As an avid coffee drinker, I enjoy picking up a fancy drink from the cafe down the street. Instant microwaved coffee certainly helps kick-start our brain in the mornings, but it doesn’t match the added sweetness of a dash of mocha syrup, the foaminess of a latte, etc. An espresso maker would allow you to recreate these fancy coffee drinks at a cheaper cost and from the comfort of your kitchen. However, if you’ve seen the machines used by baristas, you’d know that they are quite bulky and probably wouldn’t match the decor of your living space. The Casa Fé espresso machine shrinks down these big machines into a product that can easily fit on your kitchen counter. The design itself is quite streamlined. It has a slender shape, almost as if the machine exists as a thick rectangular frame. Also, the simple color options, black and white, allow for the product to match seamlessly with any kitchen color scheme.
Still, there are plenty of small compact espresso machines. What makes the Casa Fé unique? Its compact size is not the only way that this product makes itself more accessible. My favorite aspect of this product is that it encourages experimentation among coffee lovers. It has a few intuitive buttons along the top and side of the frame, which control the temperature, amount of water, and pressure of coffee and water. Also, to sweeten the deal, the Casa Fé has a dial for controlling the amount of whipped cream to add to your espresso. The customization lets users experiment and create new coffee concoctions – just like the baristas with their “secret menu” items. The Casa Fé even has Bluetooth compatibility, so it can record the settings you used for each brew and save it to a companion app on your phone. From there, you can share your recipes with an online community of coffee lovers.
Ironically, the Casa Fé fosters social interaction from the comfort of your own home. This is quite comforting during 2020. In a time when we must self-isolate, it is helpful to find ways to connect to others (even if it is through something as simple as sharing coffee mixes).
Designer: Jae-won Han
