Brothers launch home-brewing’s answer to Nespresso after raising $1m to find Pico craft beer machine on Kickstarter
This is the kind of crowdfunding campaign we can really get behind.
A Seattle-based business has just raised more than $1m on Kickstarter for a kitchen appliance that allows you to brew your own beer in around a week.
The Pico has been designed by brothers Bill and Jim Mitchell to be “so easy that anyone – even someone who has never brewed before – can create and enjoy amazing craft beer at home.”
The 12-inch-wide appliance allows users to make five litres, or around 14 bottles of “professional quality craft beer”, recreating recipes from famous brands just by pressing a few buttons. Currently 50 craft breweries have signed up, but the team promises more are joining by the day.
It has already been likened to a Nespresso machine, which bodes well for the future of home-brewing.
Users insert a “PicoPak unit” into the machine, where water is heated and circulated throughout the machine. After two hours the PicoPak has done its job and the liquid mix of grain, sugar and hops will be left to ferment at room temperature until ready.
Although the pair have already reached their targets, there are still some early bird deals left on Kickstarter until 1 December, with limited availability on discounted Pico machines and starter packs from $559. The company ships anywhere in the world.
Otherwise, you'll have to wait until next year when the price will have gone up to £999.
If all that hasn't made you thirsty, check out the Pico advert below.