Japanese Designers Build Breakfast Machine That Makes Coffee Automatically

Hollywood has long imagined machines that cook your entire breakfast — think flying toasters serving eggs, toast, and coffee with a push of a button. But what if such a machine wasn’t science fiction? In Amsterdam, two Japanese designers turned that dream into functional reality.

The automated breakfast machine can fry an egg, toast and butter bread, squeeze orange juice, and — crucially for coffee lovers — grind fresh beans and brew coffee, all without human intervention. It took over eleven days and 88 hours to build, measures 13 meters wide and 3 meters long, and reportedly cost around £900 using salvaged parts.

How the Breakfast Machine Works

The machine is a large Rube Goldberg-like contraption made from repurposed everyday items including alarm clocks and record players. It performs multiple breakfast tasks in sequence using a system of conveyors, motors, pulleys, and gravity-fed tubes.

Here’s how the coffee part works: whole coffee beans are fed into a grinder that uses a motor to crush them. The freshly ground coffee is then directed into a filter. Separately, a kettle boils water, which is pumped through a pipe system above and released into the coffee grounds below to brew. Meanwhile, an egg rolls from a holding cage into a funnel where it’s cracked, mixed, and cooked on an electric griddle. A slice of bread moves along a belt, enters an oven to toast, and is then buttered and jammed by a roller mechanism. Oranges are funneled in, sliced, juiced, and filtered into a cup.

Designers’ Inspiration and Process

Suzuri Suzuki, originally from Tokyo and based in London’s Hackney district, said the idea came from classic films like Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Back to the Future, where whimsical breakfast machines play a central role. “I wanted to see if we could make one for real,” she explained.

Together with co-designer Masahiko Kimura, Suzuki built the machine at Amsterdam’s Platform 21 exhibition space with help from dozens of volunteers and other designers who contributed parts and labor. “It felt like conducting an orchestra,” Suzuki said. “Everything was happening automatically, and I was in control.”

Why This Matters to Coffee Fans

While the machine is more art project than practical appliance, it showcases the complexity and wonder of automating something as seemingly simple as making coffee. From grinding beans to controlling water flow, each step required precise mechanical design. For specialty coffee enthusiasts, it’s a fascinating look at how brewing fundamentals — grind, water, timing — can be mechanized even in playful contexts.

The entire setup was temporary and has since been dismantled, but Suzuki hopes to bring it to other exhibitions, possibly including London. “Breakfast marks the start of a new day,” she said. “We wanted to celebrate that moment, and the teamwork it took to build this was absolutely worth it.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does the breakfast machine make?

The machine prepares a full breakfast including a fried egg, toasted and buttered/jammed bread, fresh orange juice, and a brewed coffee — all automatically, without any manual steps.

How does the coffee brewing part work?

Coffee beans are motor-ground, then placed in a filter. Boiling water is pumped from an overhead kettle through pipes and poured onto the grounds to brew coffee directly into a cup.

How big is the machine and how long did it take to build?

The machine is 13 meters wide and 3 meters long. It took 11 days and 88 hours to construct with help from volunteers and used around £900 worth of mostly reclaimed parts.

Did the machine really make coffee from freshly ground beans?

Yes — the design includes a motorized coffee grinder that crushes whole beans, then directs the grounds into a filter for brewing with hot water.

Where was the machine built and exhibited?

It was created at Amsterdam’s Platform 21 exhibition center with contributions from multiple designers and volunteers. It has since been dismantled but may be shown again in cities like London.

How much did the breakfast machine cost to make?

The creators estimated the total cost at around £900, using mostly second-hand or salvaged components purchased from flea markets and donations.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Automatic Brewing

For fans of automated coffee experiences, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera — a bright, floral Ethiopian single origin with notes of jasmine and bergamot, ideal for pour-over or similar precision brewing. Pair it with FrontStreet’s Yirgacheffe for a juicy, citrus-forward cup with berry undertones, perfect for exploring grind and water ratios. Finally, the FrontStreet Classic Blend offers a balanced medium roast with caramel and nut tones, great for automatic drip machines. All three showcase what fresh, well-ground coffee can deliver. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.