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Recently, Aarke introduced its innovative Coffee System, designed to elevate everyday drip coffee into an experience akin to the craftsmanship of a true design object. We sat down with Aarke’s founders, Carl Ljungh and Jonas Groth, to discuss the journey behind this coffee maker and how it reflects their design philosophy.
Where did the idea for the Aarke Coffee System come from?
Jonas –We decided a long time ago to take on new categories only if we genuinely feel we can deliver a better product compared to what’s already on the market.
We believe we’ve achieved that with carbonators, filter jugs, and kettles, so now it was time to take on drip coffee.The first idea was, of course, to bring Aarke’s signature build quality and design to a drip coffee maker. The drip coffee makers currently on the market are all a bit plasticky, and the challenge was how we could construct a product that is significantly more premium and elegant.
We also really delved into the frustrations we experience when using coffee makers at home, and it turned out we had a lot of them. So, we set out to solve every one of those issues.
How would you describe the design process?
Carl –For us, design is the process of considering many different parameters and finding great ideas that solve all of them simultaneously.
Why is this important? Well, if you solve problems one by one, you end up with a weird compromise that isn’t really good at anything. The magic of design is when you achieve a synthesis between beauty and functionality. A synthesis is always better than a compromise.
– Carl Ljungh
Did you expect it to gain so much attention?
Jonas –No. You never know how people will react when you show them a new product for the first time. We have lived with the prototypes and seen the renderings every day for several years, so we’ve gotten used to it and started to feel that this is just how a normal coffee maker looks.
Then you show it to people, and they get completely blown away. It reminds you that we’ve created something special.
– Jonas Groth
What makes the Aarke Coffee System stand out from others?
Carl –First of all, it’s the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. It looks and feels incredibly premium but is also very easy to use, which is rare.
It’s also very innovative in a low-key kind of way. The fact that it adjusts the brewing program depending on how much water you have in the tank may sound simple and obvious, but it’s actually a patented innovation that we’ve brought to market for the first time. It’s a big deal.
Also, the fact that you can use the coffee maker together with our grinder, which eliminates the need for “scooping,” may sound simple, but it’s actually groundbreaking for your everyday coffee-making routine.