An… interesting? idea. I do feel like it would produce coffee that does not taste very good. Mokapots are infamous finicky and this seems like it would not produce a heat profile that would lead...
An… interesting? idea.
I do feel like it would produce coffee that does not taste very good. Mokapots are infamous finicky and this seems like it would not produce a heat profile that would lead to good coffee.
I feel like you could just make a “solar kettle” and then just use a French press or a v60 or something instead.
Yeah, I don't know whether or not this would make good coffee, though, (while I do buy and prefer specialty coffee and am specific with my brews), I am also not ultimately super picky, so I'm sure...
Yeah, I don't know whether or not this would make good coffee, though, (while I do buy and prefer specialty coffee and am specific with my brews), I am also not ultimately super picky, so I'm sure it makes acceptable coffee at a minimum.
But I agree that, if you're going for a better brew, the solar kettle idea would get you much further.
Though I kinda still like the project just for the sake of the project itself
I thought there was no way they would make something that actually involved electricity. I imagined it would be a solar reflector, similar to how we "cooked" solar hot dogs in boy scouts. I would...
I thought there was no way they would make something that actually involved electricity. I imagined it would be a solar reflector, similar to how we "cooked" solar hot dogs in boy scouts. I would think a well-focused device would get water plenty hot enough for a pour-over or french press to make acceptable coffee, even for us more-picky consumers. If I wasn't super busy this weekend I would think about trying something out this weekend.... perhaps sometime in the near future.
I honestly feel like a solar reflector design would be more efficient too since the desired output is heat. That solar panel has anywhere from a 15%-20% conversion efficiency. So their 100 watt...
I honestly feel like a solar reflector design would be more efficient too since the desired output is heat. That solar panel has anywhere from a 15%-20% conversion efficiency. So their 100 watt panel (which is probably outputting closer to 80 W), is getting hit with about 500 W of solar energy. And you can heat/boil water a lot easier with 500 W than you can with 80 W.
Though there is an elegance from being able to position the coffee maker independently of the solar receiver.
Truth. While I have a few brewers, the basic V60 is my daily driver and it's popular for a reason and very accessible. I love that even today it has remained very inexpensive. Have made some...
Truth. While I have a few brewers, the basic V60 is my daily driver and it's popular for a reason and very accessible. I love that even today it has remained very inexpensive. Have made some incredible coffee with it.
Feels a bit overcomplicated, no? Step 1: plant tree Step 2: wait Step 3: harvest wood Step 4: fire Step 5: boil water for a pourover on your fire To save time, you can just use an existing tree....
Feels a bit overcomplicated, no?
Step 1: plant tree
Step 2: wait
Step 3: harvest wood
Step 4: fire
Step 5: boil water for a pourover on your fire
To save time, you can just use an existing tree. Fortunately they're all solar powered!
If you don't include travel time, that seems likely to be the fastest boil time possible! Though, come to think of it, doesn't water have an especially low boiling point in a vacuum? You might not...
If you don't include travel time, that seems likely to be the fastest boil time possible! Though, come to think of it, doesn't water have an especially low boiling point in a vacuum? You might not even have to go all the way there.
Yes, this is one of their weakest article so far IMO. Solar panel are definitely not low tech (try making a solar panel), which is fine, but here we have plenty of just as (or more) effective...
Yes, this is one of their weakest article so far IMO.
Solar panel are definitely not low tech (try making a solar panel), which is fine, but here we have plenty of just as (or more) effective lower tech for the job.
as plenty of people pointed out, it's much better to make a solar kettle and just use a french press.
There are several other articles on basically "how to power your apartment with a solar panel or two" and assume you have a solar panel but are otherwise off-grid. I see this as an extension of...
There are several other articles on basically "how to power your apartment with a solar panel or two" and assume you have a solar panel but are otherwise off-grid. I see this as an extension of those - "well, since you have that solar panel..."
Seems like an unusual article for solar powered magazine. More of a DIY instructable, which I'm not against, but I would have expected something covering cold brewing coffee instead of this.
