It seems like it would be an economic way to sell even more cold brew in shop, so I’m seriously considering backing the indiegogo. Has anyone tried this out at a convention or showcase perhaps. How was the brew?
I have. First Build is based here in Louisville, KY, and they’ve invited many of the coffee pros in the area to come check it out. I’ve not seen it in its current and more-polished form yet, but I did get to try it out when it was a full working prototype - the same as they showed off at Coffee Fest a few months ago. It really does seem to work as promised, though I don’t have much to say about the coffee other than that it does taste like cold brew without the skunky staleness that’s usually found in the cup. As it turns out, I’m simply not a fan of cold brew in general, stale or otherwise.
If I’m not mistaken, it’s still only meant for about a liter of coffee at a time, so putting it to use in a cafe might be a bit more of a burden than it’s designed for. I had posed that question when I went in to see it, and asked about plans for a larger device for commercial environments, and they seemed not too keen on catering to a commercial audience with the product at the time. Their business is not in making coffee equipment (they’re more of a microfactory of consumer goods, supported partly by their parent, GE), so it’s possible they’re hesitant to get into the long-term support for a product like that. I know that the guys behind BKON were working on a very similar device meant for commercial use, but aside from the news that they’re working on something I’ve not yet heard any real details.