Nerdforge
There are gaming PCs, and there are coffee makers — and the two do not mix. After all, who would want boiling hot coffee inside their high-end gaming desktop? The idea alone makes me shiver, but Nerdforge’s Martina was brave enough to come up with this project and create a fully custom-built PC that doesn’t just run, but it also makes coffee at the press of a button.
Nerdforge is a YouTube channel run by a Norwegian couple, Martina and Hansi, who dabble in all sorts of innovative crafts. And it’s safe to say that this falls under that category. The project started with an idea: What if, instead of having to get up to fetch a cup of coffee, you could have a coffee maker installed right inside your PC?
I Built a PC that Makes Coffee
Nerdforge
A large portion of the project depended on not just getting the PC to run, but mostly on getting the coffee maker to function. The couple didn’t want an all-in-one pod coffee maker, which meant that Martina had to come up with a way for the machine to grind coffee beans and prepare the coffee. This involved 3D printing custom-made parts to turn the coffee maker into something that works and fits inside a PC case without risking disaster.
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Once the bare-bones coffee maker and grinder wers created and fitted inside the massive Corsair 1000D chassis (which was also heavily modded beforehand), the YouTubers connected the coffee machine to an Arduino to be able to control it with one button. They also added a visual progress bar, as well as essential sensors that ensure the coffee will not start brewing if there’s no cup in the holder. (Imagine if those sensors weren’t there and that coffee ended up inside the PC. Again, shivers.)
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With the coffee maker up and running, Martina worked on the aesthetics of the PC. This involved decking it out with stained wood, both inside and outside, as well as cozy LED lights that make it look like the inside of a cabin in the woods. There’s even a little plant added as a finishing touch.
Nerdforge
The components are suitable for a solid creator PC and include one of Intel’s best processors, the Core i7-14700K, and an Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti. The front of the case had to remain open to make the coffee maker functional, but as we’re dealing with boiling water, thoughtful cooling was a necessity. The PC is air-cooled, but the way the exhaust and intake fans are set up ensures that the warmth should stay away from the components.
The final result is impressive and aesthetically pleasing; one of the best PC cases, Fractal Design North, definitely comes to mind. It’s hard to say how well this will run in the long term, but for the time being, it’s certainly one of the most fun PC builds I’ve ever seen.
