Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the USA and across the world. Contrary to popular belief, most Americans prefer to make their coffee at home instead of going to a cafe. A study conducted in 2018 found that 79% of US coffee lovers consume their coffee at their home.
It is no wonder that coffee makers are one of the most popular home appliaces that are found in almost all American homes. In this article, we will explain how you can make the perfect pot of coffee at home, or when you’re out camping by using a portable solar generator or coffee machine.
How to Make Coffee Using a Portable Solar Generator for Coffee machine
As opposed to what you may believe, making a pot of coffee using a Bluetti portable solar generator is actually quite easy and straightforward and very similar to how you normally make coffee at home. You start by using the coffee pot to measure out a certain volume of water depending on how much coffee you want to brew. Once this is done, pour the water into the reservoir or chamber and place the empty pot back on the heating plate.
Then add grounded coffee to the filter, again depending on how much coffee you want to brew and how strong you want it to be. Now all you have to do is plug in the coffee maker to your Bluetti solar generator and turn on both the generator and the coffee maker.
The bluetti portable solar generator has AC outlets similar to the AC wall outlets in your home. This means that you do not need to use any additional connector to plug in the coffee maker to the portable solar generator and can do so directly.
How Much Power Does a Coffee Maker Use?
The power consumption of a coffee maker can be assessed by the wattage rating of the appliance. This depends generally on three main factors. First of all is the type of coffee maker you use. We all know that there is more than just one type of electrical coffee maker in the market and naturally, some types use more power than the others.
The next major factor is the size or capacity of the coffee maker. A larger coffee maker will have the capacity to heat a larger quantity of water and therefore, make a larger pot of coffee in one sitting. Of course, to heat a larger quantity of water, the coffee maker will require more energy, translating to a higher power consumption.
The third and last factor is the brand of the coffee maker. Generally, all coffee machines operate on the same fundamental concept, however, the technology working at the heart of the appliance can vary from brand to brand. Needless to say, the more established brands will have better technology and therefore, branded coffee makers will usually be more energy-efficient.
Speaking in numbers, a small sized drip coffee maker, which can brew four to five cups of coffee in one go, will normally consume anywhere from 550 watts to 900 watts. On the other hand, a larger machine will consume between 700 watts and 1200 watts. An automatic espresso maker consumes 1000–1500 watts while a single-serve brewer will use between 900 watts to 1500 watts. A typical coffee maker found in most homes and diners will use around 1200 watts.
Bluetti offers a diverse range of portable solar generator kits that can easily power your coffee makers, large or small sized, without any trouble.
Why Use a Solar Generator for Coffee Machines?
Electric coffee makers have made brewing coffee extremely easy and convenient and with high-quality coffee grounds readily available in stores, people can make delicious coffee at their home. However, there are also two major problems associated with using coffee makers.
FIrst of all, traditional coffee makers consume a lot of energy and can use up anywhere from 550 watts to over 1,500 watts depending on the size of the machine. This means that even though you’re saving money by making your own coffee at home and forgoing the expensive coffee sold in cafes, the inflated electric bill caused by the high power consumption of your coffee machine might offset those savings and may even end up costing you more than you save.
This is especially true, if you use your coffee maker during the peak hours, i.e., the time of the day when the cost of grid supplied electricity is at its highest.
Furthermore, you can only enjoy the ease and convenience of electric coffee makers if you have access to consistent electricity, which is a luxury you might not have when out in the wilderness for a camping trip or during power outages. In such a case, you’ll have to resort to tiresome manual coffee makers that require more effort and time to brew coffee.
Fortunately, when using a solar generator for coffee machines, you don’t have to worry about these problems. When making coffee at home, you can plug in your coffee machine to your Bluetti solar generator and brew as much coffee as you want without drawing any energy from the grid. This means no more inflated electricity bills or worrying about peak hours.
This is because, as we all know by now, solar generators are capable of generating energy from the sunlight, allowing you to power your coffee maker using completely free, clean, and green energy. Knowing this, we can conclude that using a portable solar generator to make coffee will be more economical than making coffee using grid energy or buying coffee from a cafe.
