Yes you read that right! This week on Qioto we are presenting smart devices…which produce alcoholic drinks!
We are presenting two beer brewing appliances, and an appliance which automatically makes cocktails.
This is a glimpse into the future, as none of these devices are available for sale right now, but only for pre-order. They have all completed successful crowdfunding campaigns and they have been getting a lot of attention in the press. We are wondering how well they will do when they hit the market. They have hefty price tags, but hopefully they will be worth it.
Check out the Pico on Qioto here.
The first two products are automatic beer brewing machines. The beer making process, which is centuries old, has finally been automated for the consumer!
First off is the Pico, by PicoBrew. The Pico has raised about million on Kickstarter. The campaign has ended but you can still pre-order. They have already started shipping to the first backers, and I can’t wait to read their reviews!
Next we have iGulu. It has raised about $900,000 on Indiegogo. Estimated delivery is December 2016, but never trust crowdfunding promised dates as they rarely hit them.
The main difference between the two applicances is the beer-making ingredients. We are no experts in beer brewing, but from what we can understand this is how it will work:
The Pico will have ready-to-brew PicoPak ingredient kits which will be prepared by professional breweries that they have already partnered with. The cool thing about that is you will be able to taste beers from places you are not able to buy beer from, like small craft breweries which only sell locally.
Check out iGulu on Qioto here.
The iGulu will have pre-created Brewing Packs, which will contain the required ingredients and every ingredient has a dedicated container/compartment in the device. This means that you will be able to use built-in recipes, create your own, or use recipes that other users have shared through social media.
iGulu seems to be more authentic and more creative, as you will see and touch all the ingredients. However PicoBrew have a longer history in brewing devices having already successfully released the Zymatic, which is a larger more complex appliance. Both have their pros and cons, but I have a feeling that their success will depend a lot on the quality and sustainability of the beers they will be producing.
Check out Somabar on Qioto here.
Finally we have Somabar, a Wi-Fi connected robotic bartending appliance which mixes cocktails.
You add base drinks in six containers they call soma pods, choose the cocktail you want on an app, and its ready in seconds.
The Somabar has raised about on Kickstarter. On the campaign they had January 2015 as estimated delivery, but they have not shipped yet and no one knows when they will. The last update was in July.
We hope you enjoyed this week’s smart devices. They are part of a new smart home category known as the smart kitchen. We’ll be presenting more from this category in the future.
