The old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach just might be true if you consider the success of GE FirstBuild’s crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for its Paragon Precision Cooktop. Whether funders are buying for their sweethearts or for themselves, Paragon met its $50,000 fundraising target in just a few hours after launching and sold over 1,000 units on the first day.
Director of FirstBuild, Natarajan Venkatakrishnan stated,“There are several benefits to launching a new product like the Paragon using a crowdfunding platform. It gives us immediate insight into what the market acceptance of the product might be, and it allows us to get feedback on improvements we should make to better meet consumer needs. We’ve listened to the feedback we have received and are making adjustments that will be incorporated in the final product.”
The 1,400-watt Paragon Induction Cooktop controls temperatures within 1 degree Fahrenheit so it can be used for precision cooking techniques like sous vide. A wireless temperature sensor continuously monitors temperature and sends this information to the cooktop, which automatically adjusts the burner’s heat output to maintain the set temperature. The Paragon Induction Cooktop is capable of multiple precise cooking techniques: Sous vide, deep-frying, simmering, and holding at a precise serving temperature are all assisted by the wireless temperature sensor. It doubles as an induction cooktop so sous vide cooking and searing can be done all on one device.
FirstBuild, GE Appliances’ new global co-creation community of designers, engineers and appliances users dedicated to developing and manufacturing the next generation of home appliances, launched the Paragon Induction Cooktop on Tuesday. Paragon enables home cooks to achieve restaurant-quality results for a variety of cooking techniques using a Bluetooth-connected temperature sensor and associated iOS app. Early bird pricing begins at $149, with future retail pricing expected to be $249.
For the next phase of the Paragon campaign, FirstBuild will be adding stretch goals to incorporate additional features based on feedback from funders. The initial stretch goal states that if the funding goal of $250,000 is met, FirstBuild will develop an app that will work with iOS and Android™ devices to enhance the Paragon user experience. The app allows users to set time and temperatures for sous vide cooking and remotely monitor cooking progress. Currently the app is slated to be developed just for iOS.
Since its launch last Monday (February 2nd), Paragon has raised nearly $215,000. It is set to close on March 9th.
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