Titanium ᱠᱚᱯᱷᱤ ᱢᱮᱥᱤᱱ by Carl Mertens is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱩᱯᱠᱟᱨᱚᱱ Competition Category.
ᱥᱳᱱᱟᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱩᱯᱠᱟᱨᱚᱱ· 2026
Titanium ᱠᱚᱯᱷᱤ ᱢᱮᱥᱤᱱ
by Carl Mertens
Client: Carl Mertens
A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱩᱯᱠᱟᱨᱚᱱ Category
- 36,940
- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #181848
The Design
About Titanium ᱠᱚᱯᱷᱤ ᱢᱮᱥᱤᱱ
ᱴᱟᱭᱴᱮᱱᱤᱭᱟᱢ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱥᱮᱢᱤᱚᱴᱚᱢᱮᱴᱤᱠ ᱠᱚᱯᱷᱤ ᱢᱮᱥᱤᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱠᱚᱢ ᱠᱟᱣᱩᱱᱴᱚᱨ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱤᱥᱤᱱ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ (ᱠᱤᱪᱮᱱ) ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱜᱩᱞᱩ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱦᱚᱰᱢᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱤᱱᱡᱮᱠᱥᱚᱱ ᱢᱚᱞᱰᱮᱰ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱱᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱮᱪᱩᱨᱮᱥᱚᱱ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱟᱭᱟᱱ ᱨᱚᱝ ᱛᱮ ᱨᱚᱝ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱚᱱᱟ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ ᱵᱨᱚᱥᱰ ᱥᱴᱮᱱᱞᱮᱥ ᱥᱴᱤᱞ ᱛᱮ ᱥᱚᱵᱷᱟ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱧᱮᱞᱚᱜ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱰᱤᱥᱯᱞᱮ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱟᱨᱥᱟᱞ ᱮᱯᱷᱮᱠᱴ ᱠᱚ ᱢᱮᱥᱤᱱ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱚᱵᱚᱥᱛᱟ ᱯᱚᱨᱤᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱛᱮ ᱩᱫᱩᱜᱟ᱾ ᱯᱚᱨᱴᱟᱯᱷᱤᱞᱴᱚᱨ ᱮᱞᱟᱭᱱᱢᱮᱱᱴ ᱤᱱᱰᱤᱠᱮᱴᱚᱨ ᱢᱟᱨᱥᱟᱞ ᱠᱚ ᱴᱷᱤᱠ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱦᱚᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱩᱫᱩᱜᱟ᱾ ᱥᱟᱣᱚᱨ ᱥᱠᱨᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱷᱤᱞᱴᱚᱨ ᱵᱟᱥᱠᱮᱴ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱯᱷᱟ ᱴᱟᱭᱴᱮᱱᱤᱭᱟᱢ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱱᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱮᱱᱴᱤᱵᱮᱠᱴᱮᱨᱤᱭᱟᱞ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱩᱨᱪᱟᱹ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱚᱰᱚᱠ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱜᱨᱟᱭᱱᱰᱤᱝ ᱭᱩᱱᱤᱴ ᱛᱮ ᱥᱟᱯᱷᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱤᱠᱷᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ
Titanium ᱠᱚᱯᱷᱤ ᱢᱮᱥᱤᱱ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱩᱱᱫᱚᱨ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Titanium ᱠᱚᱯᱷᱤ ᱢᱮᱥᱤᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This compact semiautomatic coffee machine breaks from the traditional boxy form, combining rounded vintage lines with modern lighting effects to create distinct retrofuturistic aesthetics. Features such as a transparent display zone, portafilter alignment indicator lights, and a removable grinding unit simplify operation and elevate user experience. The overall design allows coffee enthusiasts to enjoy a professional, convenient, and ritualistic coffee making experience even in limited spaces.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 285mm*321mm*345mm
- Tags
- Retrofuturistic Aesthetics, Transparent Display Zone, Interactive Lighting, Pure Titanium Antibacterial Components, Removable Grinding Unit, Professional Experience, Compact and Space Friendly
- Production Technology
- The body is injection molded, polished, and spray painted for a smooth texture and an elegant cyan color. Drip tray and group head are made of brushed and polished stainless steel for a professional look. Key parts including shower screen and filter basket are made of pure titanium, which is antibacterial and corrosion resistant, ensuring safety. The top transparent bean hopper and removable grinding unit show coffee bean status, preventing clogging and facilitating cleaning and maintenance.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was to maintain the core performance of professional coffee machines while reducing overall size. The design team addressed this by reorganizing the internal structure with a modular layout to ensure stable extraction pressure within a compact form. The removable grinding unit successfully balances ease of disassembly with consistent grinding performance, allowing the small coffee machine to deliver professional level performance comparable to larger machines.
- Research
- Research shows the demand for professional grade coffee is steadily rising, yet urban kitchens often lack sufficient counter space for traditional large coffee machines. This product balances space efficiency and professional performance. With removable components and a compact layout, it preserves core features like professional extraction pressure while reducing its size, bringing professional coffee making into a compact space and delivering a premium coffee making experience.
- Inspiration
- The exterior draws on the mechanical aesthetics of classic Italian espresso machines with a distinct pressure gauge while integrating modern home aesthetics through a rounded body and a silver track, perfectly balancing vintage charm with contemporary technological appeal. An elegant low saturation cyan body accented with brushed stainless steel reinforces both professional quality and modern style.
- Project Duration
- The project was initiated in April 2025 in Jinhua, Zhejiang. The design is expected to be completed by April 2026, with its first public presentation scheduled at the CARL MERTENS Distributor Conference. Full production will then begin in June 2026 in Jiangmen, Guangdong.
- Operation Flow
- The transparent display zone and lighting effects make information and machine status immediately clear. Portafilter alignment indicator lights guide precise placement, simplifying operation. Dual wide angled, ergonomically tilted, antislip detent side levers improve extraction pressure control while the short throw steam lever reduces the risk of scalding. The removable portafilter base supports based and baseless use, while the drip tray with vortex pattern shows the place for cups.
- Team Members
- Heping Zhou
Jijia Wu
Guitao Mei
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