How to make a coffee machine at home. Real DIY coffee maker

Many people love espresso, but you can’t make it without an expensive coffee machine. And, probably, few people thought that such a seemingly complex household appliance could be made by yourself from scrap materials. Let's first understand the theory and explain the basic concepts.

What is espresso?

Espresso is prepared at home by skipping hot water through a filter with ground coffee. This is exactly how our espresso coffee maker will work.

A shot of espresso can be regular, double or triple (30, 60 and 90 ml). For each serving you need 7-8, 14-16, and 21-24 grams of coffee, respectively.

Does not exist generally accepted standard preparing espresso at home, but most often the sources indicate a pressure of 9 bar.

We will tell you how to make an espresso coffee maker with your own hands.

What are the requirements for our pocket espresso machine?

• An espresso coffee maker should fit in your jeans pocket
• To make a coffee machine, simple, not scarce materials should be used
• The tools used in the project should be simple and publicly available
• All components must be assembled in one housing
• An espresso coffee machine should be low-cost.

Materials and tools for making an espresso coffee machine

Copper parts

• Two plugs with a diameter of 1″
• Four 1/2″ diameter plugs
• One tube with a diameter of 1/2″, 75 mm long
• 3 fittings with a diameter of 1/2″ (two of them will be used for making filters)
• One 1″ diameter fitting
• Adapter from 1 to 1/2″ (1″ - male). The adapter will be used to make a teapot
• Adapter from 1 to 1/2″ (1″ - female). The adapter will be used to make the boiler.
• One copper tube with a diameter of 1/4″, about 100 mm long.

Fasteners

• 6mm bolt 75mm long
• 6mm Wing Nut

For the filler hole: small bolt and nut. The length of the bolt should not be more than 12 mm, the height of the nut should be about 10 mm.

For the heater: small bolt and nut. The diameter of the bolt should be less than the diameter of the 1/4 inch copper tube. The length of the bolt is about 12 mm.

Additional details

• Two rubber pads with a diameter of 1″
• Two rubber O-rings, which are used on mixers. The rings are needed to seal the filler hole and the hole under the wing nut
• 10cc syringe
• A small board.

Tools

• Drill
• Hacksaw
• Soldering iron
• Sandpaper No. 150
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
• Hammer
• Drills (diameter 6, 3 and 1.5 mm)
• A few small nails.

Coffee machine manufacturing technology

Boiler

Drill 4 holes in the adapter from 1 to 1/2 inches. Insert the 1/2-inch tube into the adapter and seal.

Note: Use only lead-free solder.

Boiler (part 2)

• Take a 1/4 inch diameter tube and make a V-shaped cut about 25 mm from one edge

• Bend the tube at the cut site at a right angle

• Solder the bend
• Use a hammer to flatten the long end of the tube

• Cut a small notch at the bottom of the flattened edge.

The tube needs to be flattened so that it fits into the boiler. The notch is needed so that if scale forms, the tube does not become completely blocked.

Boiler (part 3)

• Assemble the parts shown in the photo, make sure all parts fit well

• Solder everything together (don't forget to solder a nut parallel to the water supply tube).

Alcohol burner

The boiler is ready, and now we have the approximate dimensions of the required alcohol burner.

You will have to design it yourself. Since the burner must be very small, but burn for quite a long time, the fuel must come from a container located outside. After numerous experiments, such a heating pad with a fuel tank from a 10 cc syringe was created.

With a full container of fuel, our particular sample runs for about 18 minutes. Now you need to make a fuel dispenser. You can, of course, come up with something more sophisticated, but we just stuck top part syringe with electrical tape, in which a small hole was made with a needle.

As a result, fuel entered the burner at a rate of approximately 1 drop per second, which ensured its long, continuous operation.

Alcohol burner (part 2)

• Make all parts of the burner based on the drawing given in the previous paragraph
• Drill a hole with a diameter of 6 mm and a depth of 12 mm in a wooden board. This board will become a conductor, facilitating processing copper tubes
• Insert 1/4" tubing into the jig and cut 4 grooves
• Adjust and solder the tube into which the syringe will be inserted with a tube that will supply alcohol vapor to the burner

• Insert the fuel tube into the heater and solder the bottom of the heater

• Solder the top of the heater

• After inserting the evaporator tube into place, screw something like this to it gas burner made from a tube with holes, a washer and a bolt.

