The Makita Coffee Machine: A Bizarre Battery-Powered Brewer

I've wanted to review this thing for ages, which perhaps gave me too much time to think about what kind of a review it should be...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
0:57 Setting the scene
2:35 How it works
3:54 A little tiny bit of battery mathematics
4:38 Weighing up the requirements
5:18 Brewing coffee
6:16 Powering the brewer
7:25 Java Jive Squarespace
8:46 Tasting the brew
9:57 Comparing with an AeroPress brew
10:17 Makita kettle (!) & workflow
12:41 A tasting and concluding thoughts

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[FictionWeLiveIn]

When I was in construction, my coworker bought one of these and it was awesome. When we brought it out, people did indeed think it was weird...for all of 3 seconds and then asked if we could make them a cup. At one point in turned into a game of "where is the weirdest place we can make coffee?". 35 feet in the air in warehouse joists, on a moving forklift, in the middle of a job site meeting, in traffic, etc.

Self control was the hardest part. We hadn't had unfettered access to coffee before and I ended up drinking so much that I could see 3 days into the future and communicate with bees. It also upped my cigarette consumption because waiting for a cup to brew was the best excuse for a 5 minute break. So I did the healthy thing and quit construction and cigarettes.

To really answer your question: Novelty. That's about it. I've also used regular plug-in cheapo coffee makers and they were way better but not as fun.

[diskordionista]

This video is a fever dream. I barely got over the fake stache and the incredible intro, when the barbershop ad sucker punched me, before the surprise kettle as a finisher. Outstanding job by James and his team.

[odw]

I recently had a contractor replace my roof, and I warned them upfront that the amenities of my home were limited because of extensive renovations.
They used a bitumen blow torch at the lowest setting to heat a large Moka pot. A week later, the roof was done and my whole garden was fertilized with coffee grounds.

[stephendmantoiu]

The best part from this video for me was using the power tool to grind on the manual grinder. It even fits in the stock head of the tool, no adaptor needed! Tried a batch now and it went through literally in seconds. This will change my life for the better. No longer will I have to flex my muscles every god damn morning. Thanks James! You

[robertnewman]

I live in New Orleans and bought one of these a while back. When we lost power during Hurricane Ida last year this was a game changer for me, as I couldn't justify starting the generator just for coffee... during the roughly 10 days I was without power I was able to have fresh coffee both in the morning and for standing guard against looters at night thanks to this thing, and could top up the batteries whenever I ran the generator. Probably made 30 cups in that time period, which wouldn't have been possible without it. For most people it's stupid, but as an emergency/SHTFdevice it's a great way to keep a bit of normalcy (and caffeine) which is HUGE for morale.

[macxpert]

I work in an office where the management decided all coffee makers brought in by the staff had to be taken home as they were not tested for safety. Mind you, you can't sell something in Australia that does not meet Australian safety standards. Typically the manufacturers submit their products for testing and approval, so the coffee makers were safe. The management don't provide any tea or even instant coffee, so you have to bring everything in to work if you want a cup of coffee.

Anyway after everyone took their coffee machines home I purchased one of these and set it up on my desk. Within 30 Minutes I was ordered to remove it due to the "rules". I responded your reason for making us take our machines home is that they might be "unsafe" as they plug into the 240V AC power. This coffee machine runs on batteries so I am complying with your "rules". The manager was not happy that I had beat them at their own game. They had no choice other than to let the coffee maker stay. Now the office is full of these little Makita coffee machines and battery chargers.

[ThingsAnStuff]

In New Zealand and Australia, these 2 products are tradies favourites haha, they asked them to make these for years. Being able to make yourself a coffee an some 2 minute noodles out the back of your work Ute is a God send. There are heaps of super large and/or super rural job sites that could have hundreds or even thousands of workers and only a couple power outlets or 1 or 2 coffee shops near by. These products were a game changer. People usually don't even need to buy them too, they're often bundled in for free with an 8-10 piece tool set that most tradies buy when they get into the industry.

[juliancook]

you can tell this man hasn't worked in the trades because one cup of Makita coffee and you're a legend

[christopheracker]

The industrial setting, the moustache, the barbershop quartet. And a quirky coffee contraption to match. James continues to push coffee content to greater heights, and I am buckled in for the ride.