Seems like an unusual article for solar powered magazine. More of a DIY instructable, which I'm not against, but I would have expected something covering cold brewing coffee instead of this.
It's not 'solar powered magazine', it's Low Tech Magazine. The "solar" in the URL is the link to the server that's exclusively solar powered (although nowadays it's solar+battery). If the link...
Seems like an unusual article for solar powered magazine.
It's not 'solar powered magazine', it's Low Tech Magazine. The "solar" in the URL is the link to the server that's exclusively solar powered (although nowadays it's solar+battery). If the link 404s, wait a couple of hours until it's Spanish daytime, or remove the solar. from the URL.
An… interesting? idea.
I do feel like it would produce coffee that does not taste very good. Mokapots are infamous finicky and this seems like it would not produce a heat profile that would lead to good coffee.
I feel like you could just make a “solar kettle” and then just use a French press or a v60 or something instead.
That's basically Low Tech Magazine in a nutshell. Like how all the photos in the article are dithered monochrome to save data.
Yeah, I don't know whether or not this would make good coffee, though, (while I do buy and prefer specialty coffee and am specific with my brews), I am also not ultimately super picky, so I'm sure it makes acceptable coffee at a minimum.
But I agree that, if you're going for a better brew, the solar kettle idea would get you much further.
Though I kinda still like the project just for the sake of the project itself
I thought there was no way they would make something that actually involved electricity. I imagined it would be a solar reflector, similar to how we "cooked" solar hot dogs in boy scouts. I would think a well-focused device would get water plenty hot enough for a pour-over or french press to make acceptable coffee, even for us more-picky consumers. If I wasn't super busy this weekend I would think about trying something out this weekend.... perhaps sometime in the near future.
I honestly feel like a solar reflector design would be more efficient too since the desired output is heat. That solar panel has anywhere from a 15%-20% conversion efficiency. So their 100 watt panel (which is probably outputting closer to 80 W), is getting hit with about 500 W of solar energy. And you can heat/boil water a lot easier with 500 W than you can with 80 W.
Though there is an elegance from being able to position the coffee maker independently of the solar receiver.
V60 is so OP. Just a single injection-molded piece of plastic and a filter and you can make top tier coffee.
Truth. While I have a few brewers, the basic V60 is my daily driver and it's popular for a reason and very accessible. I love that even today it has remained very inexpensive. Have made some incredible coffee with it.
Feels a bit overcomplicated, no?
Step 1: plant tree
Step 2: wait
Step 3: harvest wood
Step 4: fire
Step 5: boil water for a pourover on your fire
To save time, you can just use an existing tree. Fortunately they're all solar powered!
Just fly your kettle to the sun! I can't believe I have to spell this out.
If you don't include travel time, that seems likely to be the fastest boil time possible! Though, come to think of it, doesn't water have an especially low boiling point in a vacuum? You might not even have to go all the way there.
Yes, this is one of their weakest article so far IMO.
Solar panel are definitely not low tech (try making a solar panel), which is fine, but here we have plenty of just as (or more) effective lower tech for the job.
as plenty of people pointed out, it's much better to make a solar kettle and just use a french press.
There are several other articles on basically "how to power your apartment with a solar panel or two" and assume you have a solar panel but are otherwise off-grid. I see this as an extension of those - "well, since you have that solar panel..."
Seems like an unusual article for solar powered magazine. More of a DIY instructable, which I'm not against, but I would have expected something covering cold brewing coffee instead of this.
It's not 'solar powered magazine', it's Low Tech Magazine. The "solar" in the URL is the link to the server that's exclusively solar powered (although nowadays it's solar+battery). If the link 404s, wait a couple of hours until it's Spanish daytime, or remove the
solar.from the URL.Yeah sorry I was distracted.
You will be hanged at dawn.
Fair enough.
We would do it sooner, but the hanging is solar powered too.
Low Tech Mag is also no stranger to DIY/instructable-like articles, and they easily fit in with the mag's themes