Burner (part 3)

• Carefully saw off the syringe needle to the desired length, do not use wire cutters for this, otherwise the hole inside the needle will flatten

• Insert the syringe into the holder tube and seal it

• Cover the top of the syringe with electrical tape.

Teapot

Measure out 7 grams of coffee to estimate how much volume it takes up. To make a teapot we use a 1 to 1/2 inch adapter. The adapter must be filed so that a small espresso cup can be placed under it. There should be metal filters inside the teapot, which you will have to make yourself.

Teapot (part 2)

• Prepare all parts of the teapot in accordance with the drawing
• Saw one fitting lengthwise and straighten it with a hammer.

• Flatten the copper plate until it is as thick as a needle
• From the resulting plate, cut a circle that fits inside the 1-inch plug

• Cut another circle to match the outside diameter of the 1/2-inch plug

Teapot (part 3)

• Place the mugs on wooden board and using a small nail make many bumps on them

• Rub the mugs with the bumps on the sandpaper. Rub until a small hole is formed at the tops of all tubercles.

Teapot (part 4)

• Solder the smaller copper filter into the adapter

• Solder a 1/2-inch plug to the adapter

• Cut the water supply pipe coming out of the boiler so that it matches the shape of the inch plug
• Solder the joint between the tube and the plug
• Cut a ring about 6 mm high from an inch hose.

• Insert the ring into the top of the teapot
• Install an inch copper filter
• Install a 1-inch spacer to hold the filter in place.

Zavarniik (part 5)

• Drill 3mm holes in both copper filters. Try to ensure that the axes of the holes coincide.
• Assemble the teapot and secure the parts using a 6mm screw and wing nut.

Calibrate the system

Wash the coffee machine and fill it with water through the hole with the soldered nut. Screw the corresponding bolt into the hole, placing a rubber gasket under the head.

Fill the syringe with alcohol and seal the tank with a 1/2-inch cap.

Wait about 15 seconds until the alcohol vapor reaches the burner.

Hold the coffee machine by the brewer and lift it up. Using a lighter, heat the bottom of the burner until the alcohol flares up (this takes about 10 seconds).

Place the coffee machine on a flat surface and wait until the cup under the brewer is half full.

Let the coffee machine cool down and repeat the same operations, after pouring coffee into the brewer.

Enjoy your espresso!

Interesting in its form and idea the coffee maker can be made by hand. Its cost is low. It is not difficult to do and looks very original.

To make a simple coffee maker with your own hands, prepare the following materials:

• copper tubes, 0.5 inches, 12 cm long;
• copper elbow fittings – 3 pcs.;
• copper T-fittings – 2 pcs.;
• epoxy resin;
• coffee filters;
• glass funnel;
• copper plugs – 2 pcs.;
• scissors;
• pliers;
• pipe cutter or hacksaw for metal;
• a piece of fabric;
• felt;
• sandpaper.

Step #1. To begin, you will need to cut the copper tubing into pieces. Their length will depend on the height of your homemade coffee maker. When determining the height and width of the product, proceed from the dimensions of the cups you have at home. After the calculations, proceed directly to cutting. Copper cuts very easily. All you need to do is mark the cut line with a pipe cutter or hacksaw. After this, wrap the copper tube with a piece of cloth, pinch it with pliers and break it off. The cloth is needed to prevent the tool from scratching the surface of the tube. In total you will need six parts.

Step #2. After cutting, clean the tubes themselves from fine dust and rub with hard felt.

Step #3. Sand the cut areas of the tubes sandpaper. This will be necessary for better adhesion of the parts when gluing them with resin. Use sandpaper only on those sections of the pipe that will eventually be hidden under the fittings.

Step #4. Assemble the entire structure of the coffee maker in parts. Glue plugs and fittings to tubes using epoxy glue. Hold each piece firmly until the resin begins to set. The result should look like in the photo.

