I should note that the Niche portafiler holder print I reviewed is actually nearly identical to a pre- existing product produced by Decent, and available here: decentespresso.com/portafilter_stand I apologise for the error.
The decent funnel is remarkably nice. There is no flange sticking into your coffee grounds. It is magnetically held onto the basket so firmly that it will stay on if you invert it even though it is a satisfyingly heavy steel ring.
Thanks for featuring my portafilter holder! It's fun to see one of the people I respect most in the espresso hobby getting started in the 3D printing hobby that I have loved for so long
@@Dragon4eva PLA is generally food safe. That being said, no plastic is truly completely food safe, even and perhaps especially the ones that are ubiquitous in food containers.
Definitely. I put off buying a 3D printer for years. My thought was "I want one, but what would I print? I never need anything printed." Now that I own several 3D printers, before shopping for something to solve a problem, I first check if the problem could be solved by printing. I just got my first espresso machine, and I'm having trouble getting the grounds even/level before tamping, and I've already found tools for that on Thingiverse 🙂
I sew a lot, and see textile-based solutions everywhere. Scratched tabletop? I'll make a runner! Hot serving dish? Perfect time for a quilted trivet! A good friend is really into pottery and will make so many things out of clay, including "nice-to-haves" like napkin holders, and upgraded things like toothbrush holders and lamp pulls. I love how having a hobby and the right tools can totally change our perspectives and processes.
The Ikea effect is liking something more because you built/assembled it- I've found with both coffee and 3D printing, whether I modeled it myself or not, that the satisfaction of doing it myself is immeasurable. Also assembling a 3D printer = adult Legos.
@@MartinStephenson1 IKEA and 3D printing go together like Tea and Biscuits, the square LACK table they sell make amazing 3D printer tables and you can stack them to make DIY enclosures
Speaking of the Moka pot, I’ve become very interested in comparing Moka pot coffee to pre-WWII espresso. Looking at the patents for those early espresso machines, they’re using steam pressure from a boiler to force water through the grounds at 1.5 - 2 bars. That is actually similar to the pressures produced by the Moka pot. A common knock on the Moka pot is that it doesn’t make espresso but it was designed in 1933, over a decade before machines capable of 9 bars were widely available. Indeed it was marketed as bringing the coffee bar into your home. So maybe it does make espresso but it’s pre-war espresso and when you make coffee with it, you are traveling back in time.
"its everything i'd feared it would be" such a great quote, its so fun to see how 3d printing crosses with different hobbies, its seems to always have some application
PSA: of you're interested in trying 3D printing, check your local public library to see if they have one you can try! "Maker spaces" are becoming very popular at public libraries in the us, and they often include 3D printers, sewing machines, cricuts, and more available for anyone to use for free 🤓
Our local public library has multiple printers available, but they require you to take an introductory class (free) before you're allowed to use them. That seems a sensible measure to keep the printers from being broken by people -- like me -- who don't know what they're doing.
There are also 3D print services, where if you don't want to buy a printer, you have a model you want printed, but you only have like... one... you can commission the service to do it for you. Think FedEx, but for 3D printing.
While this seems like a good idea, most larger prints can take several hours or days to print, so makerspace printers are really limited to small prints only.
A year after I found James' channel, I'm packed with a few brew devices that make delicious coffee daily and about to buy my espresso grinder for a recently adopted lever machine. Never thought it may happen to someone who only drank coffee seldomly in order to help with some headaches. Keep up the good work James, your content is amazing and loved! 🔥
I've just started watching the aeropress series and I'm fighting not to buy one until my next paycheck comes in. I'd love to get something more espresso like but I have a severe like of space but saw the aeropress video and went ooooh....
@@blisles7626 (un)fortunately there are manual espresso machines which are quite compact, some even smaller than the aeropress, and yet really cappable. Search: Aram, Espresso Forge, Wacaco Picopresso, Uniterra Nomad, Flair, Robot. Don't know if you will thank me for that, cause they can be 20x more expensive than an Aeropress, but at least the Picopresso is very budget friendly, but it is really new, and there isn't a lot of info about it. James has already reviewed the Aram, the Flair and the Robot
@@blisles7626 I bought an aeropress several years ago, tried it a couple of times, didn’t like it and put it away to eventually sell. James’ series on the aeropress totally turned that around. Once I really understood the aeropress and adapted james’ technique for my own needs, my coffee is delicious. I need to use filtered coffee so can’t use an espresso machine or our trusty old bialetti, but the aeropress produces some of that same richness I adore.
I love how James is the sort of person who tries to find the file creators to tip them, while you are the sort of person who gets rich making trash 30second tiktoks from other people's 3D designs without compensating them in any way. On every single one of your videos you hide the actual designs at the very bottom of the description, after whatever banggood thing you are advertising. And yet here you are, like on every other actual worth-while youtuber video commenting something dumb to drive up your own profile.
An addendum: You can post-process PLA with two-part food-safe resin, and it will make it far safer than unprocessed PLA. While I would not recommend it as food/drinkware, resin coating allows for significant decrease in bacterial infection and can make washing easier.
As you seem to have a bit of experience in this field i might ask: Is there any other way to make a 3D print save for drinking water?I thought about 3D printing a costum shaped water tank for my coffee machine (water at room temeratur) and then using FDA approved epoxy...Is there a better way I missed?
@@jaydenhayden8592 There's a few options and all have advantages and disadvantages. You're trying to resolve the issue of bacteria forming between layer lines, inability to wash PLA at high enough temperatures to kill bacteria, and possibly dissolved residue from nozzles (although realistically that should be a very small effect; if really concerned, run cleaning filament first and use a steel nozzle). 1) fill in the lines with epoxy or some other coating for regular cleaning (easy, messy), preferably something food safe 2) use HT-PLA which can be boiled to be disinfected (easy, requires an oven, also requires regular cleaning, relatively expensive). 3) use smoothing (usually acetone) (difficult, best result, can be expensive). 4) use it to to cast something food safe, rather than directly printing the object itself (e.g. casting a silicone item). (Tricky but not that difficult, requires a mold release, pretty much guarantees food safety). Those are generically the top 4 ways to achieve your result.
If you really care to go for a swim in the deep end, there's also ceramic filament that contains low amounts of binders that burn away when you fire the parts in a kiln. It takes some experimentation to get more complex parts to come out correctly because they shrink when firing and risk of warping, but it's possible to make wonderful ceramic pieces that can be glazed.
James the thing that's great about 3D printing is its as deep or as shallow as you want it to be. The low cost of printing machines these days allows you to just have it as a small hobby, or use it purely practically to print missing parts or for brackets and whatnot, or to go whole hog and make your bed autoleveling and networked so you can print on the fly. You also don't need that much knowledge to get started, and it only really comes into play when you get into more and more complex projects. Like starting at the shallow end of the pool and wading out until you're finally swimming.
I like how james seems less confident than usual since he is dealing with something new to him. Its very endearing and a nice change of pace. Id love to see him try more random new things in the future or just do more 3D printing stuff.
Everything about this video makes me happy. Coffee, 3D printing, new hobbies, art and the unfiltered, genuine, giddy, pure Happiness that is pouring out of you. I love it! I love your videos! Thank you for sharing :)
My addiction lasted less than a year. Finally gave all my stuff to a local makerspace after the novelty wore off. I just didn't have an actual use for it.
@@TravelingStacker There are limits due to the material (temperature limits, food safe, strength) that do restrict what you can use 3D printed parts for. Once you print a bunch of desk toys and pencil holders you didn't really need, you start wondering what to do next. I found the key was to combine 3D printed parts with other materials like wood and metal; use the printed parts for the fiddly bits and then wood/metal for the strength/temperature resistance. This expands what you can do with the printer and opens up a lot of new ideas. Of course you need the tools to work in metal/wood/whatever to do this, but you should think of the 3D printer as a companion to other maker skills rather than your sole means of production.
@@CraigBrideau Oh they are undoubtedly a great standalone tool and compliment other tools as well, I just didn't really need it after the novelty wore off. I also travel full time for work so it was something else to lug around. Plus saving the makerspace a few grand was a nice gesture that they appreciated.
I love the fact that you cared to share info on the plastic safety. Making it clear that youre having fun but it is technically not safe. And the viewer can do with that info what they will.
3:02 I use a Bialetti (Moka pot) every morning and just put the basket in the cup that I'll use to drink my coffee in. That makes it so easy to keep upright, and I'm about to use that cup anyway Edit: also: 4:27 Amazing news, yes please!
I kept a small glass jar (jelly? Pesto? I don’t remember) that the basket fits on top of perfectly. And I can read the scale through the glass if needed.
I'm an engineer and a coffee lover from the US and seeing James this excited over a 3D printer brings me such joy haha. All of these coffee equipment prints are extremely satisfying and I want them all now
Get a small chunk of wood. Drill a 1/2" hole and put your Moka Pot basket in the hole and weigh away. Saved hundreds of dollars on a 3D printer and pennies for the plastic. Distribution Tool: Champagne cork with pins inserted into the flat bottom. Been using one for years.
3D printing is a fad IMO. It might not be as compact, but I would much rather have a little CNC machine than a 3D printer. Actually makes useful stuff out of many different kinds of materials. With fewer difficulties. But hey, Ive been wrong before, maybe it really is the future
@@skeetsmcgrew3282 I've got one of both, and I have to say, the 3d printer gets a hell of a lot more stuff made on it than the mill. The time and effort to spin up tool paths, cut, prep and probe the stock, make tool changes etc, 3d printer is much closer to "just press go". That and my baby 3040 is nearly 5 times the price of the little creality these days.
