Dostea Chai Maker Reimagines Tea Brewing With Industrial Design

Chai keeps its own time. Milk climbs to a boil while tea and spices steep loose in the pot, and the strength shows itself in color, deepening shade by shade until the foam begins to rise. The traditional method of making chai demands attention; it’s a process that has changed very little over time. Dostea, a compact countertop chai maker, was designed to preserve that ritual while bringing the process down to the push of a button.

In 2021, the UK startup behind Dostea engaged Analogy Design, an industrial design studio in India whose portfolio spans housewares and consumer electronics. Together, they took the beverage appliance from concept to product readiness. What Analogy set out to protect was the character of the drink itself while creating an appliance that people would want to leave on the counter, rather than hide away.

“Our goal wasn’t to simplify the ritual but to preserve what people love about it while making it more intuitive for modern kitchens,” says Divya Rao, co-founder of Analogy.

The Analogy Design team built the first prototype. Photography courtesy of Analogy Design.

While coffee has inspired generations of dedicated equipment—from espresso machines to pour-over systems—chai has largely remained a stovetop ritual involving multiple utensils, constant attention, and personal technique. Analogy worked without a template, arriving at a restrained form that combines warm color, material, and finish choices with detailing that references both Indian craft traditions and contemporary European minimalism. Its minimal controls reflect the familiarity of a drink made every day.

“We wanted the product to feel rooted in the warmth and familiarity of chai while introducing a clean, contemporary aesthetic,” Rao adds.

Working on a cardboard prototype of Dostea. Photography courtesy of Analogy Design.

Inside, the mechanism was engineered alongside the shell, its part count pared down to fit the small footprint. The harder work was upstream of the hardware. “One of the biggest challenges was ensuring users could still customize their tea, whether that’s the strength, milk ratio, or brewing style, without losing the convenience of one-touch operation,” Rao explains. The machine preserves that flexibility, letting each household keep its own version of the cup.

Analogy led the project from industrial design through product development and manufacturing planning, shaping not only how Dostea works but how it fits into contemporary kitchens.

Photography courtesy of Analogy Design

To learn more about the project and its launch timeline, visit Analogy Design or follow the studio on Instagram.

Hayley Arsenault is a writer and editor covering architecture, interiors, and product design. With a background in design studies, she is particularly interested in materials, making, and the ways people experience the built environment.