KOMBU
First Modern Kombucha Brewer
The KOMBU Fermenstation is a purpose-built machine to craft real Kombucha at a fraction of the cost of store-bought kombucha.
Brand
KOMBU
Role
Co-Founder Industrial Design
Industries
Home Appliance
Date
2020 — Present
KOMBU was created with the goal of addressing the common challenges faced by home kombucha brewers. Our aim is to simplify the brewing process and make kombucha’s health benefits more accessible to everyone. Surprisingly, brewing kombucha at home has not changed its form and function for over 2200 years—it's still just a jar covered with fabric. In reality, home brewing kombucha is a complicated mess: There is no current solution, inconsistent results, and a messy setup. KOMBU sets out to bring this method into the 21st century with a purpose-built device that is as intuitive as it is beautiful. It provides everything needed to brew kombucha in a unified solution—integrating fermentation principles for ease and reliability.
KOMBU Fermenstation is the first modern kombucha brewer for the home. It features a sleek aluminum finish, slim and compact design, and is purpose-built to craft kombucha, making it a stylish addition to any countertop.
Controlled
Utilizes a dual-stage fermentation process with low heating and tactile analog buttons for precise temperature control.
Connected
Seamlessly integrates with an IoT mobile app for remote device control, including setting timers and monitoring temperature.
Continuous
Kombu incorporates the continuous brew method with an 80/20 approach. Fill bottles 80%, leaving 20% in the jar. The jar's spigot is designed to stop pouring at 20% remaining, ensuring you always have enough starter liquid for the next batch.
Check out Kickstarter for more details.
Go with your gut.
KOMBU began as a simple kitchen experiment in 2017, sparked by my partner and I's passion for making kombucha at home. But the frustration of inconsistent brews and a cluttered countertop pushed us to rethink our approach. During the pandemic, we refined our process as we spent more time at home and focused on our health. In 2020, driven by a relentless pursuit of better home-brewed kombucha, we applied design thinking to come up with a better solution. By 2021, our hard work paid off with a Design and Utility patent. KOMBU was born out of a love for the craft and a commitment to making it better.
I handle the creative execution—delivering industrial design, 3D modeling, rapid prototyping, renderings, GIF animations, branding, and the vision and storyline for the launch video. My role extends to ongoing production design development and packaging, ensuring every aspect meets the project's high standards.
Design Team: Natalia Amijo, Michael Churchill
Live Footage & Photography: Wild West
3D Animation: Federico Piccirillo
Sound design: ClumsyCongregation
Website: TheKombu.com, Kickstarter
Mentions: DesignMilk, Minimalissimo, TrendHunter, Uncrate