Sahand Dilmaghani brings a new type of energy into the coffee industry. He infuses his deep care to create a pristine experience that makes a customer never feel regret.
He’s proven it as the founder of Terra Kaffe, the startup known for creating the comprehensive design-forward super-automatic espresso machine.
Less than two years since the product launched on the market, Terra Kaffe is expanding its product line, the company reveals to me–today introducing, Demi, the entry-level super-automatic espresso machine that complements Terra Kaffe’s signature TK-02 model. “[The TK-02] was an incredible springboard for the brand,” Dilmaghani tells me. “We’re not a single-SKU business anymore.”
Whether your counter space is your most valuable real estate in a New York City apartment, or $2,000 is more than you’re willing to throw down on an espresso machine, Demi, which will retail for $795, provides Terra Kaffe the opportunity to be a brand that complements any home.
“While everything is getting more expensive,” Dilmaghani says, “we’re hell-bent on making quality coffee more accessible.”
So, Who Is Demi?
Demi is about half the size of Terra Kaffe’s TK-02 signature model, which is where its name is derived. “Demi is the Latin word for half,” Dilmaghani explains. “From a volume and size perspective, we had that north star from the beginning to make it as compact as possible and we wanted to have that homage back to the Latin or Italian roots of espresso.”
Design is equally important to Terra Kaffe as function, and Demi sticks to Terra Kaffe’s signature sleek appeal, just with a softer attitude. The entry model, with its gentle, rounded edges and matte finish, introduces color, albeit neutrals, to the Terra Kaffe lineup, instead of only black and white options. Demi comes in four tones: Cloud, Dune, Forest and Slate–a salute to the elements, which has always rooted the brand, hence the name, ‘Terra.’ “We wanted it to have a little bit more personality,” Dilmaghani says, “but still picking colors that ultimately present very premium.”
Demi will produce an incredible cup of espresso-based coffee drinks with the same internal brewing engineering as the TK-02. But there are some functional differences, largely that it is not compatible with the milk carafe, so latte-style drinks are not an option with the one-touch feature. “A lot of people really want to get a Terra Kaffe product, but they don’t necessarily need the milk frothing,” says Dilmaghani. “They’re looking for something a little bit simpler.”
Terra Kaffe is addressing those consumers who may want that feature by releasing a standalone steamed milk frother later this year, in addition to a line of accessories, which combined will still be a fraction of the price of the TK-02.
As can be expected with the mini machine, Demi’s bean hopper and water tank also have a smaller capacity. It is also not compatible with pre-ground beans, nor does it feature the same touch-screen as the TK-02. Instead, there is an analog screen with a knob to sort through your drink of choice and choose settings. Demi also does not have smart capabilities like its older sibling.
“We wanted to create that smaller form factor and still offer all the same speed, convenience, design and coffee quality, but at a lower price point,” Dilmaghani says. “It became very clear to us that we are very well positioned to deliver on our mission as a business in a much more expansive way.”
European Design Meets American Convenience
Dilmaghani’s inspiration for Terra Kaffe stems from the environments that have enriched his personal worldview–from his Persian upbringing by two architects in Virginia to stints in China and France. But his years in Berlin shaped the course for the company he would later build.
Working at an electric vehicle startup, he felt a magnetic pull towards the German manufacturing and supply chain process. “That’s where I really learned what it takes to go from an idea to mass production of a product,” Dilmaghani says. “Berlin as a city, being very design-forward, instilled a sensitivity to progressive, modern designs and aesthetics.”
But no matter where in the world he lived, the smell of coffee would always remind him of home. “It’s that visceral reaction it pulls out of your chest,” he explains. “My mom would end the night with a Turkish coffee–that thick, viscous, motor oil coffee,” he continues. “It’s a family heirloom…she got it from her parents. And there’s this wooden handle on it and it’s so weathered from gripping it constantly,” he continues. “I took it with me to Berlin when I moved there.”
Despite his deep affection towards Berlin, in order to begin a company with his particular ambitions in mind, he knew he would have to return to the States, the heartland of entrepreneurship. “For every $1 invested in Europe, there’s five to $10 invested in the US,” Dilmaghani says.
Especially given his German perspective, he was unimpressed with the fully-automatic espresso machines on the market. “I was completely knocked on my heels about how antiquated…how unimaginative…all of the existing machines were,” he says. “We’re seeing the out-of-home trends where the consumer demands have changed, but the in-home optionality has not.”
Terra Kaffe’s internal research finds nearly half of its customers come from pod-based systems, consumers who clearly value the convenience factor. “We have the person that loves to tweak and toggle…and then the person who just needs this to be easy…this little magical moment where I press this button and it creates the whole drink for me,” Dilmaghani explains.
“I see us as a bridge between Europe and the US–a bridge between old and new,” he adds. “We bring that old world quality and consideration into a new world momentum and cadence of life.”
Demi’s Personality
“Do you want the design to be defining the space or integrating seamlessly into the space?”
That was the basis of the first meeting between Dilmaghani and Christopher Kuh, Vice President of Industrial Design at Ammunition Group, which spearheaded Terra Kaffe’s design approach. “We’re always excited to challenge an existing category,” Kuh tells me. “Much has been defined by a design vocabulary established by Italian design studios. To a good extent…we bring an entirely different approach to what precision and professional appeal for a coffee machine actually means.”
Every hinge and haptic, nook and knob on a Terra Kaffe product is flawlessly engineered–not a speck ignored. No matter the structure and layout of the space the machine will live on, its geometry allows it to look attractive, yet organic, from any angle.
Creating Demi was not as simple as halving each element. Some elements needed to remain to make the product seem like a cohesive family, for example, “the rectangular monolithic posture of the main body, the left-aligned dispense head, the control knob on the upper right corner, and then the full-width drip tray,” as Kuh describes. “Even on an entry model unit…those elements really shine.”
The team specifically wanted to achieve a “quiet confidence,” not being bombastic, but impressive when you start using it with your own hands. “A calmness,” Kuh says about his approach to Demi. “An overall clean silhouette, not being overly busy with details.”
Dilmaghani has placed Terra Kaffe on the path to creating an era-defining coffee tech company. “The things you have on your countertop say something about who you are as a person,” he says.
