Design of the Day: The iconic coffee machine that's kept us caffeinated since 1974
This International Coffee Day, we look at a design icon.
Are you suitably caffeinated? Good, because today is International Coffee Day. Created to celebrate "diversity and passion" of the coffee sector, the day was created by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) to mark the start of the 'coffee year' (I didn't know that was a thing either) on 1st October.
To mark the occasion, we're looking at one of our favourite product designs of the last half century, the Moccamaster KBG. I've been using one since 2020, and it's become an indispensable part of my morning.
Since 1968, Moccamaster filter coffee machines and coffee grinders have been handmade by Technivorm in Amerongen, a town in the Netherlands. The KBG model was introduced in 1974, and since then has undergone few design changes. The launch of the Moccamaster KBG was so successful that the Technivorm factory was redirected to focus exclusively on producing Moccamaster brewers to keep up with the growing demand.
I've waxed lyrical about the Moccamaster enough on Creative Bloq. But in short, it's the Rolls-Royce of coffee makers. It's almost worth it for the design alone – this thing wouldn't look out of place in a kitchen from any of the last five decades.
And if the fact that I'm a fan of the Moccamaster isn't enough to convince you that it's a design classic, what about Gwyneth Paltrow? According to Homes & Gardens, the Goopster swears by it too.
The Moccamaster KBG Select is currently $369 at Amazon (or £269 in the UK).
Sign up to the design newsletter from Creative Bloq, brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of graphic design, branding, typography and more.
Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.