@@skeetsmcgrew3282 desktop bcc machines are useless. They lack the rigidity to make anything out of metal. It'll do aluminum, with a ton of chatter, and a super slow feed, and takes forever. They're worthless.
lol it's not a fad, it's here now and legitimately useful. Will some people only print off useless crap, absolutely. But for others it opens doors they wouldn't otherwise have access to. One thing good that's come from this is the volunteer program that prints prosthetics for children. Because they grow, the costs of continually replacing their prosthetic parts from a medical supply company was astronomical. So while you can initially save a lot money by making a part from common items, it's missing the point of the machine. I've printed stuff from replacement parts for my binocular's strap, saving time as well as money, to things for Dungeons and Dragons games. It's handy af.
Also a block of wood can be beautifully refined and finished if you like that kind of thing, while a 3d printed piece of plastic will always look like a 3d printed piece of plastic...
Honestly? The best thing about James is how he credits all of the individual contributers. I work in the arts and so many times I see artwork and designs get shamelessly stolen. It's incredible to see someone really take the time to say "hey. I didn't make this but this other person did. Go support them."
Your first print. That sums up 3d printing for me and owning one. You start finding things that annoyed you or frustrated you, that now have solutions. It's not ground breaking, it won't change your life but all of those "papercut" level issues, you suddenly find yourself able to solve some of them and that's what hooks you. :)
What hooked me was the ability to design and make my own parts. There is nothing as satisfying as seeing a really irritating problem and fixing it all by yourself. My extruder ate up a chunk of my available X and Z axis, so I designed a much better one that inverted the motor mount and freed up a ton of build volume on my printer. That extruder is like my progeny now.
I’m super happy I jumped into 3D printing. It’s a hobby that feeds into every other hobby or activity I do and helps me repair and make even more things
You beat me to it. Plus I use a plastic wide mouth funnel to fill easily decant the coffee from my Lido grinder. I also made a puck stirrer from a plastic cork by heating 6 lengths of stiff wire (monel, inconel or stainless will do) and sticking them into the cork. I used it to distribute the coffee evenly until I found a could get the same result by tipping and tapping the funnel a few times.
I am hugely excited to see the popularization of 3D printing in the common home. I worked in the aircraft research industry and 3D printing in that field is on an entirely different level. We have entered a realm where 3D-printed metals are being used and implemented in manufacturing. There are even small (can fit in a garage) powder printing that uses a laser to melt powdered metal in layers. Then you are able to take the rough print and machine it to the exact dimensions needed. Some research has gone into the integration of a 3D printer with a CNC mill to be able to just put in raw material and get out a completely finished product. At times a part that would normally take weeks to make now takes 2 days. It seems like the real world is looking more and more like science fiction.
I've made filter paper presses, drip stands, and a replacement adjustment part for my grinder. It gets into a lot of challenges to know what to print verses what will just become un-needed clutter!
Hi James, you could print a device that keeps the plunger of the Aeropress straight centrically vertical while with the sufficient weight put on top it slowly slides down. I love the sweet result super slow pressing yields but i mean really like >4 min with a coarse grind. If the plunger is not wiggling around you can put a liquid container on top then fill just enough water until you hardly notice it starting to slide. This water can be used permanently. I noticed that the slow pace is kept all the way down. As in there seems to be no buildup of resistance calling for additional weight to move on. Rn i'm doing this with pieces of a toothpick between the plunger and the chamber. Saves me minutes of having to plunge myself. Of corce with more weight you can also use it for plunging faster or normal. Thankyou for you pleasant manner and kind regards!
Great video! I love those and will print some. Two notes. 1. There is food-safe PLA. Basically all PLA might be considered food safe before pigments get added, as the actual polylactic acid is completely non toxic. 2. The biggest challenge of making 3D prints food safe is not the filament itself (that's easy to buy and operate) but the fact that nozzles are made of brass, and this means having a small percentage of lead in the alloy through which the filament gets heated and deposited. There are steel, food-safe nozzles, but steel has lower thermal conductivity than brass and these are a bit harder to operate and tune-in.
Those needles in the WDT tool are also known as acupuncture needles. You can get them pretty cheap online and cut and sand them (so it won’t be sharp and scratch your portafilter basket). I think 0.40mm size would be just right.
I've heard that a guitar string works, as well. Though, the pieces wouldn't have the thicker parts to hold them in place. You'd have to get creative to come up with an alternative retention method. But at about $2 a string or less, it's dirt cheap! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I've got a spare high E string lying around here somewhere...
One of my favorite mugs is too wide for the Clever dripper sit on securely. My husband designed and 3d printed an adapter for me that bridges the gap. I have been using it for about a year. I will suggest he add it to Thingiverse, he had been thinking of doing that.
Just remember that it's not just the filament but also your nozzle etc affects the food safety aspects, (and sadly the texture of 3d prints is a real boon for bacteria), if your producing stuff that's in direct contact with something you're consuming
Yeah second this, I'm very hesitant to use 3d prints on anything that touches food. That said coffee grounds pre brewing I might be less worried about bacteria/mold growth just due to the nature of the food and the fact that you'll be passing near boiling water through it before consuming.
I just print the piece and make a silicon copy. Easy, fast, cheap, reliable, scalable safe etc. Just a bit of sanding so the copy comes out smooth from the mould and the job is done
Yep, Brass nozzles are alloyed with Lead, but it really is miniscule amount that makes it onto the print. However, if you want to produce food safe prints use a Stainless Steel nozzle
@@carlandre3892 depends on the brass. There are many many many allies of commonly used brass that's got no lead. Additionally, as you said it's a negligible amount, and an even smaller amount would contaminate your food, and an even smaller amount would be able to go into your body. It's a non issue.
The best accessories I have printed were a portafilter tamping station, a portafilter holder (to store vertically), and also an awesome filter keeper for my aeropress
Love this and my 3D printer as well. I have a snapmaker 2.0 and love the process of creating stuff in fusion and then printing it out. It is an amazing feeling to go from brain to product. Needed a funnel for pouring fresh coffee into bags, and created a funnel wide enough and then square enough at the bottom to fit into a typical one pound bag of coffee. Love it!
I think it's interesting that he went with FDM rather than resin. I've got one, but I've just ordered a resin printer from creality and for most things that where things are going. Plus, with ceramics, you can make parts that are much more heat resistant.
Have my printer for two years now, designed and printed lots of stuf. Vases, brackets, cellphone and tablet cases, a tablet stand, lamp shades, credit card wallet, ... last year I added a cnc machine and for the last four months I have been working on a fluid bed coffee roaster. With a 3D printed compressor and a wooden housing. Pretty happy with it so far, but still a couple of months away from completion ... love the whole process of learning how to design and make things. As long as I have a good cup of coffee to go alogn of course... Love your video's James, thanks for makig them!
3D printing is and has been my main hobby for the past 5 years. and seeing this video as I am getting more and more excited about coffee brewing has made my day. I'd love to see this as a cool random series, I'm sure I'm not the only one. :)
My main hobby is 3D printing and I spend most of my time when I print by making movie prop replicas. I love the excitement of people as they start their first prints. It is so fun seeing a problem around the house and then going and seeing if you can find (or even better create) a printable solution. I have been taking a break to pick-up coffee as a new hobby, so it made me laugh to see my two hobby’s come together in one video. Enjoy and welcome to the community!
I love this. You've hit the nail on the head. With comments like "I'm excited and new at this" and the way you speak about the things you've made I can tell you've captured the reason that the majority of people would enjoy 3d printing. Yes you can make things cheaper than buying and yes you can fix broken plastic parts but mostly people 3d print because you can! Because it's fun and you can just do it and it's there.
With the Sage range, most of them use 54mm portafilters and finding accessories for them has been challenging and expensive. I was happy to find some like-minded people who have uploaded 54mm designs to thingiverse and I've printed a dosing cup, dosing funnel and tamping station. I've also moved into printing ABS because, as you mentioned, PLA is not food safe.
@@littlejackalo5326 It's easier to 'finish' ABS than PLA to make it acceptable - at least for coffee anyway. Plus, ABS doesn't melt when I put my hot portafilter on my printed tamping station ;-)
PLA itself is food safe, the problem is the pigments. Transparent PLA should be fine. And anyway coffee only comes into contact with it fairly briefly. Transparent PETG is even better as a food-bearing surface though. I am pretty sure ABS is not even remotely food-safe.
I am an architecture student who loves coffee and uses 3d printer for architecture models. So happy to see James is interested in 3d printing! 3d printing is a life style changer. You'll start to think about making parts by yourself when a part of a product is broken or you need something that is unique and can't be found in the market. I just printed a knob for my coffee grinder cause the original knob is broken. It works perfectly and I just feel so satisfied to fix a thing by myself!
This is the most amazing crossover I didn't know I needed. I love seeing people's reactions to instant print solutions. Thank you for this. I've printed tons of stuff but as for personal coffee print/designs Ive designed a hand grinder brace that keeps the grinders shaft from cantilevering leading to poor grind consistency for pourovers.
Just want to take a second and call attention to how well the sound is mixed in this. Been sweet to watch you really hone the technical aspects of video content over the years. Cheers!
