For this one, I did a build log of sorts on Instagram using the mrcoffeepc hashtag (#mrcoffeepc). Up until today 7/19/19, no one else has posted using that hashtag. If you're curious about something in the build, it's probably in a post there in words, photos, or videos. You don't need an Instagram account to view them.
Clear as mud
I was percolating about all the crazy things people sell on OfferUp when I pulled up the Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista listing. I'd bean wanting to take another shot at a demitasse ITX build and right away I saw how the parts I had would blend. When I met up with the seller, they were a little confused that I didn't want to see it run, then a latte confused when I explained I was going to use it to build a computer. The guy asked, "To make better coffee?"
I was thinking I would do a quick drip concept build. That was over six months ago. I don't know what the puck happened to turn it into a full bodied project, other than it was both stimulating and funny to me from the start--never a grind.
How now blue cow?
There was one obvious way to blend the components, but it was also java-ious that the tight C shape of the coffee maker would create an airflow problem that would roast my components. The au lait way around that without grinding holes all over the place was to add a robusta CPU water cooling solution. So, I blended together a custom loop, mostly based on what would fit. I also vented most of the lid so the steamy GPU could use its fan to get aromatic air.
I probably could have made the coffee maker's rear tank the reservoir but putting the reservoir in the milk carafe was just too perfect to pass up. (Yes, cows have blue milk where I'm from.) I was also planning to replace the rear tank with a mini espresso maker at the time. That ended up being berry complicated, though, so now it just serves a spiral of individually addressable LEDs.
The other grande design consideration was how to French press the motherboard and graphics card in place. I frappened to have an HP Pavilion Slimline 400-214 Desktop PC case lying around, and its height and width were a close fit to the coffee maker C shape. Once I'd cut and sized the case to fit, I anchored it to the bottom with the PSU and to the top-back by the same screws that secure the lid.
I repurposed the Espresso and Cappuccino front panel buttons into the power and reset buttons, and I wired the power supply through the coffee maker's power rocker switch after overcoming an earlier grounds issue. That left the Latte button.
The Raspberry Pod Zero W model is small enough to fit inside the froth panel, alungo with a speaker hat, so I set them up to run at system power up along with a script. The script is triggered to play a sound (.wav) file using aplay whenever you press the Latte button. The current sound is coffee pouring so, when people ask me if it still makes coffee, I just say, "Well it still makes coffee sounds." But, for when that joe gets stale, I also installed a microphone behind a hole in the panel, so you can brew up any sound you like with a simple Raspbian Linux command by SSH over the wireless network.
But is the coffee getting cold?
The temps would be high but well within operating range for a computer in a normal case with good cooling and air flow. At 25C ambient, the GPU and CPU idle at 38 and 40C. Kinda muggy, but not bad.
The GTX 1080 made it through the Heaven benchmark with kona-ly power throttling. I didn't need to push the card by changing the upper limit, though, because paired with the solid i5-8600k it still averages over 100 FPS. As for the i5, it runs up to 70C in Prime 95 with no overclocking. Again, high umber normal circumstances, but this is a little coffee maker.
What's the skinny on maintenance?
Leche say that, when I was troubleshooting the LED strip in the rear tank, I cut the connector wires and then soldered them back together so that I didn't have to disconnect the connector from the motherboard header. Reconnecting it would leave a bitter taste in your mouth.
Unfiltered
The Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista tear down almost back burnered this build. There were at least a hundred screws, as well as numerous internal latches and strange screw head types. It's almost like they didn't want people gutting it to put other things in there. Or get a jolt of electricity.
There were a lot of perks to recording tasks for the build log. My choice is the post with videos comparing cutting 80 clamped steel straws with a table saw vs. an angle grinder vs. a Dremel cutting wheel. Of course, the grinder won out.
Afforgotta mention a cup-ola things. I mocha appreciate you checking out my build! It makes doing it sweetener!
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