Step #5. Surplus epoxy resin that has protruded beyond the connecting fittings and behind the plugs, wipe with a dry cloth. Treat and rub the surface of the kettle again with hard felt.

Step #6. Insert a glass funnel into the top T-fitting. Place the coffee filter in it. The latter may be larger than the funnel itself, and for a neater look, you can trim it.

Now you can use the original coffee maker for its intended purpose. Place a cup under the funnel. Pour coffee into the filter and pour it hot water. Ready!

It will not be possible to accurately reproduce the structure of an electric coffee machine with your own hands - in modern devices the steam pressure reaches ten atmospheres, and the circuit of electronic dispensers is very complex. Let's look at a few simple solutions that can be implemented at home.

Geyser coffee machine

The simplest one to make is a geyser-type coffee machine. The easiest way is to make the main unit responsible for making coffee. This homemade coffee maker looks something like this:

This homemade coffee machine works simply: when the liquid is heated, steam passes through the ground coffee, and the resulting drink enters the upper compartment through a vertical tube. As it accumulates, you can pour it into a cup and enjoy the taste. The design diagram is shown in the photo.

The operating principle of a geyser-type coffee maker

A homemade coffee machine of this class is equipped with heating elements made of nichrome wire. In practice, to reduce labor intensity, you can go in a simple way– adjust the lower heating plate from electric kettle. This solution is very beneficial:

• temperature is controlled;
• internal security system, which is present in many heating elements, will prevent the possibility of emergency situations.

A homemade geyser coffee machine served as a prototype for a serial product produced by Soviet industry.

There were also coffee machines for motorists, capable of preparing a cup or two of aromatic drink using a cigarette lighter.

Patented version of a homemade coffee machine

Let us note right away: the answer to the question of how to make a full-cycle coffee machine with your own hands has not been found. Most effective option implies separation of operations. A mill for grains is made separately, as the most simple solution A steel auger can be used to grind spices. There are also electric and manual devices, however big difference there is no difference between them.

The prepared ground coffee is poured into a homemade coffee maker. One of the interesting developments, for which a patent has even been received, is a device designed by engineer Vladimir Oreshkin. This is a durable, double-walled chamber made from solid billet and equipped with an outlet for draining the finished drink.

To prepare espresso, place a steel container with water inside and add a portion of ground coffee. The lid closes securely, it does not have sealing gaskets - the grinding principle is implemented. When the container is heated, the full effect of steaming the coffee is observed, which allows you to achieve the rich taste and aroma of espresso. The original model of the homemade coffee maker was designed to be installed on a gas stove.

Based on this development, many craftsmen have come up with improved versions of coffee makers. They added their own heaters, like electric type and with the use of alcohol and paraffin burners.

Such a device can be an extremely attractive companion for those who prefer hiking and extreme travel to other pastimes.

Controversial designs

On the Internet you can find more than one or two options for making a coffee machine with your own hands. For example, a mini-coffee maker for making espresso wanders from forum to forum, which has everything: its own alcohol burner for heating water, a container for coffee, and a convenient faucet for draining the drink. At the same time, the device can be easily placed in a pocket. You can see this mini coffee maker in the photo.

However, a specific design requires the use of welding, copper tubes, unique components, and empirically selected sizes. Therefore, it is impossible to guarantee that everyone can make this coffee maker. Particularly because an alcohol burner is used as a heater, but no parameters for modifying the device for using kerosene, gasoline or paraffin are given.

There are also successful projects that look almost like a serial industrial product, for example, there is a lively discussion on the Internet about a stylish coffee maker from a German artisan.

Its design contains many components taken from different devices: coffee mills, heaters, even the body - from household appliance. The product is unique, and attempting to replicate it may not always be successful.

There are a huge number of different devices for making coffee. But due to their ease of use at home and accessibility, they have gained wide popularity.

One of important elements These devices have a filter, the main task of which is to filter ground coffee during brewing. The taste and aroma of the drink depends on the quality of the filter used.

What filters are there?

In the last century, a coffee filter was invented by an enterprising housewife from Dresden, Melitta Benz. She took an ordinary schoolboy's blotter, folded it into a funnel, into which she poured ground coffee. Placing this simple structure over a cup, she slowly poured boiling water through it. This is how she got her aromatic coffee, and all the grounds remained on a piece of paper.

