By James Wells
MELBOURNE: For the second consecutive year, Breville has won a prestigious Australian Design Award with its BES400 iKon Espresso Machine winning the honour for 2007.
This is the second prestigious award for Breville in the coffee category after the 800ES espresso machine won the ‘Best in Category’ award at the prestigious Housewares Design Awards in New York in February.
Breville innovation director, Richard Hoare, told Current.com.au that the BES400, which was developed with Cube Design, has been created for a design-conscious consumer.
“This product is for the consumer that has spent a lot of time and money getting their kitchen just perfect,” Hoare said.
“It is unique in its aesthetic compared to most espresso machines and it blends seamlessly into the kitchen.We aimed to create a coffee machine which was simple to use but complex in its design for someone that wanted a trophy product that stands out yet fits it.
“The construction is unique – its crispness is achieved through laser welding and hand finishing which is the same laborious and time-consuming process used when making a custom benchtop,” he said.
According to Breville’s submission to the Australian Design Awards, the iKon espresso machine is “a domestic manual espresso machine expressing understated style with intelligence and simplicity”.
”At its heart, a unique 100 per cent stainless steel boiler features an immersed thermistor electronically controlling water temperature, producing consistent, accurate and continuous flow enabling you to create rich golden crema every time.
”World-first innovations include a filter eject system for simple filter exchange and cleaning plus features such as extra mug height clearance, commercial steam pressure, easy-to read water level and storage tray. This design is the intelligent answer to espresso at home.
“Designed to inspire a first time user or impress the adventurous enthusiast this new design combines intuition and technology giving you simple functionality with performance.”
In February, Breville became the first Australian company to win an award at the prestigious Housewares Design Awards in New York. Breville beat four other finalists to win ‘Best in Category’ for its 800ES – 800 Class espresso machine, including its own 800 Class Commercial Grill.
The 800 Class Espresso Machine also won a DesignMark at the 2005 Australian Design Awards. Feedback received from the judges said that the 800 Espresso Machine stood out from the pack from a design perspective for its focus on simplifying and enriching the experience of making a traditional cup of espresso.