This week I've been thinking in depth about our brief. We've been tasked to create an espresso machine for home use. What does that mean exactly? For instance, a Nespresso machine technically counts as an espresso machine, and they've been far more successful and popular as home use coffee machines. Would we have met the brief and have done a great job if we came up with Nespresso? I certainly hope that's what this course is encouraging – to go beyond the portafilter and think about the fundamental problems with traditional ways of making coffee. Nespressso is by no means perfect, but its proved that consumers don't care about the art of coffee – they just want a pick-me-up in the morning in the absolute easiest way possible.

This year I moved into a flat with my good friend Tom. Tom was a barista over summer, and he brought with him a Breville coffee machine made for home use for us to enjoy. At home I used a Moccamaster filter coffee machine, and that certainly had its downsides, but what I was surprised to realise is just how many steps are involved in making a single cup of coffee.

‍

So, lets compare these machines:

Problems with Nespresso machines

• Still not instantly obvious what has to be done to make coffee
• Never know where the water is
• Totally unsustainable
• Hard to repair
• Not all cups fit under the spouts
• Can’t use your own coffee/unsustainable/reliant on organisation

Problems with Moccamaster/filter machines

• You have to measure out ingredients for each coffee every time
• You have to remember the ratios
• Not at all instantly obvious what to do

Problems with traditional espresso machines

• Hard to use and intimidating for a beginner – information has to be taught
• So many steps involved
• So hard to clean
• Never know how full the water level is
• Too many buttons
• Parts have worn out, too hard to fix

Problems with automatic espresso machines

• Ugly
• Large
• Too many buttons
• Does the coffee taste that good?

‍

So, now we know what not to do, we can probably work out the principles of what would make a good coffee machine:

• Simple – the less buttons and controls the better
• One step process – all you should have to do is one thing, no measuring, tamping, scraping or moving
• Obvious – anyone should be able to walk up and make a coffee with no prior knowledge of the machine
• Sustainable – easy to fix parts should they ever break
• Environmentally friendly – no coffee pods or subscription services
• Not relying on a company – again, not having to rely on a proprietary method of getting your coffee (as Nespresso has done)

‍