Using a portable solar generator for coffee machines is also an ideal solution for making coffee during power outages and camping trips since it allows you to use your coffee maker without electricity from the grid. The compact and portable design and construction of solar generators makes them easy to carry, store, and set up, making them the perfect energy backup for your off-grid adventures.
How Long Can You Power a Coffee Maker Using a Portable Solar Generator?
The length of time for which you can power a coffee maker using a solar generator largely depends on two factors, the wattage of the coffee maker and the capacity of your solar generator. Knowing this, it would be impossible to state an accurate value without knowing the size and capacity of your coffee machine and solar generator.
Generally, a high-capacity Bluetti solar generator, such as the AC200Max can power your typical 1200 watt coffee maker for around an hour and forty-two minutes on a single charge. Considering that most modern coffee makers can brew a batch of coffee in five minutes or less, this is more than enough time to cover your entire week’s dose of coffee.
As a matter of fact, the AC200Max can give you around 136 to 140 cups of coffee on a 2000 watt commercial grade coffee maker on a single charge. In addition, you can use solar panels to recharge your solar generator during the day, allowing you to power your appliance for even longer.
Additionally, you can pair your portable solar generator system with expansion batteries, in doing so, increasing the overall capacity of your system and your energy backup time. The gist of the matter is that a portable solar generator can offer you a considerable backup time, enough to facilitate your coffee needs for several days in a row, that too on a single charge. Moreover, you can further extend the backup time by pairing your solar generator with solar panels and expansion batteries.
What Size Generator Do I Need to Run a Coffee Maker?
One of the best criteria for estimating the size, or capacity, of a solar generator needed to power a coffee maker is its Wh rating. This value essentially represents the total energy a portable solar generator can store and, therefore, provide once it has been completely charged. Any solar generator that has a Wh rating higher than that of your coffee maker will do the job nicely.
How to calculate the Wh rating of a coffee maker you ask? It’s pretty easy and simple. All you have to do is multiply the wattage of your coffee machine by the number of hours you intend to run it for each day. The wattage of your coffee maker will be on a label somewhere on its body.
To put it into perspective, let’s assume you use a 1,200 watt coffee maker for 30 minutes, 0.5 hours, each day. This translates to a Wh rating of 600Wh (1,200W * 0.5h = 600Wh). So, any solar portable generator with a Wh rating higher than this will be able to power your appliance long enough to satisfy your coffee requirements for the day.
For instance, if you are using a Bluettin AC200Max which has a capacity of over 2,000Whs, you’ll be able to power your coffee maker for 4 days in a row, 30 minutes each day, on a single charge. So, the rule to thumb should be to calculate the Wh rating of your coffee machine and choose a solar generator with a Wh rating higher than that.
Types of Coffee Makers You Can Power Using Portable Solar Generators
Drip Coffee Makers
This is the most common type of coffee maker in use today. You add water to the chamber or reservoir and ground coffee to the filter. The heating element heats the water which is passed through the coffee beans. The brewed coffee then drips into a carafe that sits on a heating plate to keep the coffee warm.
Thermal Coffee Makers
Works similar to drip coffee makers, with the exception that the carafe is insulated to keep the coffee within warm.
Espresso Machine
Works on the same concept as the aforementioned machine with the exception that the machine uses high pressure to pass the water through the coffee beans instead of gravity. As such, espresso machines consume more energy than the drip and thermal coffee machines.
Percolators
Percolators use ground coffee that is larger in size than that used in drip and thermal coffee makers. Generally use the same amount of energy as a similar sized drip coffee maker.
Conclusion
Using a Bluetti portable solar generator for coffee machines is one of the best and most reliable ways to get your daily dose of coffee. Using a solar generator helps reduce your electric bill, forgo the worry of power usage during peak hours, and provides you with clean and reliable energy on your off-grid adventures. The best part is that you can recharge your generator anywhere, anytime for free, as long as the sun is shining. To purchase your portable solar generator, visit our website today!
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