Pulcina Espresso coffee make, 1 cup

A single-cup espresso maker shaped like a chick — and named for it.

Designed by Michele De Lucchi, the Pulcina takes its name from the Italian for 'chick', a nod to the beak-like spout that gives it character. That spout is also where the cleverness lies: it stops the pour cleanly at the right moment, before the coffee develops a bitter aftertaste, so the espresso keeps its full aroma. The design brings together Alessi's craft with coffee expertise developed with illycaffè.

Cast in aluminium with a coloured polyamide handle and knob, this one-cup version holds 7 cl and is offered with red or black fittings. An inventive evolution of the traditional stovetop pot, first produced in 2015.