[cloudfrenzy]

There's something weirdly satisfying about this brewer. Every single component clicks into place. And the look is so industrial that it has a very high contrast to the purpose of the machine. It's facinating!

[smwillia]

The Makita Kettle, honestly, was a twist of a product I was not expecting.

[wolfyfitzpatrick]

Been working in trades for about 8 months now, and this makes more sense than it did when I saw this video a year ago.

First, a lot of jobsites don't have access to power, especially not multiple 10A outlets, ESPECIALLY not where we need them. We all know that, and no one likes extension cables, and so we spend an ungodly amount of money on batteries. Generally the 12V system is for when you don't expect to actually be doing a lot of work, 18V or higher is for the actual jobsite. I'd personally take one of the 6ah 18v batteries I use on my skillsaw and put it in the brewer, then set it on the rapid charger that can fully recharge it in 50 minutes, or just put it back in the saw with charge to spare.

Second, Canada winters are pretty harsh, the best thermos I have can't keep coffee warm for 3 hours in November in Vancouver nevermind all day in January in Winnipeg. So being able to get hot coffee on demand without needing to run an extension cable, possibly without needing to run down from the awning you're on top of would be really great!

Third, brand loyalty to Makita. Fourth, impressing or amusing potential clients by serving fresh coffee. Fifth, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ENOUGH COFFEE. Especially not when you've been on site for an hour, you have 7 hours to go, it's raining, you're under a deck struggling with an angle grinder when A MASSIVE SPIDER LANDS ON YOUR FACE cause you work in a temperate rainforest full of enormous spiders.

Now I want a Makita coffee maker
Update: Now I HAVE the Makita coffee maker and it's so cute, definitely has some niche use cases.

[chillchinna]

I've worked as an electrician in the northern US. In the wintertime the ability to make a hot cup of coffee in my car was a godsend. Just reach in the back, yoink a battery out of my bag, and bob's your uncle.

Also, tradesmen are just large children with power tools. You'll get made fun of for anything on the job site, but the coffee machine will turn into a game. Can we make attic coffee? Can we make coffee under the house? Can we rope up some lights before the coffee is done? All kinds of shenanigans.

It's easy overthink this little guy, but I worked residential jobs. We didn't have break rooms or anything like that. We just had to go to our cars for lunch. Sometimes the closest gas station was an hour away and this thing got the job done more than a few times. For the people that could use it, it's great. For the people that don't it's silly.

[GregPolkinghorne]

I love how he included the grams of battery in the recipe.

[johnkmetz]

Credentials: Heavy Civil Construction Inspector.

I own this coffee maker. While it may not brew the perfect cup of coffee it does something else. It provides a sense of normalcy and comfort. I work a lot and by a lot, I mean peak season can be 16 hours a day for 6 days a week. It's not always during the day either it can be nights doing a bridge deck pour. We (construction workers) give much of our time during the season to building roads and buildings, spending that time miles away from family and friends doing arduous work. If this provides one opportunity to have a little normalcy like our counterparts in the office in our day it's worth it. The coffee maker is well received on the job site. I am the envy of most I meet when I pull it out to use. I've used it to make coffee, hot water for tea, and hot water to make a cup of ramen noodles or instant oatmeal(just so I don't have to eat fast food again). All may not be first-rate meals or drinks but they do provide a warm meal or often drink when I need it most. From the first cup of coffee in the morning to the last cup of tea while I drive home, I appreciate this tool for all its worth.

Side note don't own the kettle but the coffee maker gets it done in a smaller space.

[jrbedford]

Excellent video!

As a barbershop harmony singer myself, I must applaud your quartet — they were quite good!

Only missed opportunity was for them to use the "thorough beep" as their pitch pipe. 😂 That moment did give me quite a good laugh, though!

[Queso]

I am enjoying James Hoffmann's high budget descent into madness

[gamerman]

It doesn't just make coffee, it makes friends too.

[markcarr]

Having worked in construction before, I can tell you that something like this is a God send to the guys working up on a roof on a cold day. Or the guys that are 200-300 feet up in the air where no electrical outlet is available. It may not be Starbucks quality, but it's hot, fresh, and readily available.

[philips]

Four months ago, YouTube randomly suggested this video to me. Four months later, I'm a proud owner of an AeroPress, 1ZPresso Q2, and a plethora of coffee beans from around the world. Thank you James, for being you.