The Moon coffee maker resembles a piece of science fiction.
We here, at Grão Especial, love design, especially when it comes to the world of coffee, chocolate bean to bar and teas. For this reason, the work of young Israeli Roee Ben Yehuda, passionate about industrial design, drew our attention the minute we set our sights on his futuristic creation: a home-made coffee machine, where the lovers of specialty coffees can roast their favorite beans in a simple manner and prepare their drink quickly, replacing the current capsule coffee machines, and obtain a result that is very close to that of a professional cafeteria. Is that the fifth wave of specialty coffees?
The Moon shape resembles that of a white and beige egg
Well, we don’t know that yet, but the truth is that Roee is negotiating with a large Italian company that makes espresso machines to make his creation a product produced on a large scale. “We are working on a prototype together with the engineers at this great company. This is a crucial moment, as studies will indicate whether the machine is economically feasible or not”, explains Roee.
The Moon is a conceptual machine that, according to its creator, tries to maintain a steampunk style. The steampunk genre can be explained by comparing it to the literature that gave rise to it, the science fiction created by renowned authors like Julio Verne, at the end of the 19th century. In the books, Julio Verme describes a space-time reality in which mechanical steam technology would have evolved to impossible (or at least unlikely) levels, in automobiles, airplanes and even robots, powered by steam.
“Nowadays, capsule coffee machines are more of an appliance, with an affordable price, and the coffee is ready at the push of a button, unlike the ritual of preparing a real espresso in wonderful machines like La Marzocco, Slayer and so many others, used in the best coffee shops in the world. I have always been fascinated by them, which, for me, work like small coffee-making laboratories. When I created Moon, I thought of trying to design a piece of science fiction and, at the same time, something that could be cute”, he says.
Roee’s passion for specialty coffees flourished in Japan, a country he has visited twice. “It was there that I learned everything I know about this wonderful drink, its origins, and the characteristics of each coffee”, he concludes.
Here, we hope that Moon will become a reality in the near future. While the project does not become a reality, Roee continues to design his pieces, with emphasis on those that mix materials such as ceramics and leather, worked by hand, one by one. We love these cups as well.
Currently living in the Netherlands, where he does a postgraduate degree in ceramics, Roee works in a design office and dreams of traveling around the world, once the pandemic is over
