Young Talent Brews Creativi-tea with invention for Cuppa-loving Brit
Published 5th March 2020
A student from Hertfordshire has made it through to the finals of a national science and engineering competition with his project, Porta-Brew
When describing British culture, one thing that always tops the list is a cup of tea. It’s so ingrained in the fundamentals of our society, that we are the world’s third top tea drinkers and consume 165 million cups of tea a day[i]. In fact, it seems that hot drinks in general are every Brit’s cup of tea, with approximately 95 million coffees had a day[ii], too.
Jumping on the back off this trend has seen Daniel Hutton, a Year 13 student from East Barnet School in Hertfordshire, develop and create the Porta-Brew – a device that allows hot drinks to be made anywhere, even without a power supply. The project was entered as a part of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition and Daniel impressed the judges so much that he has now secured a place in the finals.
The Porta-Brew device uses electro-magnetic induction to generate the heat of any liquid to temperatures up to 100 degrees Celsius, or maintain a temperature within that range, meaning no harmful gasses or particles are released into the atmosphere.
The absence of electricity needed to boil a kettle means that it’s better for the environment, too. One of the biggest issues within the environmental impact of a cup of tea is the burning of fossil fuels in order to make energy to boil the kettle[iii]. And it seems that young consumers are the ones most concerned about the sustainability of a hot beverage[iv], making the project a popular fit for anyone wanting to cut their environmental impact.
Not only is the Porta-Brew environmentally friendly, Daniel explains its appeal for many a typical British outing: “The Porta-Brew was created to allow hot drinks to be made anywhere. It makes it perfect for camping, festivals or for use in a power cut. The lightweight cup and user-friendly interface make it easy to control and get the perfect temperature, giving you the perfect drink every time.”
Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive, EngineeringUK said, “Daniel’s invention is likely to be of interest to all the tea drinkers amongst us, so we’re excited to see how he will do at the UK finals at The Fair and beyond.
Going into its twelfth year in 2020, The Big Bang Fair continues to be a great source of STEM inspiration for young people, representing an amazing opportunity for young visitors, their teachers and parents to get hands-on with a wide range of activities, workshops and shows, and engage in meaningful career conversations with professionals, all designed to bring classroom learning to life and inspire the next generation."
Daniel will attend the competition finals, which are taking place at The Big Bang Fair at Birmingham’s NEC in March 2020. Here, he will vie for top prizes, which include the coveted title of GSK UK Young Engineer and GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year.
