Eli: Transformable, Compact, and Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Maker

A Minimalist Approach to Enhancing the Coffee Brewing Experience

Eli was inspired by Chenchen Fan's love for classic coffee and the desire to create a perfect taste of coffee. Through research, Fan discovered that pour-over coffee was the key to achieving the desired flavor. However, most pour-over coffee makers in the market focused solely on functionality, neglecting usability. This made it difficult for beginners to master the brewing techniques required for a perfect pour-over coffee. With this in mind, Fan set out to find a new approach to pour-over coffee making.

What sets Eli apart from other pour-over coffee makers is its unique design and features. The transformable and compact nature of Eli allows users to easily carry and set up the coffee maker wherever they go. The smooth and stable rotating axis structure simplifies the coffee-making process into three phases: material preparation, brewing setup, and coffee brewing. This innovative design ensures that the coffee grounds are evenly coated with water, allowing for the perfect bloom and extraction of flavors.

Eli is made using a combination of recyclable plastic for the overall body, semi-transparent plastic, rubber, and stainless steel. The use of these materials ensures durability and ease of maintenance. The coffee maker itself measures 170mm by 70mm by 90mm when in its case, and 170mm by 70mm by 170mm when set up for brewing.

Operating Eli is a straightforward process. Users start by boiling water and grinding coffee beans. Once the materials are ready, they can proceed to the brewing setup by sliding and lifting the structure, and then rotating to lock the base. The final step is coffee brewing, where the automatic rotating water nozzle ensures that the coffee grounds are evenly coated with water, resulting in a perfect cup of coffee.

The Eli pour-over coffee maker was developed in Pasadena, starting in March 2019 and finishing in June 2019. It addresses the pain points of traditional pour-over coffee-making processes, such as the lack of intuitive tools, limited portability, and the need for extensive brewing knowledge. By focusing on usability and aesthetics, Eli offers a solution that allows coffee lovers to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee anytime, anywhere.

Eli has received recognition for its innovative design and contribution to the field of home appliances. It was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in 2021, which acknowledges designs that exhibit strong technical and creative skills, contributing to quality of life improvements.

With Eli, Chenchen Fan has successfully created a pour-over coffee maker that combines functionality, usability, and aesthetics. Its transformable and compact design, along with the automatic rotating water nozzle, ensures a perfect cup of coffee every time. Whether at home or on the go, Eli offers coffee lovers the opportunity to indulge in their daily addiction with ease and style.