In the last year or two, renewed interest in organic design has seen a resurgence not only in vintage Atomics, but also in modern versions of the original shape. The traditional form of the Henry Moore sculpture has been retained in a generous salute to the enduring design of Robbiati's original, but there are new innovations in manufacture and materials.

In 2007, Jack Grieve launched his La Sorrentina reproduction. This is a high-quality modern copy of the later model Atomic, nicely presented as a copy, not a fake. Made to the same specifications as the original, it offers all the cachet of the original, along with the reliability of modern manufacture. The Sorrentina is available through an expanding network of distributors in Europe and Australasia, including C4 Coffee HQ in Christchurch.

March 2009 saw the launch of the Otto Espresso, a modern reinterpretation of the Atomic by Craig Hiron. This includes some serious innovations (including extraction pressure similar to commercial espresso machines), and in many ways is not really an Atomic at all, except in shape. But it is a seriously cool bit of modern design in its own right.

For those who want good looks and great coffee, these modern versions are not so much an alternative to the Atomic, as different and complementary products. I'm picking they'll be collectible in their own right in another 50 years!