Considering cold brew generally takes about half a day to make, it isn’t always the most convenient option. FirstBuild wants to change that with its Prisma Cold Brew Coffeemaker.
FirstBuild boasts that its coffeemaker can make cold brew in 10 minutes or less using a “specialized vacuum infusion process.” In the company’s promotional video it says that it’s good for those who want to make cold brew at home without the big hassle and time commitment. It can also work for coffee shops that want to offer variety; they can make small batches of cold brew with different types of coffee beans instead of one large batch.
FirstBuild’s parent company is GE Appliances, which was once a branch of General Electric but is now owned by Haier. The Prisma coffeemaker is being crowdfunded on Indiegogo, and at the time of writing has raised over $75,000 from close to 300 backers, more than halfway to its goal of $150,000—impressive progress considering the campaign just launched on Monday, and it still has about a month until its deadline. The Prisma is expected to reach the market by September 2017, and it will retail for $299.
“FirstBuild uses crowdfunding for market validation,” a spokesperson for Haier told Fortune. “You can do market research, and we still do, but this answers the questions—do consumers want the product enough to pay for it and what are they willing to pay?”
Cold brew was once a staple of craft coffee roasters but has recently become much more mainstream. Starbucks made the beverage available nationwide last summer, and recently announced that it will begin selling ready-to-drink versions at grocery stores. Following Starbucks’ lead, Dunkin’ Donuts and Peet’s Coffee have also jumped on the cold brew bandwagon.