years after returning from that trip to Nepal.
In 2015, I launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the debut of this dripper, which I named “Tetra Drip.” The project received an incredible amount of support from so many people. The funds we raised were a tremendous help, but even more encouraging were the positive reactions to the product itself. Having just left my previous job, those messages truly gave me courage. I am deeply grateful. Thank you so much.
Launching the Tetra Drip
And so, Tetra Drip was officially launched in 2016. Since then, there have been a few minor adjustments, but because its design is already as minimal as it can be—nothing left to take away—the core design remains unchanged even today. It has been taken to the sea, to the mountains, and to places all over the world. Many have used it to brew delicious coffee while enjoying beautiful scenery. As the person who made it, I couldn’t be happier.
For those seeking a reliable and portable coffee dripper, the Tetra Drip is a perfect choice. You can shop from here to find your own.
Conclusion
The journey of creating the Tetra Drip has been fulfilling. It began with a simple desire to enjoy coffee in nature and evolved into a product that serves many. The Tetra Drip is not just a coffee dripper; it is a companion for those who appreciate the outdoors and the art of brewing coffee. Whether you are hiking, camping, or simply enjoying a day outside, the Tetra Drip enhances your experience.
Embrace the adventure, and enjoy your coffee wherever you go!
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