Eliminate the middle man and invest in an espresso machine. We recommend espresso addicts connoisseurs keep this next to their alarm clock. Especially useful for those of us who don’t speak Starbucks. Pick it up here for $250.

Italian manufacturer Valcucine carries this beautiful line of kitchen. Named Artematica, it is based upon clean lines and simplicity of form. Various panels of differing materials are applied to an aluminum structural frame. These materials include HPL layered in a variety of colors, wood-laminate layered laminate, lacquered MDF and glass. The different panels and materials yield a range of nicely styled kitchens.

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Recognizing that the kitchen is the center of the home, this series set out to rethink the modern kitchen. The minimal design conceals an oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, sink and storage compartments. The extended top even doubles as a table. The kitchen transforms to suit while living in an attractively small footprint. More information is available at the Norbert Wangen website.

Melanie Olle + Ilja Oelschlägel design the “Compact Kitchen” concept while they we’re still students at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle, Germany and we can’t wait to see what they do for an encore. This is an entire kitchen, complete with stove, dishwasher, table, chairs, and even a lamp that slides in and out of the wall. If there’s anything the germans are known for it’s efficiency and beer. In this case you can sit back, relax and enjoy both. This project won 3rd place in DesignBoom.com’s international kitchen and design competition, but we would have given it 1st.