Alessi 9090

Richard Sapper designed the Alessi 9090 as an espresso coffee maker.^[1,2]

The lever lock closes the coffee maker; the broad base and anti-drip spout are its other functional features. The design makes the actions of closing and pouring part of the object’s visible form.^[1,2]

The 9090 won the Compasso d’Oro in 1979. It joined MoMA’s Permanent Design Collection that year, the first Alessi product to enter the collection.^[2]

Alessi’s one-cup 9090/1 listing specifies 18/10 stainless steel and a magnetic steel base suitable for induction. Alessi advises checking that an induction hob activates with a vessel at least 90 mm in diameter. The listing gives a height of 15 cm, a diameter of 9.5 cm and a capacity of 7 cl; these details belong to this one-cup configuration.^[1]

The listed 9090 capacities are one, three, six and ten cups. Compare the capacity and exact reference when choosing: the 9090/1 is the one-cup version, while the separately listed 9093 is a kettle rather than an espresso maker.^[1]

The one-cup 9090/1 has a declared capacity of 7 cl, or 70 ml. That gives a more concrete scale than imagining a large café mug from the word “cup”. Its 9.5 cm diameter is a separate dimension, and the induction check is separate again: the hob must activate with an item at least 90 mm across. Capacity, outside size and hob detection answer different questions.^[1]

Keep the /1 suffix when matching the pot, a replacement part or a photograph to this specification. The lever closure, enlarged base and spout explain the design family, while the size reference prevents a six- or ten-cup example from quietly standing in for the small model.^[1]