A team of young Italian coffee aficionados has come up with a new concept for a coffee machine, which they claim to be the world's first electromagnetic induction coffee maker. Dubbed "La Fenice," the fully functional prototype makes both traditional Italian espresso and American filter coffee and uses up to 80 percent less energy than most other coffee machines.
Conceived by Stefano Polti, the design features a patented electromagnetic induction heater that instantly heats the water when the machine is turned on, allowing it to be turned off when not in use. Most other coffee machines on the market need a good five to fifteen minutes to heat up before brewing a perfect cup of coffee, while other models are designed to be kept on all day, thus consuming a lot more energy.
"We decided to concentrate first on the energy saving theme, engineering a new heater system that could use less power and only when we need it," says the La Fenice team. "To make it possible we studied electromagnetic induction, the technology that revolutionized the hobs industry, improving energy efficiency by up to 95 percent."
Furthermore, La Fenice also includes a specialized pressure flow rate and temperature control (PCP), which constantly evaluates the temperature of the water and allows for "higher precision" coffee making. A specially designed sensor directly measures the water temperature and keeps it at a constant 93° C (199° F).
"Unlike most other coffee makers measuring temperature at the surface of the boiler, 'La Fenice' directly measures the temperature of the water itself thanks to an advanced [technology], resulting in higher precision," says the La Fenice team.
The current design is inspired by traditional coffee machines from the early 1900's and features two separate coffee making nozzles, one for espresso and the other for filtered coffee. Unconventional as it stands, the prototype goes one step further and is compatible with both ground coffee and coffee capsules.
The design team behind the La Fenice prototype is currently seeking startup funding on Kickstarter, with pledges from US$250 to reserve a unit – if all goes to plan.
Source: La Fenice
