Dunkin’ Donuts Created the World’s First Coffee-Powered Tiny Home

Back in October 2018, American company Dunkin’ Donuts launched the world’s first-ever tiny home that runs on coffee. While the donut company provided the coffee, this endeavor was a collaboration with an energy company and a tiny house one. Blue Marble Energy created a biofuel blend made of 80% oil that comes from used-up coffee grinds, which goes into a generator that powers the 275-square-foot small house. And their other collaborator, New Frontier Tiny Homes, explains that: “Every 170 pounds of spent coffee grounds yields about one gallon of fuel and is used in a standard biofuel generator.”

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This means that old coffee grounds that would otherwise end up in landfills can now be repurposed. The environmental-friendly house features a fully functioning designer bathroom and kitchen, a washer/dryer, a king-sized bed, a jacuzzi, and even a retractable outdoor wooden deck. Besides, with floor-to-ceiling windows, the tiny home feels even cozier. The outside of the building, however, is a rich mahogany brown matching the color of coffee. Another interesting detail about the house: its interior design was a collaboration with internationally renowned actress Olivia Wilde.

After being completed, the tiny home was brought to Washington Square Park in Manhattan where it was open for visitation for a week. Then, the Home that Runs on Dunkin’ was taken to Nahant, Massachusetts. It was available for rent through Airbnb for only $10 a night back in 2018 but has since been removed from the platform.