Tiny Houses

Coffee-powered tiny house isn't your average cup of joe

Coffee-powered tiny house isn't your average cup of joe
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' runs on biofuel created from coffee grounds
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' runs on biofuel created from coffee grounds
View 26 Images
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' appears to be based on New Frontier Tiny Homes' Escher model
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' appears to be based on New Frontier Tiny Homes' Escher model
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' runs on biofuel created from coffee grounds
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' runs on biofuel created from coffee grounds
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is clad in black stained cedar wood and weathered steel panels
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is clad in black stained cedar wood and weathered steel panels
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is topped by skylights, which help maximize natural light inside
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is topped by skylights, which help maximize natural light inside
The Home That Runs on Dunkin's small sleeping loft includes a king-sized bed
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin's small sleeping loft includes a king-sized bed
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' opens up to the porch area with garage-style lifting door
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' opens up to the porch area with garage-style lifting door
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is heated and cooled with a mini-split air-conditioning unit
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is heated and cooled with a mini-split air-conditioning unit
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' was decorated with input from actress Olivia Wilde
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' was decorated with input from actress Olivia Wilde
The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen includes a full-size fridge, oven, and a small dishwasher, as well as a coffee machine
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen includes a full-size fridge, oven, and a small dishwasher, as well as a coffee machine
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' includes a small "coffee nook," with two chairs and a table
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' includes a small "coffee nook," with two chairs and a table
The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen is large for a tiny house and includes full-size appliances
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen is large for a tiny house and includes full-size appliances
The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen is finished in subway tiles and features slate countertops
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen is finished in subway tiles and features slate countertops
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is decked out in walnut flooring
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is decked out in walnut flooring
The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen is large for a tiny house and includes full-size appliances
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin's kitchen is large for a tiny house and includes full-size appliances
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' opens up to the porch area with garage-style lifting door
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' opens up to the porch area with garage-style lifting door
The Home That Runs on Dunkin's walls are finished in shiplap
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin's walls are finished in shiplap
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' was decorated with input from actress Olivia Wilde (pictured)
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' was decorated with input from actress Olivia Wilde (pictured)
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' was recently exhibited in NYC
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' was recently exhibited in NYC
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' features underfloor storage in the main living area
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' features underfloor storage in the main living area
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' appears to be based on New Frontier Tiny Homes' Escher model
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' appears to be based on New Frontier Tiny Homes' Escher model
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is clad in black stained cedar wood and weathered steel panels
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is clad in black stained cedar wood and weathered steel panels
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' features a cedar porch
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' features a cedar porch
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is reached by a small staircase and entered by glass sliding doors
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The Home That Runs on Dunkin' is reached by a small staircase and entered by glass sliding doors
View gallery - 26 images

A lot of people rely on coffee to make it through the day, but this is the first time we've seen a tiny house that needs its own supply of java. Luxury tiny house builder New Frontier Tiny Homes has teamed up with Dunkin' Donuts, actress Olivia Wilde and a sustainable biochemical company to produce the unique promotional project.

Bringing to mind the coffee-powered car, the Home That Runs on Dunkin' consists of a very well made but essentially standard tiny house that runs from a biofuel generator fueled by a coffee ground compound. It's not just a case of pouring a cup of joe into the generator: refining the coffee grounds into fuel is a complex process tackled by a firm called Blue Marble Biomaterials. In all, it takes around 170 lb (77 kg) of used coffee grounds to produce just one gallon (3.7 l) of fuel.

"There can be natural oils left in spent coffee grounds, all depending on the coffee bean type and original processing methods," explains a press release. "These oils are then mixed with an alcohol to undergo a chemical reaction known as transesterification. This produces biodiesel and glycerin as a byproduct. The biodiesel is washed and refined to create the final product."

The Home That Runs on Dunkin' opens up to the porch area with garage-style lifting door
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' opens up to the porch area with garage-style lifting door

The tiny house itself appears to be based on New Frontier Tiny Homes' Escher model and is clad in black stained cedar wood and weathered steel panels. The exterior also sports a cedar porch.

The interior of the home was decorated with input from Wilde and has a high-end finish that includes subway tiles, slate countertops and solid walnut flooring. It measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m) and is dominated by a main living area that opens up to the porch with a garage-style lifting door. The nearby kitchen is large for a tiny house and features a full-size fridge, oven, and a small dishwasher – as well as a coffee machine, of course.

The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)
The Home That Runs on Dunkin' measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m)

The sleeping loft is reached by ladder and contains a king-size bed. Elsewhere lies a small "coffee nook" with two seats and a dining table, as well as a bathroom that boasts a spa tub/shower, a washer/dryer, sink, and composting toilet.

Check out the video below for more information on the project.

Sources: Dunkin' Donuts, New Frontier Tiny Homes

The Home that Runs on Dunkin'

View gallery - 26 images
2 comments
2 comments
dandandan
I wonder how much energy is required to convert the coffee grounds to biodiesel vs energy yielded from using it in a ICE generator. In comparison to compressing it into pellets and burning it in a furnace for a steam generator. Of course there are benefits from increasing its energy density, such as transportation and ease of use.
CAVUMark
I think I will need more storage space for my coffee.