The mess I've been left with..

I was very excited about making the prototype, and it is really crazy to think it took me a week and half to have it - almost - done. It isn't the result I was looking for, but considering the limited time, I think I managed to show what I was trying to do. I believe that if my design cannot be made in glass, it could be made in reinforced plastics which would be heat treated. It is a shame I didn't manage to make a proper prototype that could be used, because I initially wanted to go back to one of the coffee houses that we interviewed for the group video to ask them to use it. 

Remoulded Prototype

I think the joins here look better, however I haven't figured out how to fit the inner sphere and tubing into the shape. I wish I had time to make the handle out of metal. 

Improving the moulds

Since joining the halves with a sheet of clear plastic in between didn't look nice, I thought maybe it would be better to vacuum form the shapes altogether. This means there wouldn't be as many joins.

Who knew that sanding off the end of the cone would be the most difficult bit of all the turning and moulding wood. I had wasted a lot of my time to try and curve the inside of the wood so it fits with the oval shape perfectly.

Mounted Prototype

I deconstructed the shapes of my design and glued them either side of a clear plastic sheet to give a better sense of volume. I know the glue gun doesn't look very clean - I tried Araldite, solvent welding, etc and none of them worked, this was the only solution so far.

Joining Plastics

  

Now that I have all the parts I need, I can finally see how things fit in together. I still have one big issue - how do I join them?! I tried attaching strips of paper onto the moulds as I did before with the circles, however it didn't work as well as I had hoped. 

Then the thought came to me that I could glue them on a sheet of clear plastics from both sides, that way it will create the illusion that it's joined!

Moulds sorted

Above is the mould that just came out from vacuum forming, the only problem with this is it's creasing the bottom of the cone. It is most likely because it's too tall, so I may have to cut this one vertically in half as well.

Below is my very last wooden mould for the prototype. I am looking forward to put them together once I get home.

 

Here is a quick video on the creation of my moulds for vacuum forming. I sped it up 400% so in reality, one of these did not take me 30 seconds to make.

Oval problem

My attempt to make a flat edged oval shape for the bottom of my piece was not successful. The structure needs to be more tapered for the mould to slide out. The marks on top of the wooden mould are from bashing it to come out of the plastic. 

So, my solution was to cut it in half vertically, work out how wide the horizontal measurement for my design is and then join them together to use as a mould. It worked out well, except for a little mark from the gap in between.

Experiments with the tubes

Above is a glass coil Ryman from GlassChem has given me to experiment with. It didn't work well because it was chipped. Therefore, I used plastic tubing that I bought on ebay a few days ago and made a video out of it. I tried out various thicknesses of the tubes, lengths and angles to find out what is most suitable one for my design. The movement of the liquid is really mesmerising, which made me want to create this "impossible" design even more. I have used a mixture of real coffee to achieve the colour, and strained it so it's a smooth consistency - just like in the siphon coffee method.

Visiting Glass Chem

GlassChem, Forrest Gate, London

Terry (from the glass company) called me up to tell me that my design is impossible to make, in his words "even God himself wouldn't be able to do this", so he invited me to their workshop in Forrest Gate to have a look at what they've done for previous students and discuss possible compromises for my outcome. 

Things that I need to change about my design 

• the inside coil needs to be attached to the outer glass otherwise it would be loose and possibly bend
• the coil cannot be planted on a circle - there wouldn't be enough stability and it could easily fall
• the circles within each other cannot be made, it is very difficult to control the heat 

Making the prototype

       


It started with a block of wood on tuesday - after turning it, a lot of sanding and a final polish, it is ready to be vacuum formed.


I then realised, the two pieces cannot be joined to each other, so after looking around on wednesday, I came across a hamster ball - which offered a solution for my problem - a screw joint.
Surprisingly, it took me almost a whole morning to figure out how to recreate that in my sphere. I ended up attaching a few layers of paper sheets on the bottom of the sphere to make some space for the other half to slide in. I know it doesn't look perfect, but it's a step forward.
   

Sending off my design

So, I have finally settled on a design, now I know what I am doing, I've just sent this off to ChemGlass and hopefully there is a possibility of making this work. If not, I may have to change my design.

More sketching

So, after the overload from the V&A, I got some ideas. I also (finally) have my final design. What's left to do: 

• Illustrate a better version to be sent off to GlassChem
• Make a prototype of out plastics

Postmodernism

I went to the V&A to see the Postmodernism exhibition, which was perfect for this project. There were so many teapots to look at!

 

Coffee Joulies

These stainless metal beans cool down coffee to the right temperature and manages to retain it afterwards as well. I think it's such a great invention. This video should explain everything.

Some hope that my design could work

I found out that there is a condenser that is used in laboratories for cooling down hot liquids. It is a glass tube which has another smaller tube within it, and where the liquid passes through. This invention cools down hot liquid rapidly, whereas I just want it to be warm, not completely cold. I think if I incorporate this idea into my design somehow, it could help sort out the function issues.

Design Proposal

I have chosen the third idea - a vessel that cools coffee down and continues the performance part of the siphon method. I have decided that the design needs to look similar to the equipment already used, so it will be made out of glass. The product will look like a decanter with a spiral tube built inside so the coffee can be poured into and then slowly pass through it to cool down. I think this will be entertaining for people to watch and this presents a new development to tie into the third wave.

