Coffee Ergonomics 101

Meet The Designer Who’s Engineering A Slow Brew For the Fast Lifestyle

Complicated modern living doesn’t need to see itself reflected in kitchen appliances. You could say that this is the charming ethos behind Francis Cayouette’s Theo coffee-maker, the ergonomically designed slow-brew machine with the right amount of minimalism to suit the white walls and stark layout of any modern design home.

Working as one of Stelton’s top designers, Francis has been instrumental in the design of some of the brand’s most beautiful coffee paraphernalia, contributing to Stelton’s award-winning Scandinavian brand name that continues to rise in the ranks for over 50 impressive years. Starting small, as all giants do, Stelton began designing sports shoes and odd bits of furniture. Eventually, the brand took off with their trademark stainless steel collection, which today has morphed into a variety of designs inspired by sleek Japanese and Scandinavian influences. Most of all, it can boast some of the best working designers around.

Having grown up in a Canadian family of architects, Francis found himself immersed into the creative fields from an early age. It wasn’t long after graduating as an industrial designer at the University of Montreal in 1994 that he began to embrace the challenges the creative life presented to him.

The Slow Brew Coffee brewer, nicknamed Theo, has gained itself quite a reputation, receiving much hype in Stelton’s current Autumn collection. It’s not difficult to see why; with its elegance and poise it creates an enticing exterior, an object delicious to the touch and by extension –as the logic may follow– to the taste. “I especially enjoyed working on the model and the search for the perfect balance between usability, material and shape,” Francis tells us. Alongside its bamboo and stoneware sister-product, the Theo tea-pot, there is no doubt of the exquisite attention to detail and finesse put into Francis’ designs.

We caught up with him to find out more:

The Plus: What brought about the Slow Brew Coffee brewer?
Francis Cayouette: I had the idea of making a slow brew coffee brewer for a while. But after I made the Theo tea pot, I thought the coffee brewer would fit perfectly into the collection.

TP: What’s special about this product?
FC: It’s different because it’s a very low tech and effective way of brewing good coffee. You take your time and enjoy all the steps in the making. It’s a perfect alternative to espresso machines and electric devices.

TP: What other designs in Stelton’s Autumn collection do you most admire?
FC: I really like the new material combinations of the EM77 Reverse collection. Also the new Pure Black steak knives.

TP: If you weren’t a designer what would you be doing?
FC: I might have become a musician, or maybe an engineer… Luckily product design is kind of a combination of both.

TP: What else can we expect from Stelton in the near future?
FC: For Stelton, I have a press coffee brewer, milk and sugar bowl in the pipeline.
Together with other Scandinavian brands, we will see in the coming months the launch of ceramic lamps, outdoor and lounge furniture, and also paper furniture!

Equally indulgent in its attention to smooth, calm shapes is the STOCKHOLM Horizon pattern. Taking their inspiration from the blue Baltic sea that separates Sweden and Finland from the post-Soviet Baltic states, the Swedish duo Bernadotte & Kylberg have sculpted serene and tranquil home items to off-set the rapidity of modern life.