It’s a National Holiday! Coffee, Tea & Lots of Goodies in 3D

While many of us consider Tuesday to be the most lame day of the week, today offers an extra boost with National Coffee Day, which is sort of like Java Christmas for many of us, complete with rocket fuel gifts and everything.

Not only is today’s holiday a fabulous excuse to imbibe more caffeine than usual, retail freebies abound, from Starbucks to Dunkin’ Donuts, and with other great promotions thrown in too from those who tempt us with epicurean delights like Whole Foods and other natural grocery stores local to you.

Coffee, coffee, coffee! Make sure you’ve got some today, and share with your friends too. From freshly ground Colombian beans to the basic breakfast roast, and from the French press to the espresso machine to the $20 automatic drip that serves many of us just as well–to the trusty office coffee area–most of us are all in and especially as a precursor to breakfast; in fact some of us might be ready to duke it out if you get in the way of our precious sunrise bev.

The presence of this tiny bean, so important in most of our lives, has certainly not been overlooked in technological advances. Considering we drink coffee while we wake, breakfast, drive, and meet–certainly this is something that our world of making and tinkering geniuses have considered while looming over the 3D printer in their pajamas.

And indeed, as vast and varied as the world of coffee presents itself, so does the world of caffeine accoutrements within the 3D printing culture, with a multitude of fun and innovative devices. Check out some of the 3D delights makers around the world have brewed up below.

Coffee and chemistry is the perfect first on our list. The caffeine molecule placemat is something all of your intellectual counterparts will envy, and we want one too. Not only will it save your furniture and desk from unattractive rings, it’s a comfy throne where your favorite and beloved mug can perch daily.

“Caffeine is a molecule, and I designed it such that you can put a coffee mug on it,” said maker Ejo Schrama, of the Netherlands.

And, next, whether you are driving or simply hanging out, the 3D printed coffee cup holder is a must for those paper cups that burn the hands. Really meant for disposable paper coffee cups, this simple, unobtrusive device could play well with others also, depending on their shapes.

Easy to 3D print, with no supports necessary, Thingiverse member Matt Sherwood of California has come up with a great way to make coffee on the go more comfortable to grasp, adding some elegance to the process as well. Pinkies up!

And while we do love our joe, we don’t love the ongoing mess of fine brown grounds being strewn about. If you are missing a traditional scooper or prefer to free-pour, the 3D printed coffee bag lid will be as big a favorite with you as it is with us.

It clamps onto to that loosey goosey coffee bag, and while creator Neil, of Vancouver, states that it can be challenging to attach it at first, it’s well worth the effort. He has made some refinements to the design as well so that it’s easier to attach, and pour.

If you work in an office environment and are the artsy-craftsy coffee lover, the 3D printed coffee time change indicator is a fun item to make and then finish with handpainting.

“I saw people writing down times last week when coffee was changed, because otherwise we get drinking two day old crappy coffee, and when I changed the coffee I had to go look for a pen,” said James Villeneuve of Oregon. “Now with this, no more pen and paper, we know what time the coffee was made, so we can assure our picky selves fresh coffee!”

This invention could indeed save you from afternoon sludge in the coffee room, and your co-workers will probably get a kick out of it–as well as thanking you for the art and the thoughtfulness.

And the last–most fun and also possibly romantic–3D printed item is the stencil from UK-based Faberdashery.

These are all the rage right now, and what’s better than delivering a hot mug of coffee to your loved one in bed with a sweet message floating on the top? It’s as easy as 3D printing the one-piece little innovation and then holding it over your coffee mug while sprinkling some chocolate powder into a few letters of sweetness to make someone’s day.

Of course, there’s a LOT to offer in the way of coffee. Makers are an often-caffeinated lot, and you can find a wealth of other 3D printed coffee accessories, including cups, and even coffee itself 3D printed–as a filament and a hot cup of joe, maybe even with some foam art!

Have you printed out any cute little coffee doo-dads?  Let us know in the 3D Printing National Coffee Day Forum thread on 3DPB.com.