The Chemex Coffeemaker , a pour - over apparatus invented by scientist Dr. Peter Schlumbohm 70 year ago , has n’t changed a bit since it was designed . It ’s the very definition of “ if it ai n’t broke , do n’t fix it . ” So how did this restrained fiddling equipment gain such a following ?
Shlumbohm was responsible for for the initiation of more than 300 patent devices—20 of which have a home in MoMA’spermanent collection . accumulator ’s Weekly has the story of how one of the most iconic of this — the Chemex — came to be :
A German immigrant to the United States , Schlumbohm received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Berlin and moved to New York in 1936 ( just as Hitler was consolidating his power ) . Despite his friends ’ protestation about the frightening state of the American economy during the Great Depression , only five years by and by , Schlumbohm had manufacture his famous hourglass - forge brewer ; within a few years of secure his patent of invention , the Chemex was available in section stores and through mail order catalogs around the existence . Schlumbohm not only wanted to create a gadget to brew perfect coffee without a trace of bitterness , but also an elegant mathematical product that match the streamlined aesthetic ofMid - Century Modernism .
The part also talk about how Schlumbohm approacheddesign in general :
Schlumbohm spring up his mathematical product by stripping gadget down to their essentials and making them work well . In the venous blood vessel of advanced inventors like James Dyson , Schlumbohm did n’t overcharge his Creation with a jumble of raw features — he reshape the diligence he entered through the sheer military group of advanced elegance . Maybe that ’s why the Chemex still feels so invigorated ; in a macrocosm of excessively complex and simper technology , the Chemex remains a subdued unusual person .
Schlumbohm ’s story just goes to show that some of the good designs are the simplest . Head over toCollector ’s Weeklyfor the whole piece . [ CW ]
intention
Daily Newsletter
Get the best technical school , science , and culture news program in your inbox daily .
News from the future , delivered to your present .
Please select your desire newssheet and put in your email to upgrade your inbox .
You May Also Like
