Mugsy, the Robot Coffee Maker

Did you have coffee this morning? Did you make it yourself, struggling with the kettle and CoffeeMate? Perhaps you own a Tassimo or similar cartridge-based coffee machine? Or maybe you prefer to get yours professionally made from Starbucks, Costa, or one of the many other coffee chains?

But how was it? And how did you feel when you took your first mouthful? We’ll wager it wasn’t the same degree of satisfaction that the developer of Mugsy enjoys with every cup of coffee!

Having recently completed a successful crowdfunding campaign, Mugsy is a robot coffee maker with a Raspberry Pi 3 at its heart. Hackable and customizable, the device features a touchscreen user interface and lets you enjoy amazing coffee without paying a barista for the privilege.

Designed by Matthew Oswald, and showcased at the Maker Faire New York event in late 2017, Mugsy lets you control every element of coffee making. Grind size, water temperature, brew time, and bloom time are all taken into account, while pre-programmed settings can also be used by scanning the barcode of your coffee beans packet.

Says Oswald, “Initially, I used [Mugsy] as a way to teach myself hardware design. I really wanted to hold something tangible in my hands. By using the Raspberry Pi and just being curious, anytime I wanted to use a new technology, I would try to pull back [and ask] ‘How can I integrate this into Mugsy?'”

By the way, if you’re reading this in bed, stuck in the bath, or sitting in a traffic jam, a Mugsy unit can also be remotely controlled. Want a coffee as soon as you reach the kitchen? Just send a text message, email, or tweet, and your drink will be ready when you want it!

Amazingly, this crowdfunded project is available for just $150 (if you provide your own Raspberry Pi 3), or $175 for a full system. Head to www.heymugsy.com to place your order.