As a coffee lover and avid 3d printing hobbyist this video was an absolute joy. I also built a Prusa from their kit and have printed several espresso related things. A WDT tool that uses the same needles, although a different design. Two different leveling tamper "handles"for my Cafelat Robot, plus a holder for the tamper and shower screen. I love printing in general, but using it as a tool to create a solution to a problem is definitely the most satisfying.
Love the prints! I feel that I constantly struggle with finding applications for my printer, so I will have to check these out. So surreal for me any time the Weiss Distribution Technique comes up. I took a good number of Computer Science courses from Dr. Weiss before he retired. Such a pleasure to have been able to learn so much about programming and coffee from such an interesting man.
I dont know who this man is and I really don't care that much about making perfect coffee, but it's just so delightful to see someone discover the magic of 3D printing.
Believe me when I say that this man will elevate your coffee no matter how you brew it. I've been bit by the 3D printing bug too, and both hobbies appeal to the same part of my brain if that makes any sense.
I had a coworker friend make me two 3D printed pieces for my aeropress! I wanted a tamp so I could experiment with different 'faux-spresso' methods, so I sent him two models and asked him to print what was easiest and he ended up printing both (a good friend indeed). One is a long tamp that fits in the aeropress, the other is a two-in-one tamp and aeropress scoop stand. Before this, I was using a spice bottle that would fit in my aeropress...thankful for people out there that come up with these niche solutions!
The beauty of open source is that people can and should absolutely commercialize on top of it subject to any licenses from the creators. The last thing we need is for people to name and shame those who are trying to do that. Linux would not be where it is without RedHat for example. There are plenty of people who are not privileged to have 3D printers who would absolutely benefit from commercialization of some of these designs (subject to any licenses as mentioned). And many open source creators are perfectly happy to see someone take their design and commercialize even if all they get is the satisfaction of their design in the hands of many people than they themselves could have done on their own.
I completely agree. The Moka stand is under a CC license. If the creator didn't want it to be commercialised, they would have used The Creative Commons - Non-commercial variant which you can easily do on Thingiverse. In fact the Espresso Distribution Tool and portafilter holder are under such a license. There's definitely space for a company to make high quality prints of these open designs, ideally tipping the original creator, and publishing their improvements to the model back to the community. I've bought 3D prints back before I had access to a 3D printer, and am thankful someone was doing it. We shouldn't be "calling them out".
Yeah, I was about to comment just that but decided to search for keywords first. We should not shame anyone who commercialize products made from open source designs, specially if they sell by a fair price. There are forms of open source licence that are restricted regarding commercialization. But most of these designs are CC, so it would absolutely fine to commercialize them. Also, anyone that makes some of these into a product will have to invest a lot of time and money to make the product happen. Open source is the opposite of impeding ideas to propagate. What we want is for everybody who has the means to be able to make thinks that solve problems. The licence who trap ideas in the hands of few people is the copy right.
Wow so amazing seeing the exact experience of a first time maker. Welcome to the addiction of additive manufacturing and have some great guests in the 3D world in your comment box! I’ve been printing for 2 years and it is amazing house hold items to small projects for friends. It’s endless
I liked how you mentioned electricity cost when talked about Distribution Tool, true attention to details, sir. I would never even think of such a thing
Congrats on your printer! First thing to print is a full set of spare parts for your printer, to make it easy to fix when you break it! 😂 Not even a joke, it's annoying to have to order parts you could have printed yourself... 🙂
JUST when I had gotten over my want of buying a 3D printer I find this video... This may have tipped me back on the side of getting one. Especially for that simple moka pot holder! I always have to put it inside the bottom half to weigh my grounds, but then it gets grounds all inside of it. Genius solution!
The "needles" are not 3d printer cleaning needles, but they are the most common acupuncture needles (much cheaper). PLA is food safe (plastic utensils are made from this material) but some filament additives are not, and I suggest switching to stainless steel extruder nozzle for better food safety. There are specifically made filaments with food safety and cleaning/sterilization in mind (edit: SS Nozzles are tricky to print properly)
PLA makes it really easy for bacteria to grow. This is probably fine for your dry coffee utensils, but given the nature of the textured part that is 3D printed, you're much better off with something you can boil to sterilise - like Nylon, Nonoilen or something high-temperature resistant. You can get Nylons with EU/US food certification
I printed a WDT and a holder to keep all the bit and pieces for the Flair Pro 2 all in one place. Gotta love 3D printing, next James you should learn to 3D model then you can make bespoke parts for all your coffee needs. It's really easy once you look into it.
My jaw dropped when I saw the thumbnail...my love for coffee and 3d printing have finally collided in the most glorious way. Food safe 3d prints have historically been a bit of a "controversial topic". Mainly, the layer lines can host bacteria and etc. In an attempt to combat this, I have used a food safe polyurethane spray to coat the prints. Just make sure to hand wash only; e.g., it doesn't end well in the dishwasher.
Controversial but also nonsensical. I have so many ridges in my store bought plastic cutting board which can host as many bacteria as any 3d print. Don't get me started on lead from nozzles, that's even more ridiculous.
@@ChristophPech I agree completely with respect to the lead leaching from brass nozzles. The temperatures would need to be very high to diffuse a big lead atom through a solid medium on the scales of a print. Perhaps one caveat is that using 3d prints to house "dry goods" is different than foods that are inherently wet/oily etc. I could be wrong on this, but I thought the original concern with making 3d printing food safe mainly surrounded whether or not you are able to completely dry it out? I could be wrong. Certainly, we all use non-food (e.g., having bacteria on their surfaces and etc) safe items around food all the time. I imagine that most of us don't use an autoclave or UV light source to fully clean dishes, since that's a bit overboard.
hearing you being so excited about 3D printing is the best. I know right, sharing so many 3D models for free and making everyone benefit from problem-solving designs ? Humanity needs more of these kind of platforms !
I have an Ender 3 printer and I love it! I've had it for 4 years now. Not only have I printed engine parts to get me out of trouble but I've also printed coffee stuff! I printed a 2-tone tamper which is still in service after 6 months. My coffee machine came with a stupid little steam valve so I designed and printed my own. Such a cool technology
I have thrown so much coffee over my counter from trying to dose into the balanced basket of a moka pot... This would have saved a lot of cleaning time.
I use an emptied jam jar to steady the basket and put them in a white plastic take out container to catch any grounds too. Another person suggests using a shot glass if you like. I know some people just keep it in the boiler bottom, as someone else jokes in the comment below!
My two favourite things in one video, 3D printing and coffee! Once you get over the purchase and transport of the printer I believe there is also an environmental benefit to the whole distributed manufacturing model of 3D printing, super existing to see it more and more mainstream
2d printers are reliable - you just need to not buy the really cheap inkjets that follow the razor-blades pricing model. Get a decent colour laser for a few hundred quid for documents, or a dye-sublimation printer if you want to do glossy photos.
@@JeffDvrx my Canon printer, the kind with tanks, keeps changing the default feed source to the rear tray, which I don’t use and therefore has no paper. Then it gives me an out of paper error msg. I tried googling it but everything says to change it in the application you’ve using. But the problem occurs when I’m copying something so there’s no app involved! And when I tried to call canon, I got a catch-22 - they won’t talk to me if I’m not a registered owner, but I can’t register because the system tells me my serial # (on a label on the printer) is not possible. And I can’t call them to clear that up because I’m not registered. So yes, my printer is driving me crazy.
Most PLA filaments are food contact safe. I have a few 3D printers and love the hobby. I also love my espresso hobby and these are some great examples of where the two can complement each other. I have used 3D printing to fix broken parts of machines like handles and feet. Enjoy your new printer!
PLA is in fact food safe. It is only a danger if you, lets say, have a lot of layer lines. If a bunch of coffee got between those lines, it can cause bacterial growth. However this is the case for just about every printing filament, and you can solve it by over-extruding your filament. The print takes longer, but the filament lines overlap one another, creating a tighter seal, and making it possible to clean.
My mokapot is steel and spigot style. It says do NOT cool it down quickly, in contradiction to James' sink method or cold wet towels. Additionally, with a spigot method, that didn't make sense though, because you have the draw down (actually drawn up though) coffee separated from the boiler further on the platform. Saw a UK cafe shop brew guide on mokapot that berated the idea of preheating the water, which seems an indirect reproach to Hoffmann guide. I have had better luck with a percolator than with my mokapots. I have one mokapot electric style and two different sized steel spigot stovetop style. Thought it might be my burner temp regulation problem, so I am getting an induction burner soon. My brew time and grind sizes are not easy to dial to taste..
3D printing is a lot of fun, even more so when you start designing and modelling your own stuff. I haven't done that much for my Gaggia Classic yet, just a low profile drip tray and several backflush disks. However, I am working on a coffee scale that also combines several more hobbies, electronics, microcontrollers and programming. The coffee scale is a result of wanting some functionality I haven't really seen in any commercially available scales outside of some integrated into high end coffee machines. And yes, an integrated Gaggia Classic coffee scale is my ultimate end goal.
When I visited Taiwan before the pandemic I stumbled upon this coffee shop in Hualien where the husband had several 3d printers going making pour over stands and pour over filter holders. They were quite elegant looking (it was a swirly tornado-ish design) and in some models he used copper to hold the 3d printed filter holder to the stand which was a nice combination of materials.
