I Automated Chai Making… and the Results Were Not What I Expected

Why Automating Everything Isn't Always the Answer

Three months ago, I had a brilliant idea at 1 AM: automate chai making using Arduino and servos.

It seemed simple. A servo dips the tea bag, another dispenses sugar, maybe add a water heating element. How hard could it be? 

Turns out, very hard. But not for technical reasons. 

The real problem? I'd overengineered a solution to a problem I didn't actually have. 

Why I Thought This Would Work 

I'd been getting comfortable with automation projects india style—building things solving everyday problems with whatever components I could order online. Motion sensors, temperature controllers, automatic plant waterers.  

They worked. They were useful. They saved time. 

So naturally, I thought: chai is something Indians make multiple times daily. Automating it would save hours weekly, right? 

Wrong. But I didn't know that yet. 

My plan was straightforward: Arduino Nano controlling two servos, one temperature sensor, a relay module for the heating element, and a simple button interface. Total budget: ₹1,200. Totally reasonable for automation projects India could actually use.  

I spent two weeks designing, ordering components, waiting for delivery, then building. 

The Build Part (Where Things Went Right) 

The hardware assembly was surprisingly smooth. I'd done enough servo projects by now to wire them without checking pinouts every five minutes.  

The code came together faster than expected. Servo control, temperature monitoring, timing delays, all concepts I'd used before in different funny robotics project attempts. 

Within three days, I had a working prototype. Press button, servo dips tea bag into hot water, holds for programmed time, lifts out. Another servo arm releases sugar from a container. 

It worked. Actually worked. 

I tested it five times. Consistent results. The tea bag dipped perfectly, sugar dispensed correctly, timing was accurate. 

I felt like a genius. This funny robotics project was going to revolutionize my mornings. 

Then I tried using it for actual daily chai making. 

The Reality Check (Where Everything Went Wrong) 

Day one: I had to boil water separately, pour it into the designated cup, position the cup exactly under the mechanism, add the tea bag to the servo arm clip, refill the sugar container, then press the button.

Total time: 4 minutes. 

Making chai normally: 3 minutes. 

I'd automated the easiest part and left all the annoying parts manual. 

Day two: The servo arm dropped the wet tea bag on the counter because I'd angled the cup slightly wrong. Cleaning that took another 2 minutes.

Day three: I forgot to refill the sugar container. Got unsweetened chai. Decided to add sugar manually, defeating the entire purpose. 

Day four: My roommate asked why I didn't just dip the tea bag myself instead of "doing this whole robot thing." 

Valid question. I didn't have a good answer. 

What I Actually Learned 

This wasn't a failed funny robotics project. It was an important lesson disguised as wasted time. 

Automation only makes sense when it removes actual friction. My chai-making process wasn't friction-heavy. Waiting for water to boil was the longest part, and my machine didn't address that.  

I'd automated the wrong problem. 

The projects that actually improved my life, motion-activated lights, automatic plant watering, and temperature-based fan control, all solved genuine pain points. Forgetting to water plants killed them. Leaving lights on wasted electricity. Fans running unnecessarily drove up bills. 

But making chai? I didn't mind making chai. The process was quick, gave me a break from screen time, and honestly, I enjoyed it. 

I'd confused "can be automated" with "should be automated." 

Big difference. 

The Unexpected Win 

Here's the twist: this "failed" automation projects India experiment taught me more than my successful projects. 

Successful projects confirm you're on the right track. Failed projects force you to question your assumptions.  

I learned to ask better questions before starting builds: 

• Does this actually save meaningful time? 
• Does it remove genuine frustration? 
• Will I actually use this daily, or just demo it once? 

These questions now guide every automation projects india idea I evaluate. 

Also, debugging why the servo occasionally dropped the tea bag taught me about weight distribution and torque calculations—concepts I'd read about but never practically applied.  

Failure taught me more than success would have. 

What I'd Do Differently 

If I were to rebuild this funny robotics project knowing what I know now, I'd focus on the actual pain point: remembering to make chai when deep in work. 

Instead of automating the making process, I'd build a reminder system. A timer that alerts me when it's been 3+ hours since my last chai break. 

Way simpler. Actually useful. Solves a real problem. 

Or better yet, I'd automate water boiling with a temperature-controlled smart kettle system that starts heating when I send a command from my desk. 

That addresses the actual time-consuming part. 

Why This Matters for DIY Automation 

When you're learning automation projects India style: limited budget, ordering components online, working with whatever is available: you can't afford too many "learning experience" projects. 

But here's the thing: one well-understood failure teaches you more than ten successes. 

My chai maker sits on my shelf now. Doesn't make chai anymore. But it reminds me to ask the right questions before starting new builds. 

Is this solving a real problem? Will I actually use this? Am I automating because it's needed, or because I can? 

These questions save time, money, and frustration. 

The Bottom Line 

I set out to automate chai making. I succeeded technically. The machine worked perfectly. 

But I failed practically, it didn't improve my life. 

That failure was more valuable than success would've been. 

Now when someone asks me about automation projects India ideas, I don't start with "what's technically possible." I start with "what's genuinely annoying in your daily routine." 

Automation should solve problems, not create new ones. 

My chai maker created more work than it eliminated. But it taught me to build things that matter, not just things that work. 

Sometimes the best funny robotics project is the one that teaches you when not to build. 

The chai maker failed its intended purpose but succeeded in making me a better builder. 

And honestly? That's worth way more than perfectly timed tea bag dipping.