Review | Cooling ceramics from Magisso

I have to confess that I hadn’t heard of Finnish brand Magisso before they emailed asking if I’d like to review one of their products, and I’m mystified as to how they managed to escape my attention for so long. Formed in 2008, they’ve won all sorts of innovation awards and specialise in the kind of design I love: beautiful in form, but also incredibly functional.

Magisso’s philosophy is to create stylish objects that solve everyday problems, particularly where cooking and dining are concerned. The international team has conjured up wedge-shaped cake servers that carve out the perfect slice, cups that you can angle to separate out tea leaves once you’ve got your brew to the perfect strength, and even a whisk that you can untangle for easy cleaning – the kind of things you never knew you needed, and now can’t live without.

I was particularly keen to try their selection of ‘cooling ceramics’, which was created by British designer Simon Stevens. The collection is made from natural terracotta, with glazed interiors that prevent liquid from staining the insides or seeping through, and includes tumblers, carafes, bowls, plates, cups, an ice-cube holder, even shot glasses. You just rinse them under water for a minute or so before use, and they then stay cool for up to four hours.

I decided to test out the carafe, and it really is effective. It works brilliantly with water, milk and juice, but if I’m honest mine has been used most often for keeping wine chilledl! It holds up to a litre of liquid (more than enough space for a bottle!), and the contents always remain cool for the entire evening.

Best of all, it looks stunning: simple and elegant, with a sleek matt finish and a contrasting glossy band at the base which protects the table surface from condensation. It even comes with chalk so that you can write a message on the side (useful for marking the contents, or just for general silliness!).

I’m sure I’ll be putting the carafe to good use again this weekend. Now all I need is a set of the tumblers for the perfect G&T…

Magisso kindly provided the carafe for this post, but all words and opinions are my own.

Photography by Abi Dare