Walk into enough Scandinavian kitchens, design studios and architecture offices and you will keep seeing the same tall, clean cylinder with a loop handle on the side. That is the Stelton EM77 vacuum jug, a coffee and tea server that has barely changed since the 1970s and still looks modern next to almost anything.
Here is what the EM77 is, why people love it and where to buy one.
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What it is
The EM77 is an insulated jug for keeping coffee, tea and other drinks hot or cold. The name is a simple code: EM for its designer, Erik Magnussen, and 77 for 1977, the year he designed it. Stelton says the jug has been made in Denmark since then and has been released in more than 100 colors over the years.
Inside the plastic body sits a glass insert, which does the real work. Stelton rates it to keep drinks hot for 9.5 hours and cold for 19 hours, so the same jug that holds the morning pot can hold iced tea or iced coffee on a summer afternoon.
Who designed it
Erik Magnussen often called himself a ceramist, and Stelton says that reflects his close connection to materials, craftsmanship and the feel of everyday objects. His ideas came from everyday needs. The EM77 is the clearest example: he wanted to make coffee easier to serve with one hand while holding a newspaper in the other.
That is where the jug's signature detail comes from. Instead of a screw top you have to twist off every time, the everyday lid is what Stelton calls a rocker, or tipping, stopper, part of a design built around pouring with one hand.
Magnussen summed up his approach simply: his designs were not an intellectual exercise but grew out of his own needs, with the aim of making everyday life a little easier.
Built to last
From the start, Magnussen believed the objects he designed for Stelton should last, which meant using parts that could be replaced instead of throwing the whole thing away. Stelton still follows that idea. Every EM77 component is available as a spare part, so a worn stopper or a broken glass insert does not mean the end of the jug.
The jug also comes with two lids. Use the rocker stopper at home, and switch to the tight-fitting screw cap when you take coffee out to the terrace or along on a picnic.
The details
- Capacity: 1 liter (33.8 ounces). A smaller 0.5 liter version is also made.
- Height: 30 centimeters (about 11.8 inches)
- Width: 17 centimeters (about 6.7 inches)
- Insulation: glass insert, hot for 9.5 hours and cold for 19 hours
- Lids: rocker stopper for pouring, plus a screw cap for travel
- Body: plastic in most colors, or stainless steel on the steel version
- Made in: Denmark
How to look after it
The glass insert is what keeps your coffee hot, and it is also the delicate part. Stelton says to clean the jug by rinsing the inside with lukewarm water, without soap. Never use a bottle brush or anything hard inside it, because the glass wall is thin and can break. Wipe the outside with a soft cloth. The EM77 is not dishwasher safe.
Why it is worth buying
- It is a real design icon. Stelton notes that the EM77 is represented in design museums around the world, and it still looks current more than four decades on.
- It pours with one hand. The rocker stopper is the whole point, and it makes serving coffee at the table easy.
- It keeps drinks hot for hours. The glass insert holds heat for a long morning or a slow dinner.
- It is repairable. Every part can be replaced, which is rare for kitchen gear.
- It comes in lots of colors. Stelton makes it in a range of colors, plus a stainless steel version.
Who it is for
The EM77 makes the most sense if you brew a full pot and drink it over time, or if you host and want coffee on the table without walking back and forth to the kitchen. Pair it with a pour-over brewer from our pour-over coffee gear guide and pour straight into the jug. It also sits happily next to other design classics like the Alessi 9093 kettle and the Iittala Aalto vase. For the bigger picture, read our Scandinavian design explainer.
Where to buy
Stelton sells the EM77 directly through its own stores, and the jug is also sold through other retailers.
More objects worth living with are in our design and art hub.
