Juicy Salif

The Juicy Salif is a citrus squeezer designed by French designer Philippe Starck for the Italian kitchenware company Alessi. The design is made from mirror polished cast aluminum and has a unique shape that looks like a squid or spider standing on long legs. Starck came up with the idea during a holiday in Italy, drawing it on a napkin while eating calamari. The aluminum is cast into shape and then polished until it shines like a mirror. Using aluminum for a kitchen tool was unusual at the time, since most juicers were made from plastic or ceramic. However, the aluminum can rust from citrus juice and must be washed by hand, not in a dishwasher. The design puts how it looks ahead of how well it works, which was different from most kitchen tools. The Juicy Salif became famous not just as a juicer, but as a piece of art. Starck said it was meant to start conversations, not just squeeze lemons. Major museums around the world have added it to their collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It shows how everyday objects can become collectible art pieces. The Juicy Salif started a debate about whether design should be beautiful or useful, and it remains popular today, still being made over thirty years after it was first created.