If you like the convenience of bottled cold brewed coffee (and the caffeine kick that accompanies it) then this new home appliance just might be for you.
Thanks to new vacuum-pressure technology, a new brewer launched on Indiegogo can turn a mix of cold water and grounds into a drinkable brew in minutes.
If you’re not familiar with cold brew coffee, it’s a simple yet time-intensive process. Instead of running hot water through coffee grounds and getting a piping hot caffeine delivery mechanism on the spot, cold brew coffee is made by mixing water and grounds into a slurry and then letting it sit around for hours, generally 12 or more.
The process is popular because it produces a more mellow coffee without a lot of bitterness and acidity.
The Prisma Cold Brew by FirstBuild, a co-creation community backed by GE Appliances, that is more akin to a community of makers and engineers dedicated to home appliances, started out as a project to streamline the process of roasting coffee.
During the prototype phase, the engineers developed a passion for cold brew and the project pivoted.
FirstBuild took the vacuum-infusion technology and held a design competition for the cold-brew machine itself. The end result, what is now Prisma, takes elements from three designs, and those designers will receive a percentage of the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign (up to $30,000).
“Prisma is positioned to serve this passionate existing customer base with a better at-home cold brew experience.”
You may be wondering why a GE-backed company (now owned by Haier) would need to turn to crowdfunding to bring a product to market. According to Senior Design Engineer Justin Brown, it was not so much a financial requirement as it is an awareness-raising launchpad.
Here’s how it works: You measure your fine-ground coffee into a filter that you place in a basket – just like using a traditional coffee machine. Add your water and then you press a button and then the vacuum-infusion technology does the rest.
The Prisma Cold Brew makes 5 to 25 ounces of cold brew in about 10 minutes.
Eventually, FirstBuild’s app will be compatible with Prisma so you’ll be able to extend the brew time and tweak other variables as well.
Home cold-brew addicts can score a Prisma Cold Brew Coffee Maker for themselves on Indiegogo.
FirstBuild puts the retail price of the cold brewer at $300, with a 23% discount for early backers. At the time of writing this post there are 18 “Early Bird” spots left.