Coffee Maker. How Much Power for a Mobile, Marine, or Off-Grid Electrical System?

This video will teach you how to figure out how much energy your coffee maker uses for a mobile, marine, and off-grid electrical system.

This is episode 2.1 in our Electrical System Sizing Playlist in the EXPLORIST.life Academy.

Be sure to comment your data so we can add it to our database!

Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful with planning and installing your DIY Camper:

FULL ELECTRICAL INSTALLS:

00:00 Introduction
01:11 How much does a coffee maker use? The easy method.
02:16 How long does it take to brew a pot of coffee?
04:11 How much does a coffee maker use? The precise method.
06:08 Pro Tip!

[anthonyrstrawbridge]

Excellent timing! I ❤ the speed of your brew. Coffee makers require the same amount of maintenance as electric water heaters given the same source water. Vinegar and CLR or installing a new heating element is as costly as just buying bottled filtered water. I occasionally pick up and repurpose newer late model electric hot water heaters 2 X 1500-4500 watt elements. Here, and everywhere west, east, and south of the Rocky Mountains using ground water without a full home water treatment system will collect an inch or more lime deposits every year, I often find 4" inches in the bottom and new -ish elements completely insulated. Many people neglect to accurately monitor both the Electrical Consumption And Time. Five minutes on your coffee makers is amazing! Regardless of element wattage any lime scaled coffee maker will take up to twenty minutes to brew a pot. The dumps are full of new ones. ❤

[Dan_H_MT]

I have 4 cup Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker, model TF4. The label says 650 watts @ 120VAC. Using a Kill A Watt meter, the brew cycle used a constant 670 watts and took 6 minutes and 10 seconds (6.1667 minutes). 670 Watts * 6.1667 Minutes / 60 minutes in an hour = 68.86 Watt hours. The keep warm cycle used the full 670 watts running for 10 seconds every 3 minutes. I didn't keep track of the power usage of the keep warm cycles because those 4 cups of coffee are gone in short order.

[libertybell]

How about calculating something like a fridge that cycles on and off? Is there a simple way to calculate the Wh for a fridge?

[goose-F]

Hi Nate. as requested I found a Kurig style coffee pot that pulls 930.9 watts max to brew one 14oz cup.. I specifically searched for this one thru many.. so I could stop my Air conditioner, brew coffee, and go back.. my unit has a AC/Load cutout on a 2000 watt brand X inverter. its the Chefman Single serve K cup.. it pulls 930 Watts max, no warm for 14 oz cup, takes 2:40 and burns 36wh.. so 4 x 14 oz cups to a pot makes 144WH for 4 cycles.. but it also takes more time to prep.. we are looking for an insulated coffee pot that pulls around no more than 1000 watts with no warmer. The value in the smaller current draw is we can also plug it into an extension cord when leaching shore power or borrowed power and not slam the line/source, and it also doesnt overload our little 1600 generator. We often group when camping, and everyone leaches off one unit.. so I try to find stuff that pulls less than 1000 watts when able and use alot of ryobi tools / batts for other things.. but the coffee pot is essential enough that I cary a spare pot :) my system is 12v/640AH base and we will be updating to a Vic3k as soon as we can finish the design work.. keep up the great work

[JoanConsani]

I have a Zojirushi coffee maker and tested it this morning. It takes about 650 watts and used 50wh. It does not have a keep-warm feature. Thanks for your explanation, this tells me I COULD take this with me and use with my bluetti if I wanted to 😁

[UEWanderers]

Keurig K-Mini 120 V, 1470 W, brew time 3:02 = 73.5 Wh / per cup of coffee.

* Brew time was from when the start button was pushed to when the unit stopped. There is no after brew warming.

I recently purchased an EcoFlow River 2 Pro using my K-Mini as a benchmark appliance that a power station MUST power.

Thank you both for the work you do.

[kevinm]

Quick question: At 5:40 in the video, isn't the 0.85 kWh referenced 850 Wh? Or did I slip a digit....i.e. forget to carry / borrow?

[zygotepeyote]

Isn't .85kwh really 850wh instead of 85wh you used in your equation. Moving the decimal point three spaces to the right .85kwh=850wh. Love your vids.

[cdonuts]

New look Explorer life, new set, back to basics, new hair style, pro tip....and Academy 😂 Academy 😂 😂

[jasonkeyser]

I don't use a coffee maker, but this is how I make coffee. I have a DCIGNA Electric Tea Kettle and boil water in it, then use a GSI Outdoors Pour-Over Java Drip I Travel Coffee Maker and a filter. It takes between 1:40 (Summer) and 3:20 (winter) to boil water. It takes 1000W (according to Amazon it is 800W but I have used this for 3 year and average is 1000W) during this time.

[CorndogCaravan]

We are at almost at 4 years of fulltime vanlife and use the coffee maker below:

Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
1400w (1289w) measured usage
Makes a full pot in 5 minutes
Stainless Steel Thermal Carafe with travel lid
Brews "Golden Cup Standard"
1.25 L / 40 oz. 10-cup
5 year warranty

[brianchetelat]

I'd give up lights before coffee 😂. Thanks Nate & gang...

[kevinbowen]

I am new to your site Nate. Do you have a consulting capability, I would like to design a system that can grow as I either have time or funds. Looking at a 50 amp system for my fiver. Would like to start with one multi plus and eventually add another. Thank you

[CoddiwompleTravelers]

Lol!! Gotta have coffee! Great job.... again

[phill]

I think I'm doing something wrong when I calculated per the precious method. I calculated 5:54 as 5.9 minutes. Then 1569W x 5.9 min / 60 = 154 kWh. That seems much closer than what was calculated using the simple method. Is the difference of .1 kWh because this is AC power and not DC power?

[frlh]

You should try and add in the loss of an inverter. I got quite spuprised to see a loss of around 1 kw when making around 3 kw on the muliplus. This was from 12v t0 230v so as bad as it get, however maybe a video for you to make, what the loss of inverting Furthermore does an inverter have a sweetspot to much effeicent to work within

[darylclark]

We use Melita filters and heat the water on the stove - drip method!

[johnm]

How would one do this on a 12vdc compressor fridge (or any 12vdc powered item)? I'd love to have a setup that records a real camping trip so I can get an idea of how much energy it really uses and/or is using (camping in the cool mountains of NYS vs hot Arizona or Florida).

[charlesmoman]

I use a cheap Walmart coffee maker that uses pods or you can use regular coffee. It does not use a lot of power, but with my Ecoflow Delta Max and Delta 1300 - I am good! : ) It does not keep warming - so I save there.

[jimthrasher]

Can you send me where you give a site to build a 24 volt system.