@@brianpark4 You're so lucky! Its one of my favorite cities by far. I may be biased because I have family friends there.... The cafe is called Maytreecoffee 五月樹咖啡 No. 220, Shanghai St, Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan 970 The couple are quiet (at least towards me, probably because my Mandarin sucks), but the wife was very welcoming (I think the husband was tinkering in the back or something) and my wife was able to translate for me and get me a nice dark espresso, then a local Taiwanese pour over that was super fruity - which I've never experienced before, and I guess my enthusiasm really showed because they treated me and my wife to a refreshing cup of coldbrew. Another thing that really stuck out to me was that they use a vacuum on the grinder to clear it out when changing beans which I think is really neat. I wish I had more time to spend there, I wish my Mandarin was better, and I wish I made pour overs so I could support them. Take my experience with a grain of salt as this was about 4 years ago. I hope they are still around and doing well. Anyways, hope you're able to have a great experience if you can make it!
@@hoongfu thank you for the info! I’ve definitely stayed just a few blocks from this cafe a few times and never been in. Hopefully one day I’ll go back!
James, I discovered your channel pretty recently and your content is amazing. I do have a question/challenge for you. I’m a French professional explorer and a big coffee enthusiast. Most of the time it’s difficult to make a good coffee when on an expedition in remote place, because the weight we can carry is really limited and all the gear we take must be light and almost essential to survive. On November 2022 I’ll start an expedition across Antarctica. How can I make a really good/life saving coffee with the strict minimum ? Thank you and have a nice one
A hand grinder Emty tea bags or Paper filter or A cleaned white cotton sock, which has never been used. In some countries they do have a particular cotton bag to serve the purpose.
☝️ I think best would be Mokka-Press with the fire-place you guys will have around to heat up your foods with. If for more people you can get a slightly bigger circumference mokka pot (e.g. Bialetti) and it those cases I think either to keep your arms and body warmed up use a hand grinder for the whole beans you carry in their sealed bag, or skip thst part as an exception and have them pregrinded for the day in an airtight near vacuumed container. Ideally as snug as possible I imagine with backpack limited space. Hope this here can be part of the inspiration. Peace ✌️
I’m currently in Maui. I made the most amazing cup of coffee with grounds from here. It tastes like flowers and earth, it was so naturally sweet. I finally get it. You have to taste amazing coffee to know what to aspire to, what your end goal is. I’ve just been schlepping coffee. The flip has switched:)
James Hoffman: I don't need any more hobbies Also James Hoffman: I've recently taken up photography and developing my own film Also James Hoffman: I've recently got into 3D printing I'm fairly sure there are others...
If you use cold water it's not a problem, but it's probably for using your moka pot with boiling water. So you can add the hot water, drop in the basket with the coffee, screw it together and get it on the stove/hob as quickly as possible.
James, you shouldn't blindly vilify commercialization of these items. Specifically the moka pot stands is provided under the "Creative Commons - Attribution license" that allow commercial use. Just like many other free open license products, if the license allows commercialization then people should be able to commercialize it under the license terms. In case of the moka pot stand, any products must properly attribute the work to Jayuk.
@@littlejackalo5326 But it's not scummy if you follow the terms of the license. There are reason to allow people to commercialize your work. It spreads it's use and it brings in support. And if the author of the work allows his/her decision should be respected. We don't know the authors motives. If someone wanted to commercialize a piece of software I made and published under the GPL license, but then people online would berate that person if would be very irritated by them.
after watching this video i tried using the thing that comes with the aero press and I have never used to weight the coffee on the mika pot ! it is perfect thanks James ❤️
Love the video! 3D printing is so unbelievably satisfying. And just for once I feel like I have the 'edge' on James! I love 3D printing and have been using it in one guise or another a long while. I'll drop you a message (a short one) via the 'Brand collaboration section of your webiste with some of my 'things'
It turns out that Decent Espresso makes and sells a metal Niche portafilter stand very similar to the design James printed. I’ve got one and I love it! Maybe there’s a big enough market for them after all :) Here’s their product announcement from two years ago: ruclips.net/video/9nf0TersEQs/видео.html
For the mokapot trey holder, I actually use a small, short, narrow cup (the diameter is smaller than the mokapot trey) that is just lying around the house. I just place the trey on top of the cup.
I thought about making 3D printed chess pieces with brewers. Tower would be a moka pot, pine a tamper, for example. But everything in my house is already coffee themed 😅
Love 3d printing. Some of my favourite prints have been my headphone stand, adjustable tablet stand, self watering planters, Halloween masks, fridge magnets and lampshades. It’s also fun to create and paint miniature furniture and props to make dioramas and mini movie sets.
Thanks for this great content. I designed and printed a steam diverter for my instant coffee maker. Had some trial and errors with heat resistance and warping, but finally got it. 3D printing is a very creative, satisfying and challenging at times hobby. Take care.
I've printed knock boxes, tamp holders, for my espresso machines. Really useful - no tamping stations needed, just put the portafilter in the jig and it holds it for dosing.
I would suggest also printing the stand for the WDT tool. It's surprisingly very nice to use. I also had a failure when printing the tool ( the top part). Solved it by flipping the model upside down in the slicer.
My coffee-loving, engineer son (who just happened to tell me about your channel last year) 3D printed a stylish container for my V60 filters. It also includes grind settings for my Baratza Encore. Great video! Pretty sure you and my son would totally geek out about the many printing possibilities.
Easiest early useful print: Custom cord management. You can print little brackets/hooks/loops to fit any space, any cord size etc. to let you route your USB cables, power cables, headphone or other peripheral cords etc. It's also pretty easy to design a simple hook in one of the free modeling programs out there so its a good way to start learning the whole process from design to slicing to printing.
I was designing and printing coffee stuff before I even got into espresso :) I had a custom funnel and tamp to fill my stainless reusable pods back in the day... Now, literally every day, my custom sized tamp, dosing cup and dosing funnel are used as part of my coffee workflow 👌 As for other uses around the house, and doing paid custom design jobs for clients, I couldn't name all of them but it has been an amazing journey that I believe has only just begun to start rolling
I should note that the Niche portafiler holder print I reviewed is actually nearly identical to a pre- existing product produced by Decent, and available here: decentespresso.com/portafilter_stand
I apologise for the error.
The decent funnel is remarkably nice. There is no flange sticking into your coffee grounds. It is magnetically held onto the basket so firmly that it will stay on if you invert it even though it is a satisfyingly heavy steel ring.
Filters look very similar as well however the design differ. So no need to apologize.
Thanks for featuring my portafilter holder! It's fun to see one of the people I respect most in the espresso hobby getting started in the 3D printing hobby that I have loved for so long
Checking back with Indegogo there appears to be 21,500 of us Niche owners
I have to ask.... why not just placing it in the boiler?
@@DavidGasperoni some people have more than one, different handles, different spouts etc...
Oh wait, you’re talking about the espresso one. I was talking of the moka filter. Yes I like your model!
@@DavidGasperoni If you're using pre-boiled water then it would be hard to add coffee to the basket already sitting in the boiler.
I need to bring along some of my Coffee PLA filament if you're in Northampton in October 👌
I wonder if you use freshly ground coffee filament help the aroma but then again that defeats the main purpose of your coffee filament.
@@Afeeq1011 I wondered the same thing.
Is it food safe?
I'd love to see that collab
@@Dragon4eva PLA is generally food safe. That being said, no plastic is truly completely food safe, even and perhaps especially the ones that are ubiquitous in food containers.
All in favor of an annual "James' favorite 3d prints of the year" video series say Aye.
Aye!
Aye
Aye
Aye
Aye
The thing with 3D Printer is: As soon as you have one, you constantly find problems you can solve by printing something
Absolutely! Though with the moka stand I thought:
"Hasn't he got an egg cup?"
Definitely. I put off buying a 3D printer for years. My thought was "I want one, but what would I print? I never need anything printed."
Now that I own several 3D printers, before shopping for something to solve a problem, I first check if the problem could be solved by printing.
I just got my first espresso machine, and I'm having trouble getting the grounds even/level before tamping, and I've already found tools for that on Thingiverse 🙂
Like when you first try superglue. I’m always fixing shit with superglue and it just works better than any of the other glues!
I sew a lot, and see textile-based solutions everywhere. Scratched tabletop? I'll make a runner! Hot serving dish? Perfect time for a quilted trivet! A good friend is really into pottery and will make so many things out of clay, including "nice-to-haves" like napkin holders, and upgraded things like toothbrush holders and lamp pulls. I love how having a hobby and the right tools can totally change our perspectives and processes.
@@mroctarine 3D print an egg cup!
The Ikea effect is liking something more because you built/assembled it- I've found with both coffee and 3D printing, whether I modeled it myself or not, that the satisfaction of doing it myself is immeasurable. Also assembling a 3D printer = adult Legos.
Interestingly IKEA are now offering 3D models of some of their plastic parts to print yourself in case you break one.
@@MartinStephenson1 really? Wow real nice of them
@@MartinStephenson1 That's brilliant. I'm not sure why I didn't realize that.
@@MartinStephenson1 IKEA and 3D printing go together like Tea and Biscuits, the square LACK table they sell make amazing 3D printer tables and you can stack them to make DIY enclosures
I'd wager built not bought was around far earlier than Ikea....
1:37 Amen 🙏
Mamène tu fais quoi là??!!
@@armoirs probablement la meme raison que nous.
