Last May I was in the beautiful region Tuscany | Italy. And amongst all cultural and historic treasures, there was one little Italian treasure I found myself looking forward to every morning. It’s that magical and original espresso Italians drink, or as they call it ‘caffe’. Confusing? Maybe, ‘caffe’ means ‘coffee’ in Italian and it’s what we call espresso. So every morning visiting a new place, first thing I did was visiting a café, in Italy called ‘bar’, and ordering a caffe. Wow, standing at the counter I enjoyed my caffe with an unbelievable rich taste and smell. And the price was also unbelievable, just 1 euro!
Another thing that is typical Italian is the espresso or coffee stovetop. It is said that almost every Italian household has one and the brand making the original ones is Bialetti. From the early 1950s to the present day, Bialetti has manufactured over 200 million coffee makers. Of course the coffee produced with this little wonder can’t compete with a shot of caffe [espresso], but it certainly provides a pure cup of strong coffee. The Bialetti stovetop is also great to take with you on your camping trip.
Espresso maker parts shine
A coffee stovetop is such a fantastic designed device and looks retro and stylish. Since the first ones were produced the design hasn’t changed much. And because these cute stovetops are around for a while you’re able to find them in thrift stores. And that is exactly what Beau Birkett did being a student at Birmingham City University | United Kingdom.
The ‘Espresso Maker Desk Lamp‘ is the result of an upcycling project: “We had to buy items from a charity shop and make something else out of them. I used an Espresso Maker and a Vegetable Rack to make the poise lamp.”
This particular coffee stovetop used for this stunning and elegant looking lamp was sold to the first owner by a company called Whittard. It’s a very old company, founded by Walter Whittard, that had it’s first shop in London in 1886, selling tea, coffee and cocoa and has grown into a company with a very good reputation. Diving into the history of Whittard it is no coincidence that a brand like Bialetti is sold in their shops.
Photos © Beau Birkett
Well I don’t know about you, but I think it’s amazing that a vintage looking coffee stovetop can be turned into an upcycle design lighting piece like this desk lamp.
Finally, if you want to know how to make a good strong little cup of coffee using Bialetti, watch this video by Whittard:
Video © Whittard
Design by Beau Birkett
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