After going several months without, I’ve fallen back into the habit of ‘needing’ at least one cup of joe to wake up, and I know I’m not the only one. Cue Barisieur from Britain’s Joshua Renouf.
“Motivated by playful designs which encourage interaction; and induce a cherished relationship with both the product and user,” Renouf designed a hybrid coffee maker and alarm clock that wakes its owner up with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
Using stainless steel balls that boil water through induction heating, the machine puts a gentle spin on the alarm clock that signals the start of another day.
It’s exactly the thing that every coffee addict has dreamed of. And it’s incredibly easy to use.
Related: Ode and farewell to my daily cup of joe(s)
All one has to do is grind their coffee beans the night before, and then add water, milk and sugar – for those who need to sweeten up their life – in various little compartments, and voilà, the Barisieur fills the room with the right kind of smells right on time.
How is a hybrid coffee machine and alarm clock even remotely a Middle Eastern environmental issue?
It’s not – not really. Of course coffee was first cultivated by Arabs in the 14th century, and people in the Middle East are as hooked as any westerner (though brewing styles vary from country to country – a fascinating study in itself.)
But mostly we are celebrating good design with a palette of minimalist materials. Design that knows what people want – what coffee addicts want!
In all seriousness, coffee is a complicated thing and should be enjoyed in moderation.
If it’s sourced sustainably from fair-trade companies that ensure farmers receive a fair, living wage, and sound ecological practices are used to ensure the healthiest beans, we can maintain a reasonable footprint.
But there’s one more benefit to the Barisieur, according to Renouf.
“Living slow even when times are fast,” he says. And we can live with that. Additional info here.
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