Speaking of the Moka pot, I’ve become very interested in comparing Moka pot coffee to pre-WWII espresso.
Looking at the patents for those early espresso machines, they’re using steam pressure from a boiler to force water through the grounds at 1.5 - 2 bars. That is actually similar to the pressures produced by the Moka pot.
A common knock on the Moka pot is that it doesn’t make espresso but it was designed in 1933, over a decade before machines capable of 9 bars were widely available. Indeed it was marketed as bringing the coffee bar into your home. So maybe it does make espresso but it’s pre-war espresso and when you make coffee with it, you are traveling back in time.
I like this point of view, thanks.
wow, that's an amazing thought! It makes a lot of sense, indeed
Vintage espresso! I love it. Next time someone "well, actually"s you, tell them you are making the authentic vintage espresso.
@@cinemaocd1752 I wish I had access to an old school machine. I’d love to look at extraction levels, grind dialing in and dosing.
This reminds me of the ibrik coffee or Turkish coffee and the cowboy brew or the ww1/2 military brew
"its everything i'd feared it would be" such a great quote, its so fun to see how 3d printing crosses with different hobbies, its seems to always have some application
PSA: of you're interested in trying 3D printing, check your local public library to see if they have one you can try! "Maker spaces" are becoming very popular at public libraries in the us, and they often include 3D printers, sewing machines, cricuts, and more available for anyone to use for free 🤓
I work at a library, and was surprised at first to see that we have a 3D printer! None of us really know exactly what we're doing with it though lol
Our local public library has multiple printers available, but they require you to take an introductory class (free) before you're allowed to use them. That seems a sensible measure to keep the printers from being broken by people -- like me -- who don't know what they're doing.
There are also 3D print services, where if you don't want to buy a printer, you have a model you want printed, but you only have like... one... you can commission the service to do it for you. Think FedEx, but for 3D printing.
I was literally about to post to say this. I'm planning to book into my local one soon.
While this seems like a good idea, most larger prints can take several hours or days to print, so makerspace printers are really limited to small prints only.
A year after I found James' channel, I'm packed with a few brew devices that make delicious coffee daily and about to buy my espresso grinder for a recently adopted lever machine. Never thought it may happen to someone who only drank coffee seldomly in order to help with some headaches. Keep up the good work James, your content is amazing and loved! 🔥
I've just started watching the aeropress series and I'm fighting not to buy one until my next paycheck comes in. I'd love to get something more espresso like but I have a severe like of space but saw the aeropress video and went ooooh....
@@blisles7626 (un)fortunately there are manual espresso machines which are quite compact, some even smaller than the aeropress, and yet really cappable. Search: Aram, Espresso Forge, Wacaco Picopresso, Uniterra Nomad, Flair, Robot. Don't know if you will thank me for that, cause they can be 20x more expensive than an Aeropress, but at least the Picopresso is very budget friendly, but it is really new, and there isn't a lot of info about it.
James has already reviewed the Aram, the Flair and the Robot
@@blisles7626 I bought an aeropress several years ago, tried it a couple of times, didn’t like it and put it away to eventually sell. James’ series on the aeropress totally turned that around. Once I really understood the aeropress and adapted james’ technique for my own needs, my coffee is delicious. I need to use filtered coffee so can’t use an espresso machine or our trusty old bialetti, but the aeropress produces some of that same richness I adore.
You drank coffee to help with _HEADACHES_ ?
@@L.C.Sweeney caffeine can help with migraines so it doesn't seem weird to me.
You found wonderful practical prints James! This is also the main reason why I love 3D Printing 😌
I love how James is the sort of person who tries to find the file creators to tip them, while you are the sort of person who gets rich making trash 30second tiktoks from other people's 3D designs without compensating them in any way. On every single one of your videos you hide the actual designs at the very bottom of the description, after whatever banggood thing you are advertising. And yet here you are, like on every other actual worth-while youtuber video commenting something dumb to drive up your own profile.
An addendum: You can post-process PLA with two-part food-safe resin, and it will make it far safer than unprocessed PLA. While I would not recommend it as food/drinkware, resin coating allows for significant decrease in bacterial infection and can make washing easier.
As you seem to have a bit of experience in this field i might ask: Is there any other way to make a 3D print save for drinking water?I thought about 3D printing a costum shaped water tank for my coffee machine (water at room temeratur) and then using FDA approved epoxy...Is there a better way I missed?
@@jaydenhayden8592 There's a few options and all have advantages and disadvantages. You're trying to resolve the issue of bacteria forming between layer lines, inability to wash PLA at high enough temperatures to kill bacteria, and possibly dissolved residue from nozzles (although realistically that should be a very small effect; if really concerned, run cleaning filament first and use a steel nozzle).
1) fill in the lines with epoxy or some other coating for regular cleaning (easy, messy), preferably something food safe
2) use HT-PLA which can be boiled to be disinfected (easy, requires an oven, also requires regular cleaning, relatively expensive).
3) use smoothing (usually acetone) (difficult, best result, can be expensive).
4) use it to to cast something food safe, rather than directly printing the object itself (e.g. casting a silicone item). (Tricky but not that difficult, requires a mold release, pretty much guarantees food safety).
Those are generically the top 4 ways to achieve your result.
If you really care to go for a swim in the deep end, there's also ceramic filament that contains low amounts of binders that burn away when you fire the parts in a kiln. It takes some experimentation to get more complex parts to come out correctly because they shrink when firing and risk of warping, but it's possible to make wonderful ceramic pieces that can be glazed.
@@BuffMyRadiusah i didnt know this existed. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@gonxau thanks!
James the thing that's great about 3D printing is its as deep or as shallow as you want it to be. The low cost of printing machines these days allows you to just have it as a small hobby, or use it purely practically to print missing parts or for brackets and whatnot, or to go whole hog and make your bed autoleveling and networked so you can print on the fly. You also don't need that much knowledge to get started, and it only really comes into play when you get into more and more complex projects. Like starting at the shallow end of the pool and wading out until you're finally swimming.
2025 James Hoffmann: My ultimate 3D Printing technique.
Or perhaps another "my slow descent into madness" vid? They are finicky beasts, those printers.
@@lowfuel6089 there is always one more mod that will solve all problems.
@@Ted_P I definitely spent more time modding my printer than actually printing stuff. Sold it and use a service now...
Filament dosing for beginners
Let’s see next yr!
I like how james seems less confident than usual since he is dealing with something new to him. Its very endearing and a nice change of pace. Id love to see him try more random new things in the future or just do more 3D printing stuff.
He should have a big wheel with a whole bunch of random topics on it that he spins and then tries to figure out how it connects to coffee.
“We’ll find you, call you out, and be mean about you on the internet”
Is, oddly, a very intimidating statement.
Everything about this video makes me happy. Coffee, 3D printing, new hobbies, art and the unfiltered, genuine, giddy, pure Happiness that is pouring out of you. I love it! I love your videos! Thank you for sharing :)
I love that James is getting into 3D printing. Watching the addiction start in someone else is great!
My addiction lasted less than a year. Finally gave all my stuff to a local makerspace after the novelty wore off. I just didn't have an actual use for it.
@@TravelingStacker do you know cad?
@@charles_1523 I messed with it back in high school, but never pursued it more.
@@TravelingStacker There are limits due to the material (temperature limits, food safe, strength) that do restrict what you can use 3D printed parts for. Once you print a bunch of desk toys and pencil holders you didn't really need, you start wondering what to do next. I found the key was to combine 3D printed parts with other materials like wood and metal; use the printed parts for the fiddly bits and then wood/metal for the strength/temperature resistance. This expands what you can do with the printer and opens up a lot of new ideas. Of course you need the tools to work in metal/wood/whatever to do this, but you should think of the 3D printer as a companion to other maker skills rather than your sole means of production.
@@CraigBrideau Oh they are undoubtedly a great standalone tool and compliment other tools as well, I just didn't really need it after the novelty wore off. I also travel full time for work so it was something else to lug around. Plus saving the makerspace a few grand was a nice gesture that they appreciated.
I love the fact that you cared to share info on the plastic safety. Making it clear that youre having fun but it is technically not safe. And the viewer can do with that info what they will.
3:02 I use a Bialetti (Moka pot) every morning and just put the basket in the cup that I'll use to drink my coffee in.
That makes it so easy to keep upright, and I'm about to use that cup anyway
Edit: also: 4:27 Amazing news, yes please!
I kept a small glass jar (jelly? Pesto? I don’t remember) that the basket fits on top of perfectly. And I can read the scale through the glass if needed.
Yep. Somewhat like Joshua, I use a shot glass.
I just use an egg cup. It's deep enough for the funnel.
I'm an engineer and a coffee lover from the US and seeing James this excited over a 3D printer brings me such joy haha. All of these coffee equipment prints are extremely satisfying and I want them all now
You look like Pam from the office 😄
@@IGarrettI I’m going to take that as a compliment 😂
Get a small chunk of wood. Drill a 1/2" hole and put your Moka Pot basket in the hole and weigh away. Saved hundreds of dollars on a 3D printer and pennies for the plastic.
Distribution Tool: Champagne cork with pins inserted into the flat bottom. Been using one for years.
