Coffee Pots from the Masters

The coffee pot is a ritual, a symbol, a perfect blend of form and function. Democratic in nature, it can deliver an exclusive pleasure when used well. A bell tower and chimney in one, it punctuates the home’s landscape with presence and reassurance, as Giulio Iacchetti notes. From Alfonso Bialetti’s classic moka to designs by Michele De Lucchi, Tom Dixon, Isao Hosoe, Piero Lissoni, Gaetano Pesce, Ettore Sottsass, and others, twenty-four interpretations celebrate this twentieth-century invention. Iconic and Italian, the moka pot inspires architects and designers, who, as Mendini says, aspire to craft one as they might a tower. 72 p, ills bw, 11 x 16 cm, pb, Italian/English