Hario is a Japanese producer of accessories for alternative coffee brewing. In 2021 they celebrated their 100th anniversary, which is why we remind you the story of the brand and its origins, which, interestingly, had nothing to do with producing coffee brewing accessories that have revolutionized the way of drinking coffee all over the world.
The King of Glassware!
In 1921 the company from Tokyo launched the production of laboratory glassware. No wonder that the word Hario in Japanese means ‘the King of Glass’. Following longstanding research, the company managed to create their signature material which is heatproof and made of solely natural raw materials (silica sand, borax and boric acid). Additionally, to raise the safety of the glassware, natural salt is used to remove air bubbles created during the production process.
‘Chimney-Free’ Production
The Hario brand set several goals aimed at improving living conditions on Earth, not only in economic context, but also in the context of natural environment. One of the major steps of the company towards these goals was creating a factory without chimneys. Already in 1972 the brand created technology for the melting of raw materials of glass with electricity instead of fuel oil. This achievement changed
the concept of glass factories known for polluting the environment with smoke and dust into factories providing safety for their workers and for the environment.
Opening the Coffee Chapter
Already in the late 1940s Hario produced their first coffee syphon, which started a new chapter in the history of this company. Before that, the brand had been manufacturing solely for laboratories – with the launch of the syphon it entered our homes.
In 2004, the market saw the iconic ceramic V60 dripper. Interestingly, already in the 1980s Hario created a Mini Coffee Dripper – a glass conical brewer which was to facilitate the process of coffee brewing. It was a stage in creating a V60 dripper that we know today. The name of the device refers to the funnel shape angled at 60 degrees. In 2004 the brewer got its characteristic internal slots that prevent the paper filter from sticking to the sides of the device and facilitate the flow of coffee.
The first created dripper was a ceramic dripper manufactured from the porcelain by the Japanese Arita-Yaki brand. The Arita-Yaki production method is 400 years old and is still used today. It is characterized by an elegant, smooth finish.
V60 dripper is also a symbol of revolution and the third wave of coffee, characterized by the increase of interest in specialty beans and the increase of consumer involvement in the coffee brewing process.
From Tokyo to Kołobrzeg
The Japanese brand is not only a forerunner of alternative brewing methods in the world, but also a brand that has changed the future of the Polish coffee market, and definitely contributed to huge changes in Coffeedesk.
Already in 2012, when Coffeedesk still sold mainly Italian coffee, there was a meeting with Marcin Michalik from Colors of Coffee. On that day, during the first training in alternative coffee brewing methods, the founders of Coffedesk were introduced to the Hario dripper and learnt how to brew coffee with it. They found the device fascinating and identical with the direction they wanted for Coffeedesk. We met the representatives of the Japanese company for the first time at World of Coffee event in Rimini. Then, Hario representatives came to Poland and started cooperation with Coffeedesk – since then, we have visited Tokyo every year and expanded our knowledge and understanding of the brand. Thus, Hario has become one of our key partners and the driving engine for our success, and Coffeedesk has become the largest ambassador of this brand in Europe.
Coffeedesk is an official distributor of Hario products in Poland. Check the availability of the products at: b2b.coffeedesk.com
