Fancy a cuppa? Hong Kong brand Camel introduces a portable vacuum flask
The family-run company, which has been making glass-lined vacuum flasks since 1940, has brought out the Cuppa28, a portable flask with a plastic shell. Managing director Raymond Leung explains the new range
Where did the idea for Cuppa28 come from? “It came out of customers’ requests. A lot of people like our previous flasks but they wanted something for desktop use that you can drink straight out of, like a thermal cup.
“We had something in the 1960s that was similar, but it was discontinued in the 80s. Cuppa comes from the English term for tea, 28 is because it’s 28cl – 0.28 litres.”
How is this different from your other flasks? “We still have the glass inner vacuum, but the difference is that this has a wide mouth so it’s easy to drink from. We wanted to keep it light so we went with BPA-free plastic for the shell. The good thing about plastic is that it gives it a little bit of shock absorption, so if you were to drop it from not too high the chance of the glass breaking is less.
“Another thing is it’s pretty watertight. We have silicon gaskets for the lid, so if you close it tight and put it upright in a bag, it should be safe. It’s not for sports use, though.”
What was the goal in terms of the design and styling? “It’s a take on our original 60s product. We’ve tweaked the shape so it’s a little more slender, rather than a straight-down bucket shape. Ergonomically, it’s easier to hold.