The Braun Aromaster KF20, which arrived in 1972, is an iconic home appliance from Europe. It was designed by Florian Seiffert under the guidance of Dieter Rams. Before this machine, filter coffee makers were often rather messy, bulky things that looked like laboratory equipment.
Braun changed the approach dramatically. The heating element, water tank, and filter sit in a neat plastic tower, and the glass carafe slides into the base. It occupies very little space on the kitchen counter, measuring just about 14 centimetres in width and depth. It is a very rational use of space.
What makes it interesting for a modern reader is how it combines the strict functionalist rules of Braun with the bolder aesthetics of the 1970s.
It did not just come in matte black or white. Braun produced it in quite bright colours, like a strong yellow-orange and a deep red. It has a bit of personality, which is unusual for Braun but nice.
It is quite interesting to think about what happens when we take the strict, functional logic of Florian Seiffert and Dieter Rams and apply it to something as modern and lazy as a capsule machine.
The original Braun design was about making a simple routine orderly. Today, capsule machines are already very simple to use, but they often look like strange plastic space creatures or small cars on your kitchen counter. There is a lack of calm in their form.
The concept we created shows a very clean, rectangular tower with that characteristic glossy yellow finish. Instead of the open filter area of the old days, there is now a solid black handle on top that folds down flat to pierce the capsule. It feels very sturdy, like something that will not break after two years of making espresso.
Down below, the glass pot is replaced by a simple, cylindrical thermal mug that sits on a matte black tray. This thermal mug could actually be a part of the appliance, as it has the exact same yellow colour and glossy surface. It looks like a proper tool for drinking coffee, standing ready inside a quiet, bright European apartment like mine.
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