Easy to machine food safe metal for a coffee maker?

I'm new to machining and am working on a personal project. I'm making some parts for a manual coffee maker (similar to the Aero Press). I originally was planning on making it out of 304 stainless steel but have been reading about how difficult it can be to machine. Are there any other metals that are easier to machine and are also food safe? The material also will be in contact with coffee which is acidic.

You can machine forms and then stamp 304 in a press. Typically better for foodstuff anyway since the finish will be generally smoother.

Thanks for the tip but I unfortunately I don't have access to a press.

I thought brass or copper was the standard?
Bill D

Aluminium .......used on countless coffee pots etc for more years than I've been around.

coffeemaker said:

Thanks for the tip but I unfortunately I don't have access to a press.

Click to expand...

Well, you need to 'splain what you DO have access to,
and what this project entails (curved sheets, tig welding,
machined blocks, etc)

There are different rules depending on where the product will be used in the chain as far as consumer/comercial/manufacturing of a food product. My friend and I built industrial coffee equipment for a few years.

Is this going to be an end use consumer product?

316 SS is food compliant. A little easier to machine than 304, not much. Depends on what you are actually after, aesthetics and whatnot.

R

I'm a member of a local techshop here in Austin TX. Here's a list of the machines available to me:



3D Printer #1

3D Printer #2

D Printer (PrintrBot #1)

D Printer (PrintrBot #2)

Basic Sewing Machine #1

Basic Sewing Machine #2

CNC Embroiderer

CNC ShopBot Alpha #1

CNC ShopBot Alpha #2

CNC Tormach

Computer Classroom

Conference Room #1

Conference Room #2

Conference Room #3

eat Press

Industrial Serger Machine

Industrial Straight Stitch

Industrial Walking Foot

Injection Molding Machine

Laser Cutter #1 (Trotec)

Laser Cutter #2 (Trotec)

Laser Cutter #3 (Trotec)

Laser Cutter #4 (ULS)

Laser Rotary Attachment

Lathe #1 (Jet)

Lathe #2 (Jet)

MIG Welder #1 (Lincoln)

MIG Welder #2 (Lincoln)

Milling Machine #1 (Jet)

Milling Machine #2 (Jet)

Mini Lathe Attachment for Tormach

Planishing Hammer

Powder Coating Gun and Booth

Powder Coating Oven

Quilting Machine

Sand Blasting Cabinet

SawStop / Router

Silk Screen Station

TIG Welder #1 (Lincoln)

TIG Welder #2 (Lincoln)

Vacuum Former

Vinyl Cutter

Waterjet (Flowjet)

Wood Lathe

Copper or brass would also be really nice looking. Do you know where I can find out if it's safe to make food with it?

It's just a one or few off project for personal use. I'm mostly just concerned with it being safe. I'm making it out of metal because I don't like the idea of putting boiling water in plastic.

coffeemaker said:

It's just a one or few off project for personal use. I'm mostly just concerned with it being safe. I'm making it out of metal because I don't like the idea of putting boiling water in plastic.

Click to expand...

I worked in the food industry a Millenia ago, there are plenty of plastics that can handle it, just look inside basically ANY consumer coffee maker. But a Google search found this for metals;

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...-forms&usg=AFQjCNGJfRuB0DDGR_d2ox5ffn3n1f38ww

litlerob1 said:

I worked in the food industry a Millenia ago, there are plenty of plastics that can handle it, just look inside basically ANY consumer coffee maker. But a Google search found this for metals;y

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...-forms&usg=AFQjCNGJfRuB0DDGR_d2ox5ffn3n1f38ww

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm machining it because it already exists in plastic and I don't want it made out of plastic. It's a personal preference thing.

coffeemaker said:

Yeah, I'm machining it because it already exists in plastic and I don't want it made out of plastic. It's a personal preference thing.

Click to expand...

Sweet, check the link provided it's for metals.

Stainless steel is THE go-to metal for food contact. As for it being difficult to machine proper tools, technique, and cutting fluid help a lot.

If by chance you have lightweight (hobby type) equipment my advise is to modify your design to use "partly made" parts such as readily available stainless kitchen accessories for the larger parts and modify them.

Scottl said:

Stainless steel is THE go-to metal for food contact. As for it being difficult to machine proper tools, technique, and cutting fluid help a lot.

If by chance you have lightweight (hobby type) equipment my advise is to modify your design to use "partly made" parts such as readily available stainless kitchen accessories for the larger parts and modify them.

Click to expand...

I'm willing to learn but I'm very new to machining. The machine I have access to is a Tormach CNC Mill. I'm not sure if it's a lightweight machine or not. Does that tell you enough to know if it's a lightweight machine?

digger doug said:

Well, you need to 'splain what you DO have access to,
and what this project entails (curved sheets, tig welding,
machined blocks, etc)

Click to expand...

3D Printer #1

3D Printer #2

D Printer (PrintrBot #1)

D Printer (PrintrBot #2)

Basic Sewing Machine #1

Basic Sewing Machine #2

CNC Embroiderer

CNC ShopBot Alpha #1

CNC ShopBot Alpha #2

CNC Tormach

Computer Classroom

Conference Room #1

Conference Room #2

Conference Room #3

eat Press

Industrial Serger Machine

Industrial Straight Stitch

Industrial Walking Foot

Injection Molding Machine

Laser Cutter #1 (Trotec)

Laser Cutter #2 (Trotec)

Laser Cutter #3 (Trotec)

Laser Cutter #4 (ULS)

Laser Rotary Attachment

Lathe #1 (Jet)

Lathe #2 (Jet)

MIG Welder #1 (Lincoln)

MIG Welder #2 (Lincoln)

Milling Machine #1 (Jet)

Milling Machine #2 (Jet)

Mini Lathe Attachment for Tormach

Planishing Hammer

Powder Coating Gun and Booth

Powder Coating Oven

Quilting Machine

Sand Blasting Cabinet

SawStop / Router

Silk Screen Station

TIG Welder #1 (Lincoln)

TIG Welder #2 (Lincoln)

Vacuum Former

Vinyl Cutter

Waterjet (Flowjet)

Wood Lathe

The iconic Bialetti Moka has been made since 1933 using aluminum.

You either have one or know someone who does, even if like me you can't stand coffee.

Alfonso Bialetti - Wikipedia

Do it right and maybe you too can be as successful as Alphonso.

smt

stephen thomas said:

The iconic Bialetti Moka has been made since 1933 using aluminum.

You either have one or know someone who does, even if like me you can't stand coffee.

Alfonso Bialetti - Wikipedia

Do it right and maybe you too can be as successful as Alphonso.

smt

Click to expand...

SO that's what they're called! I've never known but that's exactly what I remembered from my childhood, ............Mum told me it had been a wedding present in 1952

Thanks SMT

coffeemaker said:

I'm willing to learn but I'm very new to machining. The machine I have access to is a Tormach CNC Mill. I'm not sure if it's a lightweight machine or not. Does that tell you enough to know if it's a lightweight machine?

Click to expand...

That certainly should be able to machine stainless with appropriate depth of cut per pass. The CNC pros here can tell you what cutters to use.