Overcomplicated Tea Maker

One time when I was doing homework, I asked my dad to make me a cup of tea. He used the convenient small coffee maker, but left it on too long. That wasted power and could have started a fire. After that, I decided to add some features to try to make a perfect cup of tea and maybe save power.

First, I added an arduino-controlled 3 phase 40 amp contactor to turn the coffeemaker off automatically. There are coffee and tea makers that already have a timer, but the one I have doesn't stop at exactly three and a half minutes. A contactor is like a really big relay, typically used for industrial control and air conditioners. I bought a contactor at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and I was looking for a project to show it off. The arduino controls the contactor via a relay.

I added a 20 amp light switch to start it. I attached a metal electrical box to hold teabags. I thought about adding a motorized arm to lift the teabag, but I didn't know how to program that. I might add a stirrer for sweetened drinks. 

Yesterday, I added a platform so that it doesn't take up as much space on the counter. I used a mesquite log, and wood recycled from our old windowsills. I tried to use velcro to keep the coffee maker from falling off the platform, but it stuck to itself better than it stuck to the plastic. Next, I tried duct tape, but it didn't look right. I unscrewed the bottom to clean the inside (because a few years ago some ants invaded it). When I took off the bottom plate I found better solution. I screwed the bottom plate directly to the platform, and then reattached it to the coffee maker.

Amazon Affiliate link for the contactor: https://amzn.to/2OcsZQ2
Amazon Affiliate link for Mom's favorite tea, (lemon ginger): https://amzn.to/2TGzhgF