For some time now I've been using my Moka Pot like everyone else, having to keep an eye on the pot until the coffee starts to flow into the upper chamber, so as to cut the heat source on time and avoid burning the coffee.
I've wanted for a while to make some sort of signaling device that will "ding" when the coffee starts to flow, or when the coffee reaches a specific level in the upper chamber , or anything of this sort really, using an Arduino.
Firstly, I would appreciate any and all help and suggestions for this project. I'm looking for ideas and different directions to solve this.
Secondly, I've made some research into temperature sensors, and a big question rises:
Can a "standard" (such as the TMP36) temperature sensor be placed directly on a hot surface? Will such sensor survive for long attached directly to the upper chamber of a Moka Pot, considering the chamber can reach a temperature of up to 120 C?
Will such sensor survive for long attached directly to the upper chamber of a Moka Pot, considering the chamber can reach a temperature of up to 120 C?
Best way to determine that is look at the data sheet. Looks like standard range is up to 125 °C but will work up to 150 °C.
Low Voltage Operation (+2.7 V to
+5.5 V)
10 mV/8°C Scale Factor (20 mV/8°C on TMP37)
±2°C Accuracy Over
Temperature (typ)
±0.5°C Linearity (typ)
Stable with Large Capacitive Loads
Specified -40 °C to +125 °C, Operation to +150 °C
Less than 50 µA Quiescent Current
Shutdown Current 0.5 µA max
I'd try to get somewhat more rugged sensor, since it's going to be in a wet, dirty environment - they make sensors with metal tubes around the sensor part for applications like this.
If you're lucky, you can just stick the sensor down the spout, and will see a sharp increase in temperature when the coffee starts hitting it. Once you pick a sensor, hook it up and log the recorded temp to serial monitor, and make some coffee, and see how the temperature changes across the process, to make sure there's a nice sharp increase you can rely on, rather than the probe being almost at the target temperature due to conduction from the hot mokapot.
iheartpizza1:
For some time now I've been using my Moka Pot like everyone else, having to keep an eye on the pot until the coffee starts to flow into the upper chamber, so as to cut the heat source on time and avoid burning the coffee.
Is that how other people use them? I always just threw them into the aluminum bin. Maybe now that metal prices are down, I'll try making coffee with the next one that goes by.
