A few weeks ago my colleague, Jeff Setzer, blogged here on SolidNotes about his iPad, SolidWorks, and the effect technology has on engineering. I discovered recently that a tool I use almost daily and contributes to my work as an engineer is designed in SolidWorks. Its not my laptop, memory stick, or even my new office chair. It is a portable espresso maker.
A few months ago I received as a gift the handpresso Wild DomePod. I already am a profficient coffee drinker: I roast my beans on a small commercial roaster, I blend almost exsclusivley for espresso brewing, and my home-machine has been modified with a PID controll to help me dial in for specific temperatures depending on the roast and blend. But as for office coffee I would always bring in (and still do) an extra shot or two for that cafe' Americano later in the morning or afternoon. I needed something that would travel well (I teach SolidWorks and Simulation classes at our satellite offices), pack well, but still pull an acceptable shot.
When the handpresso first arrived to the market, it was the result of brainstorming and idea-generation from an industrial design firm, Nielsen Innovation. They struggled with the same problem I had: "I'm an engineer, I thoroughly enjoy coffee, how can I enjoy the two.. all the time?" Nielsen came up with the novel concept of using something akin to a portable bike tire pump and combined it with the ease of ESE pods. For my audience who has no clue what this three letter acronym means, ESE stands for Easy Serve Espresso. They're pre-packaged coffee pods ground for espresso machines. Last year, on a trip to New York state I had the pleasure of trying this version of the handpresso at the United States distributor, Importika. The handpresso was exactly what I needed and this past winter saw the introduction of the DomePod model; now you can use your own fresh ground coffee!
How does the DomePod fuel my days? Simple, really. View this photo to see the handpresso being readied for use. The ground coffee is packed in to a small basket. Pump the handle about 40 times. Hot water from the breakroom tap is poured into the clear resevoir. The filter cap is screwed on and the pressure is released with a press-button on the unit's body. A pressure gauge built in to the handpresso allows you to make sure you've pumped it up enough. When the shot it pulled and you're ready to clean it the whole thing comes apart as it went together. The spent coffee grounds easily "pop" out of the basket and in to the trash. (ESE pods are even easier!)
Do I mind the stares or jeers from my co-workers? Not all! I know they're jealous because they wish they had an ultra-compact, portable, very well built espresso maker designed in SolidWorks. I wonder if the folks at handpresso used Flow Simulation to optimize the design?
It's amazing where Google will take you when you type in a keyword.
Just doing a little web surfing doing some research for my espresso machine website when I came across your article on this small portable espresso maker. Hadn't seen it before.
The big question wasn't answered however -- how was the espresso. Honestly, I can't imagine it was all that great, but possibly better than office drip coffee.
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Espresso Machine Mike | October 20, 2010 at 06:05 PM