Max Feber, a high school student from West Bloomfield, Michigan, wants to brew up some interest from the Sharks for Bruw, his cold brew coffee-making “system.” It’s actually a very simple item. Cold brew coffee doesn’t brew like hot coffee. The grounds basically soak in cold water overnight. The method makes coffee smoother and less acidic.
The problem with cold brew coffee is you can get a lot of grinds and coffee sludge in the finished product if it isn’t filtered properly. There are a lot of products on the market, but Max’s Bruw is a very inexpensive, simple and effective way to get the proper results.
It’s just a double mason jar lid with a filter. You put the coffee and water in one mason jar and attach them with the lid. When the coffee is brewed (about 24 hours), you flip it over like an hourglass and you’re good to go. It’s about as simple a method as I’ve seen.
Bruw came about from a dual enrollment class with Lawrence Technological University Max took in high school. Students had to create a prototype and pitch their ideas to the class. Once the idea was solidified, he made prototypes with 3D printers and by hand at his kitchen table. Since Max is a self avowed “coffee snob,” he decided he wanted to manufacture his prototype. Max didn’t have a ton of cash to start his business, so he turned to the Kickstarter crowd and raised $10,076 to fund the first round of production.
All Bruw filters are made in the USA. Max, as part of his business plan, manufactured the tool used to make Bruw. That makes future production runs a lot less expensive. He sells the bare bones filter for twenty bucks. A set complete with mason jars is thirty five bucks. He likely wants a Shark’s help (and cash) to fund future production and to guide him down the rocky road of entrepreneurship. Can he successfully brew up a deal?
My Take on Cold Brew Coffee
As a Floridian, I drink a lot of iced coffee. Cold brewed iced coffee is best in my book because it has a mellower taste. My sister-in-law gave me a cold brewing coffee bag a few years ago. Essentially, it was a burlap bag you put coffee into then drop into a container. It worked fine, but rinsing out the soggy bag was a chore and after a while, it got kind of grungy. I no longer have it. Now I use a French press, but I get some grinds in the finished product.
I like the Bruw concept and simplicity. I’ll bet it makes decent coffee. It’s something I’d like to have in my kitchen for sure. The only downfall I see is it doesn’t make a lot of coffee at once. A bigger container would be a welcome improvement – something Max may even be considering. I am IN!
Will Sharks BRUW up a Deal?
It looks like Max overhauled his website since I first researched this business. That used to be a good indicator of a deal in the “old days” of Shark Tank, but it’s not so much the case anymore. entrepreneurs appearing on the show have become increasingly web savvy.
I do think Max does a deal though and I think he does one with Mark. I don’t think he’ll be asking for a huge valuation, which Mark likes. Mark also likes funding young entrepreneurs, particularly smart young Jewish boys with some ambition. Look for Max and Mark to leave the Tank as partners.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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