The idea of fusing an alarm clock (purely utilitarian and edging toward monotonous) and a coffee maker (still utilitarian but oh-so-beloved and even revered) has been kicked around by entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, and, well, other people who like coffee and need to wake up in the morning for years. But British industrial designer Josh Renouf decided to throw caution to the wind and actually create a working prototype of this caffeine-fueled fantasy, and with the financial backing of an almost successful Kickstarter campaign the Barisieur coffee-brewing alarm clock is on the brink of becoming the next indispensable household gadget.
Boiling the water through stainless steel balls that are heated by induction means the sound that wakes you is the gentle bubble of the water along with the always enticing aroma of freshly-made coffee—a far cry from the irritating beeping/buzzing phone that jars many of us to consciousness most mornings. As I consider the process of clambering out of my incredibly cozy bed (full disclosure: it’s a rainy morning after a long weekend and I had one too many glasses of wine last night), shuffling with one eye still closed into my kitchen, pouring yesterday’s coffee out of my French press, boiling a pot of water…well, you get the picture. I must admit I’m dying for a Barisieur right now. What’s that Kickstarter campaign web address? Where’s my wallet… Coffee…
