FirstBuild launches Pique, a faster cold-brew coffee maker for the home


GE’s gadget-invention partner FirstBuild is launching Pique, a cold-brew coffee maker for the home.

Coffee has turned from a daily routine into somewhat of an art form in the last few years, with drip makers, the French press, single-serve cups, pour-over and an endless supply of the latest hi-tech machines that will whip up any bean-flavored concoction to your liking.

Note most of what’s out there caters to hot-coffee connoisseurs. Cold brew is a fast-growing favorite among coffee drinkers — according to consumer food and beverage site Mintel, cold-brew sales popped up 115 percent from 2014 to 2015.

The problem is the cold-brew process takes much longer to make (an average of 12 hours) than a steamy cup of joe. The new Pique machine takes the process down to 12 minutes.

FirstBuild hails from Louisville, Kentucky, but held a competition for the final coffee maker design from all over the world, and plans to use that design in an upcoming Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to get the machine to market.

The company, funded by and in partnership with GE, has taken a similar route to market for many other of its smart home products, including the Paragon induction cooktop, the Opal Nugget ice maker and the Monogram pizza oven.

FirstBuild doesn’t have a set price for the cold-brew machine just yet, but says it should be in the higher-end range for home coffee-making appliances.

TechCrunch got to take a look at Pique in our studios before it hits the market this summer. Check out the video above with FirstBuild’s co-founder Taylor Dawson talking about his latest invention.