3D printing is a fad IMO. It might not be as compact, but I would much rather have a little CNC machine than a 3D printer. Actually makes useful stuff out of many different kinds of materials. With fewer difficulties. But hey, Ive been wrong before, maybe it really is the future
@@skeetsmcgrew3282 I've got one of both, and I have to say, the 3d printer gets a hell of a lot more stuff made on it than the mill. The time and effort to spin up tool paths, cut, prep and probe the stock, make tool changes etc, 3d printer is much closer to "just press go". That and my baby 3040 is nearly 5 times the price of the little creality these days.
@@skeetsmcgrew3282 desktop bcc machines are useless. They lack the rigidity to make anything out of metal. It'll do aluminum, with a ton of chatter, and a super slow feed, and takes forever. They're worthless.
lol it's not a fad, it's here now and legitimately useful. Will some people only print off useless crap, absolutely. But for others it opens doors they wouldn't otherwise have access to.
One thing good that's come from this is the volunteer program that prints prosthetics for children. Because they grow, the costs of continually replacing their prosthetic parts from a medical supply company was astronomical.
So while you can initially save a lot money by making a part from common items, it's missing the point of the machine.
I've printed stuff from replacement parts for my binocular's strap, saving time as well as money, to things for Dungeons and Dragons games. It's handy af.
Also a block of wood can be beautifully refined and finished if you like that kind of thing, while a 3d printed piece of plastic will always look like a 3d printed piece of plastic...
Honestly? The best thing about James is how he credits all of the individual contributers. I work in the arts and so many times I see artwork and designs get shamelessly stolen. It's incredible to see someone really take the time to say "hey. I didn't make this but this other person did. Go support them."
Your first print. That sums up 3d printing for me and owning one.
You start finding things that annoyed you or frustrated you, that now have solutions. It's not ground breaking, it won't change your life but all of those "papercut" level issues, you suddenly find yourself able to solve some of them and that's what hooks you. :)
What hooked me was the ability to design and make my own parts. There is nothing as satisfying as seeing a really irritating problem and fixing it all by yourself. My extruder ate up a chunk of my available X and Z axis, so I designed a much better one that inverted the motor mount and freed up a ton of build volume on my printer. That extruder is like my progeny now.
I’m super happy I jumped into 3D printing. It’s a hobby that feeds into every other hobby or activity I do and helps me repair and make even more things
I like the mocha pot thing, but I've been using a shot glass for the same purpose for ages and it works ;)
You beat me to it. Plus I use a plastic wide mouth funnel to fill easily decant the coffee from my Lido grinder. I also made a puck stirrer from a plastic cork by heating 6 lengths of stiff wire (monel, inconel or stainless will do) and sticking them into the cork. I used it to distribute the coffee evenly until I found a could get the same result by tipping and tapping the funnel a few times.
I need a tool to get the basket out of the pot...
I am hugely excited to see the popularization of 3D printing in the common home. I worked in the aircraft research industry and 3D printing in that field is on an entirely different level. We have entered a realm where 3D-printed metals are being used and implemented in manufacturing. There are even small (can fit in a garage) powder printing that uses a laser to melt powdered metal in layers. Then you are able to take the rough print and machine it to the exact dimensions needed. Some research has gone into the integration of a 3D printer with a CNC mill to be able to just put in raw material and get out a completely finished product. At times a part that would normally take weeks to make now takes 2 days. It seems like the real world is looking more and more like science fiction.
I've made filter paper presses, drip stands, and a replacement adjustment part for my grinder. It gets into a lot of challenges to know what to print verses what will just become un-needed clutter!
Hi James, you could print a device that keeps the plunger of the Aeropress straight centrically vertical while with the sufficient weight put on top it slowly slides down. I love the sweet result super slow pressing yields but i mean really like >4 min with a coarse grind. If the plunger is not wiggling around you can put a liquid container on top then fill just enough water until you hardly notice it starting to slide. This water can be used permanently. I noticed that the slow pace is kept all the way down. As in there seems to be no buildup of resistance calling for additional weight to move on. Rn i'm doing this with pieces of a toothpick between the plunger and the chamber. Saves me minutes of having to plunge myself. Of corce with more weight you can also use it for plunging faster or normal. Thankyou for you pleasant manner and kind regards!
I can imagine James having issues with prints sticking to the bed and going "oh noooo" as he pushes and prods.
😂
God that sound you get when the nozzle hits the print because it cane unstuck😓 heartbreaking
Great video! I love those and will print some.
Two notes.
1. There is food-safe PLA. Basically all PLA might be considered food safe before pigments get added, as the actual polylactic acid is completely non toxic.
2. The biggest challenge of making 3D prints food safe is not the filament itself (that's easy to buy and operate) but the fact that nozzles are made of brass, and this means having a small percentage of lead in the alloy through which the filament gets heated and deposited. There are steel, food-safe nozzles, but steel has lower thermal conductivity than brass and these are a bit harder to operate and tune-in.
Those needles in the WDT tool are also known as acupuncture needles. You can get them pretty cheap online and cut and sand them (so it won’t be sharp and scratch your portafilter basket). I think 0.40mm size would be just right.
I've heard that a guitar string works, as well. Though, the pieces wouldn't have the thicker parts to hold them in place. You'd have to get creative to come up with an alternative retention method. But at about $2 a string or less, it's dirt cheap!
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I've got a spare high E string lying around here somewhere...
One of my favorite mugs is too wide for the Clever dripper sit on securely. My husband designed and 3d printed an adapter for me that bridges the gap. I have been using it for about a year. I will suggest he add it to Thingiverse, he had been thinking of doing that.
There's something about seeing James so genuinely excited about something that is pretty infectious. 😊
Exactly, when was the last time he was this excited? You can noticeably feel the excitement throughout the entire video
Agreed. I also like "frustrated" James or "I just drank something gross" James, but this was nice to see.
Favorite 3D prints I've made so far are: single dose hopper for baratza encore, aeropress station, v60 filter holder
Just remember that it's not just the filament but also your nozzle etc affects the food safety aspects, (and sadly the texture of 3d prints is a real boon for bacteria), if your producing stuff that's in direct contact with something you're consuming
What I'd suggest is covering the print in a food safe coating, I know some people make 3d printed drippers like that
Yeah second this, I'm very hesitant to use 3d prints on anything that touches food. That said coffee grounds pre brewing I might be less worried about bacteria/mold growth just due to the nature of the food and the fact that you'll be passing near boiling water through it before consuming.
I just print the piece and make a silicon copy.
Easy, fast, cheap, reliable, scalable safe etc.
Just a bit of sanding so the copy comes out smooth from the mould and the job is done
Yep, Brass nozzles are alloyed with Lead, but it really is miniscule amount that makes it onto the print. However, if you want to produce food safe prints use a Stainless Steel nozzle
@@carlandre3892 depends on the brass. There are many many many allies of commonly used brass that's got no lead. Additionally, as you said it's a negligible amount, and an even smaller amount would contaminate your food, and an even smaller amount would be able to go into your body. It's a non issue.
I wish someone would call me delightful the same way James calls conveniently 3D printable coffee accessories delightful.
The best accessories I have printed were a portafilter tamping station, a portafilter holder (to store vertically), and also an awesome filter keeper for my aeropress
Love this and my 3D printer as well. I have a snapmaker 2.0 and love the process of creating stuff in fusion and then printing it out. It is an amazing feeling to go from brain to product. Needed a funnel for pouring fresh coffee into bags, and created a funnel wide enough and then square enough at the bottom to fit into a typical one pound bag of coffee. Love it!
STL ? ;-) Yes, wanting to print it... now
James + 3D Printing? Match made in a Makerspace.
Hey, Chef! Nice to see you here. Make espresso for wifey
I think it's interesting that he went with FDM rather than resin. I've got one, but I've just ordered a resin printer from creality and for most things that where things are going. Plus, with ceramics, you can make parts that are much more heat resistant.
Have my printer for two years now, designed and printed lots of stuf. Vases, brackets, cellphone and tablet cases, a tablet stand, lamp shades, credit card wallet, ... last year I added a cnc machine and for the last four months I have been working on a fluid bed coffee roaster. With a 3D printed compressor and a wooden housing. Pretty happy with it so far, but still a couple of months away from completion ... love the whole process of learning how to design and make things. As long as I have a good cup of coffee to go alogn of course...
Love your video's James, thanks for makig them!
It's so heartwarming to see your utter joy in 3D printing, it really is an incredible universe to explore, bravo James!
3D printing is and has been my main hobby for the past 5 years. and seeing this video as I am getting more and more excited about coffee brewing has made my day. I'd love to see this as a cool random series, I'm sure I'm not the only one. :)
My main hobby is 3D printing and I spend most of my time when I print by making movie prop replicas. I love the excitement of people as they start their first prints. It is so fun seeing a problem around the house and then going and seeing if you can find (or even better create) a printable solution. I have been taking a break to pick-up coffee as a new hobby, so it made me laugh to see my two hobby’s come together in one video. Enjoy and welcome to the community!
I love this. You've hit the nail on the head. With comments like "I'm excited and new at this" and the way you speak about the things you've made I can tell you've captured the reason that the majority of people would enjoy 3d printing. Yes you can make things cheaper than buying and yes you can fix broken plastic parts but mostly people 3d print because you can! Because it's fun and you can just do it and it's there.
With the Sage range, most of them use 54mm portafilters and finding accessories for them has been challenging and expensive. I was happy to find some like-minded people who have uploaded 54mm designs to thingiverse and I've printed a dosing cup, dosing funnel and tamping station. I've also moved into printing ABS because, as you mentioned, PLA is not food safe.
