AMR Software
AMR Data Centers

Automatic 3D Printed Tea Maker Brews a Nice Cup With Arduino-Assisted Precision

Share this Article

There’s something almost infectious about the DIY spirit. Once you’ve succumbed, every project seems at least vaguely manageable, every task however mundane considered in terms of how it t2could be streamlined or automated. That was the case with DIYer Brian McEvoy of St. Paul, Minnesota, who decided that even the relatively simple task of making tea could be easier.

McEvoy, also known as “24 Hour Engineer” on the Instructables DIY site, confessed, “I am scatterbrained. I like to drink hot tea. Oversteeped tea gets bitter. I am easily distracted,” all compelling reasons for “over-engineering” an Arduino-assisted tea brewing system. McEvoy’s Automatic Tea Maker looks a bit like one of the zany inventions of Commander Caractacus Potts (the eccentric inventor character from the Ian Fleming book and film adaptation, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” for all of you readers under 30). The device features a text display and 3D-printed parts, so this modern-day inventor has certainly availed himself of the latest in maker-tech.

t

While the device is largely 3D printed, you’ll need some additional materials, most of which can be sourced from EBay pretty cheaply. If you don’t have a 3D printer, you can always download McEvoy’s STL files and use a web-based 3D printing service like Shapeways or i.materialise, who will ship the freshly-printed parts to you while you wait for the other materials to arrive. You will need the following:

  • 16 x 2 LCD character displaytea maker parts
  • 5V Arduino Mini
  • 9g servo motor
  • Speaker
  • Potentiometer
  • Normally open (NO) switch
  • 3-position rectangular male header pins
  • Various hardware
  • Male USB plug with cord
  • Small-gauge wire
  • Solder

Yes! You’ll be doing some soldering as well as some programming for this project! If you don’t have programming experience, this will be a good project to begin with as McEvoy has written the program and has provided easy-to-comprehend instructions for programming the Arduino Mini and for soldering. McEvoy, a self-professed incessant talker, evidently did some pretty extensive self-editing for this project, which involves five steps as opposed to a previous 72-step effort previously posted–his “tCDS Thinking Cap” (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation).

The Automatic Tea Maker is powered by the USB cable. The device clips to the side of your tea cup. When the dial on the device is turned, the display will tell you how long you need to wait while your tea is steeping. McEvoy’s evident loathing of oversteeped tea led him to include this feature. The text at the top of the display will tell you what kind of tea is steeped for that length of time, but here’s the caveat according to McEvoy: “These times are not universally agreed upon.”

McEvoy turned to the website, Art of Tea, for answers and offers anyone who takes on this project the Arduino code to do so. McEvoy’s video shows how the device is assembled and how it works. For tips on consuming your tea–pinky extended or held in check–we recommend “How to Drink Tea Like the English.” Let us know if you have tried replicating this project.  Discuss in the 3D Printed Tea Maker forum thread on 3DPB.com.



Share this Article


Recent News

Betting on Localization: MRCA’s Jason Azevedo Explains Why He Invests in the Future of US Manufacturing

SWISSto12 and the Rise of 3D Printed Satellites



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

Velo3D Kicks Off New Strategy by Signing $15M Deal with Space Company

Velo3D (OTCMKTS: VLDX) just landed a five-year, $15 million deal with commercial space company Momentus (Nasdaq: MNTS). But this partnership is more than just a revenue boost; instead, it marks...

SWISSto12 to 3D Print Antennas for SES’s Medium Earth Orbit Satellite Constellation

SWISSto12 has made a remarkable journey in satellite manufacturing. The company now produces its own HummingSat, as well as 3D-printed filters, waveguides, and other RF components. Recently, it was selected...

Featured

Additive Industries Talks 3D Printing for RF Components, Automotive, & More

Dutch company Additive Industries, which first unveiled its flagship MetalFab industrial 3D printing system in 2015 and officially launched it in 2017, was very busy last year. At Formnext 2023,...

Could Axiom Space and India Disrupt the Global Space Market?

Axiom Space has set its sights on building the next space station to replace the International Space Station (ISS) and is currently in the early stages of developing its first...