To help get a jump-start on things, designer Joshua Renouf has developed a striking alarm clock that starts the process before you even get out of bed. The base is just an average digital alarm clock — but the important part is what’s resting on top. It looks like a mini version of those chemistry sets nerds play with in movies. The Barisieur is an alarm clock topped with implements from Beaker’s lab. Using induction heating and stainless steel ball bearings, the Barisieur boils water for pour-over brew, giving off the aroma of your favorite beans as you rise to start the day. There’s even a cooled slot for a spot of milk and storage for sugar and extra grounds. Though there’s only one for now, plans are in motion to produce the multitasker that’s said to retail for £150-£250 (around $250-$420). While a retail option is in the works, we should have ample time to stash away our loose change. Not much is said about the alarm clock portion of the Barisieur, but here’s hoping its Off and Snooze buttons are readily accessible to flailing, slapping hands that will otherwise wake up to a buzzer, the smell of freshly brewed dark roast, and first degree burns. But let us not focus on the dark side.
Having this alarm clock at your bedside definitely takes the luxurious lifestyle up a notch. Consumers just have to remember to prepare the machine the night before, filling it with all the water and ground coffee the machine might need to make that perfect cuppa. While some consumers have expressed excitement at the prospect of owning a Barisieur (“Shut up and take my money!” declared one enthusiastic Twitter user), others have lamented the gadget’s high price and — considering the many fragile items that might be located next to one’s bed — the seemingly high potential for disaster. So basically, this thing wakes you up with the gentle sounds of metal clinking against glass paired with the aroma of coffee. It’s trying to ease you into a state of being awake rather than aggressively force you into it like most alarms. Now that is engineering put at its best.
