Kickstarter Project: Reinventing the Espresso Machine

An affordable PID controlled professional grade espresso machine for the home. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zpmespresso/pid-controlled-espresso-machine

Awesomeness. I love Kickstarter

FROM THE PROJECT:

How we did it:

We took the espresso machine back to the drawing board. We looked at all the latest technologies, and we developed a few of our own.

Building a machine from the ground up meant we could include the features we found ourselves breaking our warranties to add. By re-engineering and re-designing the machine inside and out, we have found ways to improve performance while lowering production costs.

Here are our niftiest features and innovations:

Redesigned thermoblock. Though models featuring a thermoblock can be found in cheaper machines on the market, their poor design results in inconsistent temperatures and pressures. Our redesigned thermoblock ensures quick and consistent temperature, and allows for rapid switching between brewing and the steam wand.

PID Controller. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller includes a feedback mechanism that allows our thermoblock to adjust its temperature while a shot is being pulled. This results in much lower temperature and pressure fluctuations during the shot, and ensures that the set temperature and pressure are maintained throughout the shot. Many home baristas find themselves retrofitting their machines with a PID controller. Our PID controller is tuned specifically for our machine, and configured for multiple settings, ensuring fast start-up, consistency over multiple shots, and fast steam-to-brew transitioning.

Low-cost manufacturing. We’ve designed our thermoblock, group head, casing and internal supports to minimize manufacturing costs without sacrificing the feel or quality of our machine. Our machine is made entirely of metal, so it feels sturdier than plastic alternatives, and is heavy enough to not move around. We’ve minimized the use of proprietary components, which means your machine is maximally serviceable and modifiable by you.

Open-source. The code for our machine will be completely open-source, allowing owners to import and share their code and hardware modifications.

Espresso pod compatibility: You’ll be able to use our machine with the Easy Serving Espresso Pods, one of the most widely available pre-packaged coffee systems. Pods are quick, convenient and make for an easy clean-up. They demand a more powerful pump and a unique portafilter, but we thought it was worth it.

Tech Specs:

Portafilter: 58mm; Choice of single-spout, double-spout or naked; Regular and ESE-pod compatible portafilter baskets

Colors: Silver, red, yellow, green, blue, orange, black; matte or glossy

Tank capacity: 2.75L shared tank

Pressure range: 5-15 bar

External dimensions (approximate): 9.5inx12inx9in (width x height x depth); 24cm x 30.5cm x 23cm

Power Specs: 1000 watts

The machine will use an Arduino microcontroller.

Crazy how many people pledged to buy a product sight unseen with nothing but specs. Kickstarter is pretty cool like that

I have helped fund a number of projects and they have to date always delivered. Last one was the documentary Urbanized: http://urbanizedfilm.com The last in the design trilogy from gary hustwit. If you have not seen Helvetica it’s a pretty great flick about the font.

I wish I had gotten in at the $200 level on this project but the $300 and $675 levels are still great deals. A new modded out silvia rancillio will cost you at least $900. For $675 you get the machine AND a baratza vario grinder.

This is one I recently backed that I’m pretty excited about. (Yeah, I’m a geek…) http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/supermechanical/twine-listen-to-your-world-talk-to-the-internet

Just got my Cosmonaut iPad stylus that launched at kickstarter. Great site and I’ll support this machine as well. I think I’ve sponsored 3 projects so far.

That is sick! i Want!

Yeah the Twine thing looks very cool. I just backed my first Kickstarter project - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740785012/touchfire-the-screen-top-keyboard-for-ipad/ which looks superuseful for my iPad. I’m loving Kickstarter - people can come up with cool niche ideas and get real money to produce them. See http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hop/elevation-dock-the-best-dock-for-iphone?ref=video also if you have an iphone

did you get the keyboard?

I think there is some great stuff there. The twine is really cool. The espresso maker I don’t see it. Everybody makes a better espresso maker compared to everybody else. Just ask… well everybody. Nothing too unique on that one IMO. They say their pump and block is better but who really knows?

GH

Have you ever bought a low end (less than $500) espresso machine? They are total crap unless you know how to temperature surf. Look at their technical charts for temperature during a pull on this machine. Impressive.

Had never heard of Kickstarter. Thanks for mentioning.

On board with this (and I already have an Espro single serve press).

Yep. Ships in Feb… getting a ton of good press - TouchFire or touchfire.com

Perfect for Randy Bowman or Carrie since She can only can make it for him.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/371552738/macaroni-and-cheese-101-moving-beyond-the-box?ref=recently_launched

Something to be wary of.

I was into Kickstarter back this time and earlier last year. I backed several projects for similar type items. None of them went well in the end.

ALL of them were seriously delayed beyond what they projected, and all of them had miserable communication and a plethora of excuses.

When the product(s) did arrive, they often had little or no relevant set up / instructions etc.

In my opinion the old adage of being a good technician does not make a good business person is very try on kickstarter.

Many of these people are outsourcing products (even some overseas) without any experience in that area, and well, you get the point.

Maybe I had a few bad apples, but I just cant see paying today and getting my product a year from now (and then wishing I hadnt bought it).

Interesting piece in last Sunday’s NY Times magazine.

“Thank you all very much,” Update 57 concluded, by way of goodbye. “Working on this project was the most ambitious and meaningful undertaking any of us have ever attempted. Getting to know all of you, and working to create some seriously cool technology, was one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done. We are deeply and truly sorry that despite our best efforts, we were not able to get this machine across the finish line. Love, Gleb, Igor and Janet, Team ZPM.”

David

$369,569 down the tubes

oof

I don’t quite get kickstarter… i’ll buy a finished, tested/reviewed, and ready to ship product for 2x the price… why bother funding R&D unless i get a share of the company?!

To support the development and production of good ideas that you care about when they can’t get traditional startup capital.

It’s inherently risky, so I won’t judge anyone for refusing to participate.

Nick, agreed it’s startup capital to support the R&D/Production of good ideas…

but what do starttup capital always require in return? equity.