Brave New World: Coffee Brewer Designs

Story: Penelope Bass

February 23, 2016

Yasukiyo-crdt-kurasu.me — Yasukiyo Wooden Dripper. Photo courtesy of Kurasu.

Trinity-coffeemaker-crdt-courtesy of trinity — Trinity ONE. Photo courtesy of Trinity.

Duo-brewer-crdt-courtesy of duo — Duo Coffee Steeper. Photo courtesy of Fellow Products.

Ratio-Eight-crdt-Boone Rodriguez — Ratio Eight. Photo by Boone Rodriguez.

Cold-Bruer-crdt-courtesy-bruer.co — Cold Bruer. Photo courtesy of Bruer.

chemex brewer — Chemex Ottomatic. Photo courtesy of Chemex.

Cafflano-crdt-courtesy — Cafflano Klassic. Photo courtesy of Cafflano.

KitchenAid-Siphon-Coffee-Brewer-crdt-williams-sonoma — KitchenAid Siphon Coffee Brewer. Photo courtesy of Williams Sonoma.

For decades, the Chemex stood as the ultimate design icon of coffee brewers (for more on this, check out our feature in the March/April 2016 Design Issue). That classic pourover design endures today, but the coffee revolution of the past decade has inspired clever designers to re-imagine how coffee is brewed (even Chemex recently released an automated version of their brewer). This new generation of brewers marries materials like glass, brushed metals and hardwoods and, of course, the most important thing is not forgotten: brewing great coffee. Click through our gallery to check out some of our favorite new coffee brewer designs.

Kurasu | Yasukiyo Wooden Dripper
Elevating the simple cone dripper, the Yasukiyo Wooden Dripper is made via the Yamanaka-shikki lacquerware method. Each piece of wood is cut horizontally along the grain, resulting in greater durability, while latitudinal ribs slow the drip to ensure an ideal infusion. $53, kurasu.me

Trinity | Trinity ONE
As the name implies, the Trinity ONE merges three brewing methods into one gorgeous device. Capable of standard pour-over, air pressure and cold-brew methods all housed in stainless steel and walnut, the Trinity was successfully funded on Kickstarter and will begin shipping in April. $216, trinitycoffee.co

Fellow Products | Duo Coffee Steeper
Crafted by Fellow Products, the same company that made the equally good-looking Stagg Kettle, the Duo Coffee Steeper functions similar to a French press. The coffee steeps in the upper chamber, then a simple twist of the top allows it to filter into the carafe below. Four cups of coffee, one sleek design. $99, fellowproducts.com

Ratio | Ratio Eight
A fully automatic pour-over system, the Ratio Eight blooms and brews with a precision water-to-coffee ratio. The stunning construction combines die-cast aluminum, borosilicate glass and hardwood, and the 10-year warranty is icing on the cake. $570, ratiocoffee.com

Bruer | Cold Bruer
Designed specifically for cold-brew coffee, the Cold Bruer offers a nearly foolproof, slow-drip method with hypnotic precision. Stainless steel and food-grade silicone piece together a body of borosilicate glass, allowing the whole process to be beautifully transparent. $80, bruer.com

Chemex | Ottomatic
The classic pour-over design gets automated with precision engineering in the form of this countertop brewer. $350, chemexcoffeemaker.com

Cafflano | Cafflano Klassic
Part all-in-one coffee brewer and part modern design, the Cafflano Klassic gets top marks for ingenuity. The nested design includes a hand mill grinder, stainless steel filter, drip kettle and insulated mug. $95, cafflano.com

KitchenAid | Siphon Coffee Brewer
Widening the appeal of the siphon-brewing system, the electric KitchenAid Siphon Coffee Brewer makes the process a snap while keeping up appearances of futuristic technology. $200, williams-sonoma.com

Penelope Bass

Penelope Bass is the Managing Editor at Imbibe, working from Brooklyn. You can find her drinking freezer Martinis in the summer, Boulevardiers in the winter, and way too much coffee all year.