Ancient brewing method

In modern conditions, there are many coffee filters that are made from different materials. Let's look at the most popular options.

Paper filters for coffee maker

They are made in the form of funnels or baskets, with smooth or wavy walls - it all depends on the model of the selected coffee maker.

Flat-bottom filters are convenient for making drip coffee, while conical filters are suitable for drip coffee makers or for single-serve brewing in a cup. Wavy options are ideal for pour overs as they ensure even distribution of water.

For their production we use:

A special feature of paper filters is their ability to remove diterpenes (oil components) from coffee beans, which can cause an increase in cholesterol in human blood.

Among the significant “advantages” they note:

1. Ease of use (easy to install and replace);
2. Suitable for any type of grinding, even for powdered coffee;
3. It will not give the drink any foreign taste or smell;
4. Disposable use (no need to clean the filter later);
5. Biodegradability of the material - no harm to the environment;
6. No expiration date;
7. There is no concentration of pathogenic bacteria, which is typical for improper care behind the reusable elements of the coffee machine, i.e. full compliance with sanitation standards.
8. Affordability.

Using a paper filter for a coffee maker

Despite such advantages, paper filters for coffee makers still have a drawback - they are only used once, which means you will be constantly using them. It is important to monitor their balance in the house in order to replenish the supply in time.

Fabric filters

You can replace paper ones with fabric options, which are made from hemp, organic cotton, and muslin fabric. Their advantages:

• environmental friendliness,
• simplicity,
• a small noble sediment in the finished drink, since the pores in the fabric are slightly wider than in the paper counterpart.

The inconvenience of using such products is that they quickly become dirty and require constant cleaning.

Fabric version

Nylon filters

The design is a plastic frame covered with nylon.

Basically, most coffee makers are equipped with such filters. According to the manufacturers' recommendations, it can be used up to 60 times, then it must be changed.

Nylon filter

In terms of money, this option is the most profitable.

The disadvantages of the products include:

• The need for thorough cleaning after brewing;
• Compatible only with coarsely ground coffee.

Gold filters

They are, of course, not made of gold, but an improved version of a nylon filter, the surface of which is coated with titanium nitride. This resulted in a significant improvement in product quality and durability. Their disadvantages are the same as those of nylon products.

Less popular than others are products made of porcelain, plastic, and steel.

What filter sizes are there?

In a coffee store you will find such products in various sizes - from 1 to 12. Look carefully at the packaging: the indicated dimensions must match the size of the container of your drip coffee maker or drip funnel.

If size 01 is written on the pourover, then you need to buy a filter element of the same size. Sizes 02 to 04 are suitable for a drip coffee maker. The smallest size products are suitable for brewing in a cup.

How to make a filter for a drip coffee maker with your own hands

What to do quickly when faced with the need to replace the filter, and the supply at home has run out? You can easily solve this problem at home.

The simplest material you need for this is paper.

Important: Before you begin, you need to check the quality of the paper when exposed to water. Too much dense material will increase the filtration time, and low-quality loose cellulose will simply “fall apart” upon contact with boiling water and it will not be possible to make coffee.

Also, do not use paper with printing ink and glue, or photographs; this will significantly spoil the drink and may even harm your health.

Thick white or brown napkins or paper towels are convenient in this case.

The last option is the most successful, since the towel is highly porous, so it quickly lets through

The last option is the most successful, since the towel is highly porous, so it quickly allows water to pass through, and retains large particles of coffee well. We also note that filters of any size can be cut from a towel.

For example: take a saucer and trace it on a piece of towel. Using scissors, cut out a square or circle, fold it in half, and then in half again. In such homemade filter pour the ground coffee and insert it into the funnel and then into the cup. Slowly pour boiling water through the prepared structure and get an aromatic and invigorating drink.

If you suddenly don’t have high-quality paper at hand, you can use a fabric option - a bandage, cotton towel, gauze or sheet.

An important detail: the fabric used should not be dyed, since otherwise, when exposed to hot water, “tasteless” chemical dyes may be added to the drink.

