It belongs in a museum.

The story goes back to 2012, when my close friend Paul and I decided we wanted to buy espresso machines. We both settled on the Olympia Cremina, but there was one problem: we couldn’t find a grinder we wanted to pair with it.

So we did what any normal person would do. We decided to build our own.

That was the beginning of the HG-1 grinder, and along the way, we learned quite a bit about coffee, grinders, and the importance of grounds redistribution.

Our espresso shots were channeling, and we couldn’t quite figure out why. After plenty of reading, experimenting, and stirring, we developed the Blind Tumbler, which still ships with every HG-1 today.

Taking that idea a step further, Paul came up with the original Blind Shaker in 2012. It was a simple but effective approach to redistributing coffee grounds before transferring them into the portafilter.

As the years went by, I carried the concept forward, refining and developing it into a commercial product. The design eventually found its way into the hands of baristas around the world and inspired countless copies and variations.

Since then, the design has been copied, replicated, and reinterpreted by countless manufacturers. Today, you’ll find variations of the original Blind Shaker just about everywhere.

More than a decade later, Craig Lyn Design Studio continues that legacy with the Espresso Shaker Funnel, an evolution of the original design.

 

It’s gratifying to see an idea we developed back in 2012 become such a familiar part of the espresso-making process.

And it’s even better to still be making the original.