Alessi — 9090/M | Richard Sapper espresso coffee maker, 10 cups

There is something inevitable about the form of the 9090/M: a quiet solidity, a geometry that asks no one's permission. Made of mirror-polished 18/10 stainless steel, this ten-cup espresso maker carries the specific weight of objects designed to last. Its magnetic steel base makes it compatible with every type of cooktop, including induction — a technical detail that, in the right hands, becomes pure freedom of use. The handle, the lid, the proportion between body and spout: everything follows an internal logic that time has not diminished. Richard Sapper designed it in 1979, and the 9090 has been in continuous production ever since. It was the first kitchen object to win the Compasso d'Oro — an award not given out of courtesy. Sapper, born in 1932, born in Munich and trained at Mercedes-Benz and La Rinascente before collaborating with Marco Zanuso, brought to this piece the same analytical precision he would apply years later to IBM's ThinkPad. The 9090/M is German design in spirit, Italian in its intended use. At Stilmobili, we chose the 9090/M because it represents exactly what we look for when we talk about design objects: not form for form's sake, but form that serves a purpose. It is the purchase of someone who comes to own it after thinking it over for a long time — collectors, industrial design enthusiasts, discerning home cooks — and will never replace it. Design notes: capacity 50 cl, diameter 14.5 cm, height 23 cm. 18/10 stainless steel. Suitable for induction, gas, electric and glass-ceramic cooktops. Dishwasher-safe, although this will rarely be necessary — these objects are washed by hand, with respect.