The 3d Printing / Coffee community overlap has been wonderful solving this 54mm size issue.
The same people that say PLA isn't food safe also say ABS isn't.
@@littlejackalo5326 It's easier to 'finish' ABS than PLA to make it acceptable - at least for coffee anyway. Plus, ABS doesn't melt when I put my hot portafilter on my printed tamping station ;-)
Just mind those fumes, an extracted cabinet is the best option.. also stabilises the environmental temp which is nice 😊
PLA itself is food safe, the problem is the pigments. Transparent PLA should be fine. And anyway coffee only comes into contact with it fairly briefly.
Transparent PETG is even better as a food-bearing surface though.
I am pretty sure ABS is not even remotely food-safe.
I am an architecture student who loves coffee and uses 3d printer for architecture models. So happy to see James is interested in 3d printing! 3d printing is a life style changer. You'll start to think about making parts by yourself when a part of a product is broken or you need something that is unique and can't be found in the market. I just printed a knob for my coffee grinder cause the original knob is broken. It works perfectly and I just feel so satisfied to fix a thing by myself!
love how excited James is with all of these things!
This is the most amazing crossover I didn't know I needed. I love seeing people's reactions to instant print solutions. Thank you for this.
I've printed tons of stuff but as for personal coffee print/designs Ive designed a hand grinder brace that keeps the grinders shaft from cantilevering leading to poor grind consistency for pourovers.
Just want to take a second and call attention to how well the sound is mixed in this. Been sweet to watch you really hone the technical aspects of video content over the years. Cheers!
As a coffee lover and avid 3d printing hobbyist this video was an absolute joy. I also built a Prusa from their kit and have printed several espresso related things. A WDT tool that uses the same needles, although a different design. Two different leveling tamper "handles"for my Cafelat Robot, plus a holder for the tamper and shower screen. I love printing in general, but using it as a tool to create a solution to a problem is definitely the most satisfying.
The way James is excited about 'stuff' shows he has the somewhat disoriented curiosity of a twelve-year old. Please stay like this!
Love the prints! I feel that I constantly struggle with finding applications for my printer, so I will have to check these out.
So surreal for me any time the Weiss Distribution Technique comes up. I took a good number of Computer Science courses from Dr. Weiss before he retired. Such a pleasure to have been able to learn so much about programming and coffee from such an interesting man.
I dont know who this man is and I really don't care that much about making perfect coffee, but it's just so delightful to see someone discover the magic of 3D printing.
Believe me when I say that this man will elevate your coffee no matter how you brew it. I've been bit by the 3D printing bug too, and both hobbies appeal to the same part of my brain if that makes any sense.
I had a coworker friend make me two 3D printed pieces for my aeropress!
I wanted a tamp so I could experiment with different 'faux-spresso' methods, so I sent him two models and asked him to print what was easiest and he ended up printing both (a good friend indeed). One is a long tamp that fits in the aeropress, the other is a two-in-one tamp and aeropress scoop stand.
Before this, I was using a spice bottle that would fit in my aeropress...thankful for people out there that come up with these niche solutions!
The beauty of open source is that people can and should absolutely commercialize on top of it subject to any licenses from the creators. The last thing we need is for people to name and shame those who are trying to do that. Linux would not be where it is without RedHat for example. There are plenty of people who are not privileged to have 3D printers who would absolutely benefit from commercialization of some of these designs (subject to any licenses as mentioned). And many open source creators are perfectly happy to see someone take their design and commercialize even if all they get is the satisfaction of their design in the hands of many people than they themselves could have done on their own.
I completely agree. The Moka stand is under a CC license. If the creator didn't want it to be commercialised, they would have used The Creative Commons - Non-commercial variant which you can easily do on Thingiverse. In fact the Espresso Distribution Tool and portafilter holder are under such a license.
There's definitely space for a company to make high quality prints of these open designs, ideally tipping the original creator, and publishing their improvements to the model back to the community. I've bought 3D prints back before I had access to a 3D printer, and am thankful someone was doing it.
We shouldn't be "calling them out".
Yeah, I was about to comment just that but decided to search for keywords first. We should not shame anyone who commercialize products made from open source designs, specially if they sell by a fair price. There are forms of open source licence that are restricted regarding commercialization. But most of these designs are CC, so it would absolutely fine to commercialize them. Also, anyone that makes some of these into a product will have to invest a lot of time and money to make the product happen. Open source is the opposite of impeding ideas to propagate. What we want is for everybody who has the means to be able to make thinks that solve problems. The licence who trap ideas in the hands of few people is the copy right.
Wow so amazing seeing the exact experience of a first time maker. Welcome to the addiction of additive manufacturing and have some great guests in the 3D world in your comment box! I’ve been printing for 2 years and it is amazing house hold items to small projects for friends. It’s endless
Lifestyle Lab literally just did a video on that WDT tool, and is giving some away too....
I liked how you mentioned electricity cost when talked about Distribution Tool, true attention to details, sir. I would never even think of such a thing
Congrats on your printer!
First thing to print is a full set of spare parts for your printer, to make it easy to fix when you break it! 😂
Not even a joke, it's annoying to have to order parts you could have printed yourself... 🙂
JUST when I had gotten over my want of buying a 3D printer I find this video... This may have tipped me back on the side of getting one. Especially for that simple moka pot holder! I always have to put it inside the bottom half to weigh my grounds, but then it gets grounds all inside of it. Genius solution!
The "needles" are not 3d printer cleaning needles, but they are the most common acupuncture needles (much cheaper). PLA is food safe (plastic utensils are made from this material) but some filament additives are not, and I suggest switching to stainless steel extruder nozzle for better food safety. There are specifically made filaments with food safety and cleaning/sterilization in mind (edit: SS Nozzles are tricky to print properly)
PLA makes it really easy for bacteria to grow. This is probably fine for your dry coffee utensils, but given the nature of the textured part that is 3D printed, you're much better off with something you can boil to sterilise - like Nylon, Nonoilen or something high-temperature resistant.
You can get Nylons with EU/US food certification
I printed a WDT and a holder to keep all the bit and pieces for the Flair Pro 2 all in one place. Gotta love 3D printing, next James you should learn to 3D model then you can make bespoke parts for all your coffee needs. It's really easy once you look into it.
My jaw dropped when I saw the thumbnail...my love for coffee and 3d printing have finally collided in the most glorious way. Food safe 3d prints have historically been a bit of a "controversial topic". Mainly, the layer lines can host bacteria and etc. In an attempt to combat this, I have used a food safe polyurethane spray to coat the prints. Just make sure to hand wash only; e.g., it doesn't end well in the dishwasher.
nice. you got a link for that spray? thanks
Controversial but also nonsensical. I have so many ridges in my store bought plastic cutting board which can host as many bacteria as any 3d print. Don't get me started on lead from nozzles, that's even more ridiculous.
@@ChristophPech I agree completely with respect to the lead leaching from brass nozzles. The temperatures would need to be very high to diffuse a big lead atom through a solid medium on the scales of a print. Perhaps one caveat is that using 3d prints to house "dry goods" is different than foods that are inherently wet/oily etc. I could be wrong on this, but I thought the original concern with making 3d printing food safe mainly surrounded whether or not you are able to completely dry it out? I could be wrong. Certainly, we all use non-food (e.g., having bacteria on their surfaces and etc) safe items around food all the time. I imagine that most of us don't use an autoclave or UV light source to fully clean dishes, since that's a bit overboard.
hearing you being so excited about 3D printing is the best. I know right, sharing so many 3D models for free and making everyone benefit from problem-solving designs ? Humanity needs more of these kind of platforms !
Somehow owning the same 3d printer as James made me feel good about my life choices
Which one is it?
I have an Ender 3 printer and I love it! I've had it for 4 years now. Not only have I printed engine parts to get me out of trouble but I've also printed coffee stuff! I printed a 2-tone tamper which is still in service after 6 months. My coffee machine came with a stupid little steam valve so I designed and printed my own. Such a cool technology
I have thrown so much coffee over my counter from trying to dose into the balanced basket of a moka pot... This would have saved a lot of cleaning time.
Maybe a glass can help where it is also save from falling
I use an emptied jam jar to steady the basket and put them in a white plastic take out container to catch any grounds too. Another person suggests using a shot glass if you like. I know some people just keep it in the boiler bottom, as someone else jokes in the comment below!
A shot glass works pretty well.
My two favourite things in one video, 3D printing and coffee! Once you get over the purchase and transport of the printer I believe there is also an environmental benefit to the whole distributed manufacturing model of 3D printing, super existing to see it more and more mainstream
3D printers are awesome but I was hoping we'd get reliable 2d printers first
laser printer?
i swear my 3d printer is way more reliable than my desktop printer
2D printers will one day bring the apocalypse upon us, it couldn't be more obvious how much they hate humanity
2d printers are reliable - you just need to not buy the really cheap inkjets that follow the razor-blades pricing model. Get a decent colour laser for a few hundred quid for documents, or a dye-sublimation printer if you want to do glossy photos.
@@JeffDvrx my Canon printer, the kind with tanks, keeps changing the default feed source to the rear tray, which I don’t use and therefore has no paper. Then it gives me an out of paper error msg. I tried googling it but everything says to change it in the application you’ve using. But the problem occurs when I’m copying something so there’s no app involved! And when I tried to call canon, I got a catch-22 - they won’t talk to me if I’m not a registered owner, but I can’t register because the system tells me my serial # (on a label on the printer) is not possible. And I can’t call them to clear that up because I’m not registered. So yes, my printer is driving me crazy.
