How to get espresso from an elephant
The Product. If you prefer cappuccino to espresso, the machine from Zurich lacks a trunk for frothing milk. Is an excellent espresso that you long for, combine memories with and enjoy as the first drink in the morning, the machine with the elephant in the logo is an outstanding object. The machine is handcrafted in Zurich in the former SBB workshops. 318 parts are needed to become a complete unit of which currently 10 can be produced per day. The employees and the machine know their trade.
Technical refinements make it possible for the machine to be ready to start within two minutes and to do exactly what it stands for with a constant pressure of 9 bar: Espresso, just as one would expect from the machine’s design, which has been reduced to the essentials. Really beautiful, the handmade water tank made of laboratory glass inside, the handles of the sieve carrier and the tamper are just as beautiful as the lid made of European walnut. The surfaces of the machine are made of two-millimeter-thick chrome steel and anodized aluminum. The inside of the boiler is coated with titanium in an elaborate process and copper and brass are not used. The machine functions inconspicuously and absolutely reliably, each component can be repaired or replaced individually. A ring-shaped illuminated switch activates the machine, the other one takes care of the beginning and end of the brewing process.
The Brand. Behind Zuriga are seven heads. Moritz Güttinger’s team consists of craftsmen, engineers, designers, thoroughbreds and part-time workers. They build an espresso machine that has been redesigned from the ground up and does not rely on existing equipment or take shortcuts in its development. The vision is to build a machine that becomes an everyday object, reliable and made from components that can all be sourced from the local environment.
Resource conservation and sustainability are logical parts of the design and manufacturing process. The machine becomes more beautiful with every use. Wabi Sabi around an espresso machine sums up the Zuricher’s idea. Elephants are strong, reliable, have a good memory and are beautiful to look at.