How do you (or would you) fill the reservoir of your coffee machine?
Take reservoir to sink and fill with water?
Fill reservoir with water from the top while it sits on the counter?
Fill reservoir on the counter form the top and take it to the sink to fill?
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Hello all…
I have a quick question for all you home coffee maker users out there.
I’m currently designing a single-serve (pod-style) coffee machine and am debating whether or not I should create an opening on the top of the water reservoir to be filled while it is on the machine or since the reservoir is removable anyways, just have a nice smooth top and have the valved opening on the bottom of the reservoir double as a filling hole for a faucet.
So basically, should the I give the user the option of filling the machine by pouring water into it while on the counter, or should I just make them remove the reservoir and take it to the sink to fill up?
i personally prefer to take the reservoir to the sink. I want the ability to have the reservoir detach from the unit so that I can wash it when needed.
Well I think they are right… when you make coffee, if you are one coffee lover and know about all its flavor and stuff… well you know that your coffee machine should be clean all the time, if you make some new coffee and it mixed with old coffee the flavour its not the same and it will kinda suck, so you`ll have to throw it away.
I was an involved observer on one of P&G’s single-pod machines. These are issues that always get debated and there are +'s and -'s to most of them. But if you’re designing this as a school project (I’m not sure if you’re still a student or not), why not break from the normal? Try something different. The water doesn’t have to be on top. Of course if this is a real project… good luck. And I want the water connected to my piping. No reservoirs.
these are all good points but the more I think about it the more I think I must allow for both behaviors. While’d I’d love to eliminate people filling it up as it sits on the counter, unfortunately some people will only do this and not enjoy constantly removing the reservoir to fill it up…as for the reservoir position…I’m on it and it will be unique…
also…a hard line to any residential coffee brewer is not good practice. most people tuck these cumbersome machines away (think toaster, blender, etc…) once they are done with them and a hardline prevents that…plus installation is a more involved than plugging it in. I think a hard line would dissuade more people than it would entice to purchase it.
Real project then you have to consider whether the fill on the bottom - which will need a valve so people can invert it, fill it, flip it again and then install into the coffeemaker - is reliable over all the uses the unit is expected to provide. In discussions the big issue there was dripping.
If you fill from the top and only have an outlet on the bottom, you probably wind up with the typically-drafted shape constraints. Good for tooling though. You could try something like Ziba’s designs for Black&Decker some years back to get more form. Those won awards. But they failed to sell and I know the manufacturing was a nightmare (I helped redesign one of the more current B&D single cup coffeemakers -not a pod- that emulates the look).
Lots of restrictions that force your hand, unfortunately.
And I know all about why a hard line (or semi-permanent line) is problematic. But I still want it.