The Almond Press
a state-of-the-art, user-friendly, almond milk maker
For the introductory course into the engineering major, I took a ten week long project-based course where we worked in teams to conceptualize, design, build, and test any product from scratch. We were encouraged to take inspiration from those around us, so after speaking to our professors, friends, and peers, my team decided to engineer a device to help ease the process of making homemade almond milk.
Our proposed solution to the need for cheap and easy alternative milks was an almond milk strainer, inspired by can crushing and juice press technologies. After mixing almonds and water in a high-speed blender, the user will pour the remaining pulp into the strainer in a quick and mess-free manner. The automatic nylon strainer will push the pulp down, allowing the additive-free and non-diluted milk to seep through. The strainer will have a spout to make it easy to pour the freshly made almond milk.
On store shelves, almond milk is either extremely expensive or contains additives. Our strainer allowed people to create their own additive-free and affordable nut milk at home using raw and natural ingredients. Although handmade milk addresses the aforementioned issues, this process is often messy and time-consuming. Our strainer is easy-to-use, mess-free, and quick. While state-of-the-art automated nut milk makers avoid the laborious nature of the handmade process, they are poorly designed and lack efficiency and ease-of-use. With an automatic press, replaceable filter, and easy-to-wash assembly, our strainer trumps alternatives on the market.
Here's the final product:
Our team varied in strengths ranging from engineering and machine shop knowledge to extensive design and economics experience. We continuously reiterated over our design over the course of multiple design reviews and while doing so, learned a lot about the importance of user testing from the beginning of the engineering process.
See the final report below!