Bobby Boyd - The basket's shape mirrors that of the pot, and the overall effect is like that of a bulbous hourglass. But this is really the machine's sole attempt at beauty. Otherwise, it really lacks any artistic merit. Its top half looks more like a toilet seat and water tank than anything built for the kitchen. This is not meant to be insulting, but rather to underscore the owner's disregard for appearance over function and to highlight his lack of pretension. This maker is about getting the job done. Sure it has some special features, but they sit inconspicuously at the bottom like an afterthought. The LCD screen, tiny buttons, and small text require closer attention than the picture allows to realize the utility's full potential.

The picture is most revealing in what is does not show. The counter is bare--no sugar, no spoons, no signs of use whatsoever. When the cleanliness of machine's environs are combined with its straightforward, purpose-driven quality, we can safely assume that the owner's life is well-lived. It would not be surprising if he employs both an economy of movement and words. If he has a golf swing, it would be tight and controlled and if he were to hook his shot, his reaction would not overstate the magnitude of the moment. Some may see him as a stolid, but what they see as impassiveness or restraint, may in fact be something far more human and principled. To call him "disciplined" may also be a mistake, since that word connotes quelling an inner urge to do something primitive or lazy, as if he is fighting himself to maintain his demeanor. Instead, his personality is one borne of habit and self-assuredness. He will not go out of the way to impress you, but you may find yourself impressed all the more for it.