The Supply Index is a design-led record of everyday products, selected for the quality of their design decisions — what each prioritises, what it sacrifices, and what those choices say about who it was made for.

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EM77 Vacuum Jug

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The EM77 is Erik Magnussen's 1977 answer to a question other thermos jugs ignored: why does pouring need two hands? Asked by Stelton to add a vacuum jug to their cylindrical steel tableware, Magnussen found the solution in a gimbal-mounted instrument he saw on a sailing trip, and gave the jug a self-righting rocker stopper. Tilt to pour and it opens; return it upright and it closes on its own, so one hand does the work. The body is ABS plastic around a glass vacuum liner, keeping a litre of coffee hot for hours or cold for longer, with a screw cap included for leak-free travel. Made in Denmark in over a hundred colours, with spare parts available, it suits a table where the jug stays out and gets used daily.

Design intent

  • The rocker stopper is the design: a self-closing lid that opens as the jug tilts and shuts when it returns upright, making one-handed pouring possible where other jugs need two.
  • Wrapping a standard glass vacuum liner in a moulded plastic body was a deliberate cost and comfort decision, giving a softer grip and a clip-together construction at an affordable price.

Trade-offs

  • The glass liner is thin and breakable: drop the jug or scrub it with a hard brush and the vacuum insert can crack, which is why it is hand-wash only.
  • The plastic body, chosen for warmth and price, lacks the cool weight of the stainless steel version some buyers prefer.
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9 Jan 2023
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