This pedal-powered espresso machine definitely combines two of my passions: Bicycles and coffee! I still have a few questions looming such as how do they keep all the saucers and cups from breaking? And how much does the whole ride weigh? But I’m still excited to see this project go from concept to prototype.
We wanted to showcase efficient human-powered, cycling-based technology that could easily replace electrical equivalents given the right context and to instigate more sustainable urban business models. Our goal was a robust, versatile and ‘go anywhere’ machine that could produce high quality espresso coffees with the smallest physical and operational carbon footprints.
The video below gives a demonstration of the machine from bean to cup, using camping gas to heat the boiler, with plans for future versions of the machine to use ethanol derived from waste coffee grinds. The video also contains no sound, which is a shame because the last question I have is what does a motor-less pedal-powered grinder sound like? Lots of technical details can be found on their website.
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