Japanese design studio Plus Minus Zero (±0) continue to impress with their homeware designs. The latest? This stylish Coffee Maker with a sublime minimal design, which I am only too happy to share with you today. Not least because of my love for all things coffee related. The small and compact coffee maker, comprising of a polypropylene resin shell and stainless steel removable plate, can extract two cups worth of coffee simultaneously. The only decorative feature is the small subtle logo at the back of the machine. Available in three colours – black, red and beige, the Coffee Maker 2-Cup measures H220.0 × W169.0 × D158mm and weighs a mere 1.0kg. Simple, but delicious.

As we get closer to closing 2011, I thought it would be worthwile to re-visit somebody who has been featured on Minimalissimo multiple times for his visionary approach in design that never goes of out style: German industrial designer Dieter Rams. Already in the early 1980s and as a chief designer for Braun, Dieter Rams was aware and concerned by the state of the material world around him. Surrounded by what he called “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colours and noise” he created ten principles of good design that I found appropriate to feature before we enter 2012, another year full of creativity and design. 1. Good design is innovative    2. Good design makes a product useful    3. Good design is aesthetic    4. Good design helps us to understand a product    5. Good design is unobtrusive    6. Good design is honest    7. Good design is durable    8. Good design is consequent to the last detail    9. Good design is concerned with the environment    10. Good design is as little design as possible With Mr. Rams’ words in mind, I hope you find it inspiring to either design or appreciate the design that is Good Design.

Danish coffee machine manufacturer, Scanomat, have produced this incredibly minimal and innovative coffee brewer – Top Brewer. The beautifully simple stainless steel tap is designed to be built in any tabletop, fitting elegantly in its surroundings. Its foamer is installed at the very tip of the coffee tap. Fresh milk is heated on demand and foamed to the correct texture. The Top Brewer provides chilled drinking water, cold milk, and hot water for tea. Conveniently, it is also self-cleaning. Perhaps most interesting is the connectivity the Top Brewer has with the iPhone and iPad via Scanomat’s app. The app gives you full control of the machine, allowing you to choose from the available drinks as well as pre-programming your personal favourite. I think we’re going to hear a lot more about this in the future.