Things I still need to do: 

• measure how long the coffee takes to cool down 
• test how long the tube needs to be
• call chem glass to see if they can make it
• get tubing to experiment with 

Here are some sketches

Design Ideas

Allpress, London

Idea 1

Performing Knowledge

"You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself" Galileo Galilei
How does knowledge get transfered in coffee culture? From interviews that we made for our video, I have noticed how well people are connected in this industry. I wonder how the connection between a "master" and a student works, is it like in the old days when an artist takes on an apprentice?
In the third wave, it seems like baristas are performing their knowledge for the audience to watch and maybe if they had some sort of an apprentice badge to show that they learnt from a known master, would it make a difference? It is almost like art, they can express themselves - though latte art or giving a customer a great cup of coffee. I think it would be interesting to look at how the connection in the coffee culture works and consider what if this way of learning was applied to other subjects - such as design.

Idea 2
Why has making coffee become so difficult?
  
The siphon coffee method shows the technological advances that we have made to this day. It is affecting the whole production and consumption of coffee. This includes roasting, brewing and even the serving of this beverage that used to be so straightforward. The Third Wave is all about improving the taste of the coffee, and I see people increasingly becoming interested in this topic, therefore I was thinking of bringing these advanced techniques to a consumer's home. I would like to explore the possibility of making your own siphon coffee, with either household appliances or materials that are easy to find and still achieve a similar outcome.

Idea 3 
Decanting coffee

I remember that after the barista made us a cup of coffee using the siphon method, we weren't able to drink it straight away and we were warned that its going to be really hot. I also noticed, he decanted the drink before pouring it into cups, which was strange. I wondered what the decanter was for and how it links back to the whole coffee making performance that he's just given us, which gave me an idea of a reconstructed decanter that would continue the show as well as cool the coffee before it's served.

"Roast It Right. Sell It Right. Serve It Right"

Prufrock Cafe, London

An opinionated definition of third-wave coffee terms

• Chemex: A one-piece hourglass-shaped coffeemaker that is revered by coffee purists for brewing the most impeccable coffee possible. Worth trying once or twice, but the subtle differences may not be noticeable to the average coffee drinker.
• Cold Brew: A method where coffee is made overnight using a brewing method that requires no application of heat, resulting in coffee lower in acid and caffeine. In the warmer seasons this is a great way to make iced coffee at home.
• Cupping: The process of tasting finished coffee, not unlike tasting wine. Coffee isn’t swallowed but is instead loudly sucked over the palate and swished around the mouth in order to identify flavour and aroma notes. Not for everyone, but an exciting way to experience coffee for all that it can be.
• Direct Trade: When coffee roasters buy directly from the farm rather than from a bean broker. This results in a higher profit for the farmer and quality assurances.
• Estate: A defining term for wine and coffee, meaning that the grapes or beans were all grown on a single farm. Most wine and coffee uses raw material from many locations.
• Fair Trade: A certification program and social movement that aims to help producers in developing countries receive a fair price for their product.
• Latte art: Images created by pouring perfectly steamed milk into a shot of espresso, leaving a design or image behind. Watch for “bad” latte art, used by “drawing” on the top of the drink—true latte art uses only pouring motions to make the design. Latte art is more than beautiful, it signifies perfectly steamed coffee.
• Single origin: A single type of bean, collected from a single farm and roasted using only one roasting technique.
• Terroir: Taken from the French word for land—terre. It is the taste and flavour imparted to fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy by the environment (soil, topography, climate) in which it is grown or raised. 

(source: http://www.buffalospree.com)

    Five steps to the best cappuccino

1. Know where your beans come from.
2. Freshness. "You need to know when the coffee was roasted." Three weeks is optimum.
3. Favour a burr grinder, not one of those helicopter blades because they don't grind evenly.
4. Get a good-quality machine with a stable temperature.
5. Keep the frothing wand clean. "If you overheat the milk it loses its sweetness."

Third Wave Coffee

Siphon Coffee Technique, Prufrock Cafe, London

First wave started through commercials, that pressured people to increase consumption of instant coffee at homes and therefore the flavour and the overall quality has been ignored.
Second wave began with coffeehouse culture in the ’60s, such as Starbucks. This stage is increasingly focused towards pleasing consumers and therefore introducing and nurturing specialty coffees.
Third wave set off in the mid-2000s where coffee is being treated as delicately as fine wine. The importance of quality in the cup and the territory associated with specific origins, production methods, and preparation styles results in forgetting about the consumer. "It's all very uncorporate, and passionate about freshness and the sourcing of coffee beans." Britain's best barista Gwilym Davies (source: the Guardian)

FIRST WAVE                                    SECOND WAVE                   THIRD WAVE    

   Convenience                                        Customisation                    Crafting with care
Commercials                                            Creativity                              Culinary art 

Consistency                                            Community                        Conceitedness

Beyond the Buzz

This film serves as a presentation of the group's research into the new coffee culture sweeping through London today - called the Third Wave.

Photography: Kate Tran

Interviews: Gemma Carr, Helen Maier

Editing: Gemma Carr, Helen Maier, Kate Tran

Special Thanks to: AllPress Espresso, Prufrock Cafe and all the nice people that let us film them :)

I am proud to say that as a group, we worked well together. In my opinion, the video could have been more developed and filled with more focused information. On the other hand, the visuals turned out good, for the fact that I have just learnt how to record video on my SLR camera. 

The Coffee Network

Here is a visual example of how the coffee culture in London is linked.