Most PLA filaments are food contact safe. I have a few 3D printers and love the hobby. I also love my espresso hobby and these are some great examples of where the two can complement each other. I have used 3D printing to fix broken parts of machines like handles and feet. Enjoy your new printer!
All I heard was James saying: “I should do a video on the Moka pot soon” :)
PLA is in fact food safe. It is only a danger if you, lets say, have a lot of layer lines. If a bunch of coffee got between those lines, it can cause bacterial growth. However this is the case for just about every printing filament, and you can solve it by over-extruding your filament. The print takes longer, but the filament lines overlap one another, creating a tighter seal, and making it possible to clean.
Great Video so far :)
We need the Mokapot update Video Please!!
My mokapot is steel and spigot style. It says do NOT cool it down quickly, in contradiction to James' sink method or cold wet towels. Additionally, with a spigot method, that didn't make sense though, because you have the draw down (actually drawn up though) coffee separated from the boiler further on the platform. Saw a UK cafe shop brew guide on mokapot that berated the idea of preheating the water, which seems an indirect reproach to Hoffmann guide.
I have had better luck with a percolator than with my mokapots. I have one mokapot electric style and two different sized steel spigot stovetop style. Thought it might be my burner temp regulation problem, so I am getting an induction burner soon. My brew time and grind sizes are not easy to dial to taste..
3D printing is a lot of fun, even more so when you start designing and modelling your own stuff. I haven't done that much for my Gaggia Classic yet, just a low profile drip tray and several backflush disks. However, I am working on a coffee scale that also combines several more hobbies, electronics, microcontrollers and programming. The coffee scale is a result of wanting some functionality I haven't really seen in any commercially available scales outside of some integrated into high end coffee machines. And yes, an integrated Gaggia Classic coffee scale is my ultimate end goal.
I printed a keyboard. It's called the dactyl manuform, and as a software engineer who types all day it's been great.
Video link?
When I visited Taiwan before the pandemic I stumbled upon this coffee shop in Hualien where the husband had several 3d printers going making pour over stands and pour over filter holders. They were quite elegant looking (it was a swirly tornado-ish design) and in some models he used copper to hold the 3d printed filter holder to the stand which was a nice combination of materials.
Do you remember the name? I‘ve visited Hualien a few times for work and absolutely love the city.
@@brianpark4 You're so lucky! Its one of my favorite cities by far. I may be biased because I have family friends there.... The cafe is called Maytreecoffee 五月樹咖啡
No. 220, Shanghai St, Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan 970
The couple are quiet (at least towards me, probably because my Mandarin sucks), but the wife was very welcoming (I think the husband was tinkering in the back or something) and my wife was able to translate for me and get me a nice dark espresso, then a local Taiwanese pour over that was super fruity - which I've never experienced before, and I guess my enthusiasm really showed because they treated me and my wife to a refreshing cup of coldbrew. Another thing that really stuck out to me was that they use a vacuum on the grinder to clear it out when changing beans which I think is really neat. I wish I had more time to spend there, I wish my Mandarin was better, and I wish I made pour overs so I could support them. Take my experience with a grain of salt as this was about 4 years ago. I hope they are still around and doing well. Anyways, hope you're able to have a great experience if you can make it!
@@hoongfu thank you for the info! I’ve definitely stayed just a few blocks from this cafe a few times and never been in. Hopefully one day I’ll go back!
James, I discovered your channel pretty recently and your content is amazing. I do have a question/challenge for you.
I’m a French professional explorer and a big coffee enthusiast. Most of the time it’s difficult to make a good coffee when on an expedition in remote place, because the weight we can carry is really limited and all the gear we take must be light and almost essential to survive. On November 2022 I’ll start an expedition across Antarctica. How can I make a really good/life saving coffee with the strict minimum ?
Thank you and have a nice one
Have you heard of the Bripe :P
Aeropress + hand grinder
A hand grinder
Emty tea bags or
Paper filter or
A cleaned white cotton sock, which has never been used.
In some countries they do have a particular cotton bag to serve the purpose.
☝️ I think best would be Mokka-Press with the fire-place you guys will have around to heat up your foods with. If for more people you can get a slightly bigger circumference mokka pot (e.g. Bialetti) and it those cases I think either to keep your arms and body warmed up use a hand grinder for the whole beans you carry in their sealed bag, or skip thst part as an exception and have them pregrinded for the day in an airtight near vacuumed container. Ideally as snug as possible I imagine with backpack limited space. Hope this here can be part of the inspiration. Peace ✌️
definitely the aeropress
I’m currently in Maui. I made the most amazing cup of coffee with grounds from here. It tastes like flowers and earth, it was so naturally sweet. I finally get it. You have to taste amazing coffee to know what to aspire to, what your end goal is. I’ve just been schlepping coffee. The flip has switched:)
James Hoffman: I don't need any more hobbies
Also James Hoffman: I've recently taken up photography and developing my own film
Also James Hoffman: I've recently got into 3D printing
I'm fairly sure there are others...
Custom funnels are super easy to print/design and i find them really useful, for coffee and non-coffee stuff.
I understand the moka pot problem, and I've faced it as well, but placing it on the moka pot was a solution for me. Or am i missing something?
If you use cold water it's not a problem, but it's probably for using your moka pot with boiling water. So you can add the hot water, drop in the basket with the coffee, screw it together and get it on the stove/hob as quickly as possible.
Or ...
use an egg cup rather than spending £800 to print a 5p part.
As a 3d printing nerd and a coffee nerd this video could not have been more perfect
James, you shouldn't blindly vilify commercialization of these items. Specifically the moka pot stands is provided under the "Creative Commons - Attribution license" that allow commercial use. Just like many other free open license products, if the license allows commercialization then people should be able to commercialize it under the license terms. In case of the moka pot stand, any products must properly attribute the work to Jayuk.
He didn't say that it was illegal or not allowed. He just said it's kind of a scum bag move.
@@littlejackalo5326 But it's not scummy if you follow the terms of the license. There are reason to allow people to commercialize your work. It spreads it's use and it brings in support. And if the author of the work allows his/her decision should be respected. We don't know the authors motives.
If someone wanted to commercialize a piece of software I made and published under the GPL license, but then people online would berate that person if would be very irritated by them.
after watching this video i tried using the thing that comes with the aero press and I have never used to weight the coffee on the mika pot ! it is perfect thanks James ❤️
Love the video! 3D printing is so unbelievably satisfying. And just for once I feel like I have the 'edge' on James! I love 3D printing and have been using it in one guise or another a long while. I'll drop you a message (a short one) via the 'Brand collaboration section of your webiste with some of my 'things'
I just love James's enthusiasm - thanks so much - your joy is infectious.
It turns out that Decent Espresso makes and sells a metal Niche portafilter stand very similar to the design James printed. I’ve got one and I love it! Maybe there’s a big enough market for them after all :) Here’s their product announcement from two years ago: ruclips.net/video/9nf0TersEQs/видео.html
Was looking if somebody already made this comment. You did, so I won't. :-)
For the mokapot trey holder, I actually use a small, short, narrow cup (the diameter is smaller than the mokapot trey) that is just lying around the house. I just place the trey on top of the cup.
I thought about making 3D printed chess pieces with brewers. Tower would be a moka pot, pine a tamper, for example.
But everything in my house is already coffee themed 😅
That would make for an awesome chess set!
Love 3d printing. Some of my favourite prints have been my headphone stand, adjustable tablet stand, self watering planters, Halloween masks, fridge magnets and lampshades. It’s also fun to create and paint miniature furniture and props to make dioramas and mini movie sets.
The dosing ring is one of the first things I printed, such a quality of life upgrade for espresso!
Thanks for this great content. I designed and printed a steam diverter for my instant coffee maker. Had some trial and errors with heat resistance and warping, but finally got it. 3D printing is a very creative, satisfying and challenging at times hobby. Take care.
This is class, and one of my favourite parts about design. Someone seeing a problem and designing a solution and it being exactly what someone wanted!
I've printed knock boxes, tamp holders, for my espresso machines. Really useful - no tamping stations needed, just put the portafilter in the jig and it holds it for dosing.
I would suggest also printing the stand for the WDT tool. It's surprisingly very nice to use. I also had a failure when printing the tool ( the top part). Solved it by flipping the model upside down in the slicer.
My coffee-loving, engineer son (who just happened to tell me about your channel last year) 3D printed a stylish container for my V60 filters. It also includes grind settings for my Baratza Encore. Great video! Pretty sure you and my son would totally geek out about the many printing possibilities.
Easiest early useful print: Custom cord management. You can print little brackets/hooks/loops to fit any space, any cord size etc. to let you route your USB cables, power cables, headphone or other peripheral cords etc. It's also pretty easy to design a simple hook in one of the free modeling programs out there so its a good way to start learning the whole process from design to slicing to printing.
I was designing and printing coffee stuff before I even got into espresso :)
I had a custom funnel and tamp to fill my stainless reusable pods back in the day...
Now, literally every day, my custom sized tamp, dosing cup and dosing funnel are used as part of my coffee workflow 👌
As for other uses around the house, and doing paid custom design jobs for clients, I couldn't name all of them but it has been an amazing journey that I believe has only just begun to start rolling