The Coffee Cup That Holds Your Spoon in Place

If you’ve ever stirred your coffee, then hunted around the counter or saucer for your spoon afterward, you’re not alone. Keeping a clean workspace while enjoying specialty coffee—whether you’re dosing a V60 or stirring milk into a flat white—means having everything in its place. But standard cups offer no solution for where to put the spoon once you're done mixing.

The short answer? A coffee cup with built-in spoon rests. The Nota cup, designed by Lee Hae Seung Scott, features two small raised bumps near the handle—shaped like open hands—that cradle your spoon securely after stirring. No more slippery saucers or lost utensils.

What Is the Nota Coffee Cup?

The Nota is a conceptual coffee cup created by industrial designer Lee Hae Seung Scott. It’s not just a vessel for your espresso or filter coffee—it’s designed with a small but clever feature: integrated spoon rests. These aren’t add-ons or sleeves, but sculpted elements of the cup itself.

Located near the handle, the cup has two subtle raised areas. Visually, they look like a pair of slightly open palms. Their purpose is purely functional: to hold your spoon once you've finished stirring your coffee.

Why Your Spoon Needs a Home

In the specialty coffee routine—whether you're blooming a Yirgacheffe pour-over or stirring sugar into a cortado—your spoon plays a key role. But once it's done its job, it often becomes an inconvenience: balancing precariously on the rim, rolling off the table, or getting lost in a cluttered workspace.

The Nota cup solves this small but real frustration. By giving your spoon a designated spot, it helps maintain a cleaner, more organized coffee station. It’s a tiny detail, but one that speaks volumes about thoughtful design in everyday coffee rituals.

How the Spoon Rests Work

The Nota cup features two carefully shaped protrusions along the rim, close to the handle. These are not sharp or intrusive—they’re smooth and rounded, blending seamlessly with the cup’s form. Their height and spacing are just enough to cradle a standard coffee spoon.

Here’s how it works in practice: After you stir your coffee—whether you're using a three-pour method for a V60 or simply mixing milk into your americano—you slide the spoon into the space between the two bumps. It sits there securely, not touching the table or the side of the cup, and stays put until you’re ready to use it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nota coffee cup?

The Nota coffee cup is a specially designed cup with two small raised bumps near the handle that act as built-in spoon rests. It was created by designer Lee Hae Seung Scott to help coffee drinkers keep their spoon secure and their workspace tidy after stirring.

How does the spoon rest feature work?

The spoon rest consists of two smooth, rounded protrusions located near the cup’s handle. After stirring your coffee, you can place the spoon horizontally between these two bumps, where it sits securely without touching the table or tipping over.

Is the Nota cup available for purchase?

The article does not specify whether the Nota cup is currently in production or available for retail purchase. It is presented as a design concept by Lee Hae Seung Scott.

What problem does the Nota cup solve?

The Nota cup addresses the common issue of spoons rolling away or getting lost after stirring coffee. It provides a dedicated spot to place your spoon, helping to maintain a cleaner and more organized coffee setup.

Can the Nota cup be used with any type of coffee?

Yes. The cup is a general-use coffee cup and can be used with any brewing method, including espresso, pour-over, French press, or any drink where you stir in milk, sugar, or syrups.

Are there other coffee cups with similar features?

The article does not mention other commercial coffee cups with built-in spoon rests, making the Nota cup a unique design concept focused specifically on solving the spoon-placement issue.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Pour Over

For pour-over fans who appreciate clean, well-balanced coffee, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Huakui – bright with jasmine and citrus. Their Yirgacheffe offers lemon zest and stone fruit, great for noticing subtle stirring effects. Both shine when brewed with a V60 or similar dripper, highlighting why a tidy spoon rest like Nota’s matters for a clean pour. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.