Every once in a while, a project sneaks up on us.
We weren’t planning to rethink the modern coffee mug. After all, ceramic mugs are wonderful — warm, comforting, nostalgic, and practically part of the human condition. Many of us have a favorite one that’s as familiar as an old friend.
But over the last few months, while sipping (and occasionally spilling) countless cups of coffee and tea in the workshop, we started quietly asking ourselves a dangerous question:
Is it possible that the mug… could be improved?
Not replaced.
Not criticized.
Just evolved.
It started innocently enough. Someone mentioned how quickly a fresh pour loses heat in a heavy ceramic mug. Someone else noted that their mug gets too warm to hold around the outside. Another gnome brought up the drips that slide down the rim and leave rings on the workbench. And then there was the ongoing puddle situation with iced drinks. (We’re looking at you, Brindle Fernroot.)
And then came the incident.
During a prototype meeting, Pipwick “Precision” Tallyforge — our most engineering-obsessed workshop gnome — tried explaining why mugs shouldn’t pull 15–20°F out of a fresh pour.
He held up his mug dramatically and declared:
“Thermal mass matters!”
Unfortunately, he didn’t realize his mug was still full.
The resulting cascade of coffee swept across the drafting table, soaked a stack of OctaLock™ plans, and shorted out a not-yet-released Whatnot (name redacted for secrecy). Pipwick was mortified, but it sparked the idea:
Could we design a better vessel? One that preserved heat, stayed cool to the touch, didn’t drip, didn’t puddle, and felt genuinely delightful to hold?
That question became a sketch.
The sketch became a prototype.
Then two. Then five. Then a dozen.
And after a surprising number of debates and test sips, we realized:
We were building something new.
We won’t give away all the details just yet — that’s coming soon — but here’s the teaser:
Meet Uttak™ — our new reimagined drinking vessel.
It features a removable stainless core, a ¼" insulating air-gap shell, multiple grip modes, a folded no-drip lip, a condensation ring for iced drinks, silent silicone feet, Gothic radiance windows, and a surprising amount of engineering for something you hold before you’re fully awake.
We can’t wait to show you the final version.
For now, let’s just say:
Your morning ritual is about to get an upgrade.
Stay tuned — and keep an eye on Pipwick. He’s still banned from holding full mugs during meetings. Sign up for our email notifications below and we will let you know when it is ready.