For more thorough filtration, fold the gauze in several layers.

Very interesting option The production of the filter element will use nylon women's tights as a material.

A cut out square or circle from tights will be a wonderful coffee filter. In addition, it can be used several times.

Also on the list of homemade products are metal strainers from teapots. The obvious disadvantage of using them is small size and poor throughput. These strainers usually become clogged with coffee mixture very quickly and therefore require constant cleaning. Fans do not recommend preparing coffee in this way - the drink turns out unsaturated and unflavoured.

The main problems in using homemade filters.

It is important not to forget that all of the above materials for self-made filter elements will only help you temporarily; without proper hygienic treatment, they are only suitable for one-time brewing.

Stock up on such products in a timely manner, because they are easy to buy in any specialized store.

Below we will discuss repairing a coffee machine with your own hands. Even if Solis is different from Nivona, and Melitta (Melita) is not too similar in appearance to Nespresso, the internal structure is common features, it won’t be difficult to isolate from the story. We hope that the text, once read, will allow you to repair the Jura coffee machine yourself and will replenish the knowledge of the novice master.

Error codes

Before starting operations, read the error code. Download a repair manual from the Internet (if you don’t have one at home). Decipher the designation.

The structure of a typical kitchen coffee machine

Repairing a coffee machine yourself requires clear knowledge internal device household appliances. There is nothing complicated inside, you will find individual parts in irons, washing machines, electric kettles. Repairing a coffee machine with your own hands becomes a truly easy task when you understand: there is nothing complicated inside.

Engines and pump

A kitchen coffee machine sometimes has two or three motors! A kind of kitchen record. The dishwasher and washing machine have one motor, although there is a pump. Kitchen coffee machines are equipped with a device, the device cannot be given an advantage, it should be considered defective. There is little electronics inside, but the power supply is appearance– suggests: kitchen coffee machine motors supply DC, or regulate the speed by cutting the variable. Engines, pump, two or three in total:

1. The coffee grinder servo drive is located under the coffee loading compartment. It has speed regulation at times, we believe, by modulating the voltage amplitude. Commutator motors resemble asynchronous ones.
2. The second drive is needed for a device called Brew in English. Ground coffee is poured into a bowl standing on a connecting rod. The millstone operation process ends, the container moves to the brewing site. The connecting rod rotates around the lower axis. The pressure is low and no sealing is provided.
3. The compressor of a coffee maker can create amazing pressure. 15 – 20 atmospheres. At the boiler inlet there is check valve, at the output bypass. Capacity small sizes, a little water leaks out to brew coffee. It is possible that individual valves are controlled by an electric drive.

The device for pumping water into the boiler is called a compressor, not a pump; piston designs are also often found that resemble their counterparts that control ordinary refrigerators. The pressure is impressive, superior to the pump in the dacha. Repair of capsule coffee machines does not affect both engines; the coffee is ground and placed inside plastic containers.

Coffee dispenser

The coffee is ground by millstones, the feeder moves the formed tablet in an arc towards the brewing tank. After the process is completed, the compressed cake is thrown into the trash bowl by reversing the connecting rod. The unit is made of plastic, more complex design. Let's describe the process of brewing coffee from start to finish:

1. The powder is poured into a bowl standing horizontally from the millstones. The container is located on a vertical connecting rod.
2. The grinding is completed, the coffee grinder motor stops, and the servo drive of the coffee supply mechanism takes over. He tilts the bowl on the connecting rod and begins to push it upward until it is pressed into the ceiling of the brewing tank. Reminiscent of an internal combustion engine, where the piston moves all the way.
3. Then water is supplied to the boiler, enters from below, flowing out through the opening in the ceiling of the brewing tank.
4. The coffee dispensing mechanism moves the cup down. On the way, a tablet falls out through the gap. Then the bowl is returned under the millstones to prepare a new portion of coffee.

Kitchen coffee machine boiler

The boiler of a kitchen coffee machine is formed by two halves, connected by a number of fastening bolts through a gasket. To withstand pressure, the walls are profiled, reminiscent of the unit under the hood of a car or motorcycle seat. The heating element is installed externally, extending the life of the device. Why disassemble the boiler? For cleaning, the descaling agent will not always cope with the build-up automatically. The design is easier to manufacture and stronger.

