A new coffee machine, said to be the first powered by induction heating, that produces both espresso and drip coffee is a step closer to reaching the market after a strong response to its public funding campaign.
La Fenice uses electromagnetic induction technology meaning it can rapidly heat water and remain switched off for the majority of the time. According to the Italian team who have developed the prototype this could save up 80 per cent of the energy used by other coffee machines.
The team is raising funds to manufacture La Fenice via the crowd funding website Kickstarter. Since the project was listed last week it has already reached its funding goal, receiving over US$70,000 which should be enough to see the machine into mass production.
As well as reworking induction technology, a major technological advancement for cooktops, La Fenice also has a specially engineered printed circuit board (PCB) that “perfectly controls temperature, pressure and flow rate” according to its makers.
The design takes inspiration from old-school Italian coffee machines and uses glass, aluminium and wood to create a stylish end product.
According to the Kickstarter timeline, production of La Fenice machines is scheduled for September 2014 with the first machines expected to be shipped in October 2014.