My Competition Experience with the Asymmetry Cup

When I competed in the Dutch Brewers Cup 2025, every choice — from beans to brewing tools — was intentional. Among all the gear I used, one stood out not just for its design, but for the way it shaped the entire tasting experience: the Origami Sensory Asymmetry Cup.

This is not an ordinary cup. It’s a professional sensory tool that combines thoughtful design with practical functionality — and that’s exactly why I chose it for my competition routine.

Freedom to Control Flavour

During competition, my goal was for the judges to experience the coffee’s evolving layers as it cooled. The Asymmetry Cup’s unique rim — thin on one side, thick on the other — creates two distinct tasting “entrances”:

Thin side → enhances acidity and floral aromatics, bringing out vivid clarity and structure.

Thick side → softens the profile, highlighting sweetness, roundness, and balance.

This design allowed me to guide the judges to taste different dimensions of the same coffee. The cup even reacts differently at different temperatures — something I planned for carefully. For example, sipping from the thin side at high temperatures can sometimes make acidity too sharp, so I intentionally let the coffee cool before presenting it.

Designing the Full Coffee Experience

In my competition routine, every element worked together:

• Beans → a blend of mixed-process coffees for complexity
• Dripper → Oval Dripper to enhance that complexity
• Cup → Asymmetry Cup to showcase multi-layered flavours

The cup’s organic, human-like curves also make it surprisingly comfortable to hold, adding a tactile layer to the experience. It’s not just a design statement — it’s a piece of functional craft.

Colours and Sensory Focus

The Asymmetry Cup comes in white and black. I chose the white version for competition because it creates a clean, transparent visual experience that complements the coffee’s flavour profile and allows the judges to observe colour changes easily.

The black version, on the other hand, removes visual distractions entirely, allowing you to focus purely on aroma and taste — a more advanced, sensory-focused approach.

Origami has always embraced minimalism and purpose-driven design. Here, nothing is decorative for the sake of it; every line and curve has meaning. The flavour differences from each side are very real and noticeable.

Competition Tips

While the official capacity is 220ml, you wouldn’t fill it to the brim in practice. During competition, I used a small tray to carry the cup, both to prevent spills and to add an extra sense of ritual and elegance to the presentation.

Final Thoughts

The Origami Sensory Asymmetry Cup is more than a vessel — it’s a flavour companion that responds to how you use it. By controlling sip angle and temperature, you can explore new dimensions of your coffee, whether in competition or at home.

For me, this cup played a key role in telling my coffee’s story on stage. For you, it might just open a new way to experience your brews.

Try it, and discover how one cup can hold two different coffees in one.