Look for sensors and a thermal fuse next to the heating element. When burned out, the elements render the equipment inoperable, protecting the delicate filling.

There is a check valve at the inlet to the boiler, and a bypass valve at the outlet. According to the readings of the level sensor, water is pumped inside by a compressor. Heating begins. A temperature of 95 ºС is best suited for brewing coffee; after reaching the specified parameters, the light comes on. When pressed, the compressor turns on, forcing water through the bypass valve and the brew tank into the cup. The flow meter regulates the time allowed to work for the compressor.

Steam is required to make cappuccino, the temperature rises above boiling in the boiler of the kitchen coffee maker, amounting to 127 ºC. Switching the steam and water supply path is done manually, moisture comes out, bypassing the same valve. At a temperature of 127 ºС, the liquid quickly changes from outside to something else state of aggregation. Water is no longer retained by the walls of the boiler. Due to high temperature the milk foams and the bubble walls become hard (protein denaturation). The foam of the kitchen coffee machine holds its shape.

To repair a coffee machine, know: the motors inside operate a similar circuit (rotation of the voltage vector magnetic field). The only thing is that the servo drive device of the coffee supply mechanism works in two directions. The motor needs reverse; it is easier to do this by switching the windings. Valid for asynchronous and commutator motors. The second type is preferable, the design is more complicated. It’s unlikely that a small compressor will accommodate a manifold; it’s more convenient to build the other two engines according to the diagram. Therefore, the power supply to the mechanics inside goes alternating current. It will become obvious when analyzing the circuit. For example, the presence of Schottky diodes after the secondary winding of the transformer says: constant current is supplied.

Kitchen coffee machine control

In the simplest case, the control is mechanical. The technicians themselves are amazed: in this respect, kitchen coffee machines differ little from irons and refrigerators. Inside the sensor is a bimetallic plate that measures the temperature of the boiler. Said above:

• For the coffee preparation mode, the water is heated up to 95 ºС.
• Cappuccino requires steam, water temperature 127 ºС.

The parameters are controlled by one sensor, the screw tension varies depending on the mode. When the temperature reaches the set value, the contactor is activated and the light of the corresponding button on the kitchen coffee machine lights up. After pressing the key, the compressor starts, pushing boiling water in the desired direction, determined by the position of the handle. The regulator provides the required tension of the bimetallic plate mechanism and, accordingly, the sensor response temperature. Let's take a look at the steam preparation process from the inside:

1. The control knob turns to position par. The output path is switched from the bypass valve. The water will flow through a thin tube, not into the brewing chamber.
2. At the same time, the tension of the bimetallic plate changes. The contacts close, the heating element heats the water in the boiler.
3. The temperature reaches 127 ºС, the relay opens the power contacts of the coil, and at the same time power is supplied to the light of the steam release button.
4. Pressing the cappuccino maker button causes an influx of liquid into the tube, instantly forming steam under pressure (inside the boiler 20 atm).

Readers may wonder why two buttons are needed if each one starts a compressor. This makes it logically easier for the person using the coffee machine to understand what to do. We do not rule out that you will find other designs. The one shown corresponds to Saeko Vienna.

The description given is enough to repair the coffee machine yourself. The units are implemented in a similar way, and the most difficult option a la all in one. Sometimes there is no boiler or coffee grinder, sometimes there are two boilers. It is done specifically to prepare any type of coffee, any drink. It is customary to top up Americano with water at a temperature of 90 ºС; if the cappuccino maker was started before, the action will take the time required for the water to cool. A coffee machine differs from a coffee maker; with the help of a complex unit, any drink is prepared exactly according to an exquisite recipe.

Repair of professional coffee machines is not the only task solved by the master. Relatively rarely needed in reality. Repair and maintenance of coffee machines often involve cleaning; here it is useful to simply read the instructions. Krups, Gaggia, Yura - perform the action in their own way. It is clear that repairing Krups capsule coffee machines and descaling are not very similar to the process of working with Saeko Vienna.