(a good) production update!
over 6 years ago – Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 08:22:09 PM

Rumble Jaristas,

If you're looking for some bad news, please look elsewhere. We're only dishing good news in this update! 

First, surveys will be going out soon!! And "soon" as in next week! Given all the modifications and add-ons that all you wonderful folks were asking us for, we realized we needed a more robust survey system to handle all of it. So our surveys will be coming via Backerkit, and they should be sufficient enough to handle most of the requests we've received from you all. (side note for anyone new to Kickstarter: "surveys" are the forms that us creators use to collect each backer's necessary info, like shipping addresses and color choices and things like that)

Second, our production process is in full swing at the moment, and so far it's mostly going as-expected. The metal etching process (this is where we create all of the tiny holes in the filter and also engrave the notches/logo) has been completed! Our custom cylinder tool (which is the primary tool used to attach the wall of our metal filter to the rim and the base) has also been completed! It's now installed at the factory and ready to begin producing filters. Next week, we should be done milling our silicone cap molds, at which point we'll receive production samples of the silicone cap. Hopefully those caps will be in good shape so we can finalize those molds. But if not, we've left some leeway in our timeline for further mold adjustment, if necessary. Assuming no major hiccups over the next two weeks, we'll have some production samples in our hands by the third week of February. And then it's off to the races to complete the entire production run!

Third, packaging is now a main focus of ours at the moment. We're still playing with a few of our different design ideas, but we've quoted out the various pieces and now have a good handle on what's reasonable. Obviously the key is trying to balance a great unboxing experience with what's achievable within our budget constraints. The leadtime for packaging is much shorter than any of our other components, so this shouldn't hold anything up.

Finally, our cold brew coffee partner Jittery Johns is ready and waiting for our big order. To maximize freshness, they've indicated it's best to roast and package as close as possible to our shipping date, so they've assured us they can pull that off with minimal leadtime.

In summary, we're still on time (hooray!), and next week you'll be getting a survey so you can tell us what you want.

Enjoy the weekend!

Hans & Karl

How about one more stretch goal? Pumped to introduce #3!
over 6 years ago – Tue, Dec 05, 2017 at 06:45:03 PM

Cold brewistas,

Psyched to announce that we managed to unlock stretch goal #2, and please keep reading because we're also announcing stretch goal #3 below! 

First, those GFB Gluten Free Bars will officially be coming with all US-bound Rumble Jars since we eclipsed the $40K level. If you're the advanced planner type, feel free to start thinking about your flavor selection now: https://theglutenfreebar.com/collections/the-gfb-gluten-free-bars

 

Stretch goal #3: at $50K, we'll be offering up two choices of glass jars to all backers

We've had a lot of folks tell us they like how we decided to work with the traditional Mason jar design (we agree, it's definitely a good-looking vessel!). But we've also had some folks mention they like the look of the filter and wish it showed through the glass a bit more clearly, and a couple other folks hoping to see a little more of the Rumble Jar branding from the outside of the jar. We recently discovered a pretty cool new jar that's sleeker and has a lot less decoration on its exterior, so that really lets you get a super clear view of our pretty little filter hard at work inside the jar. Good news is that this jar has the exact same dimensions/strength/seal/etc. of the traditionally-designed jar. Basically, the glass just comes with a clean design and minimal decoration. 

So for stretch goal #3, if we can reach the $50K threshold by Thursday, 11/30 (when our campaign ends), all backers will get to choose between 1) the traditional jar or 2) the sleek newer jar. Photo comparison is below:

Hopefully we can get there! We wouldn't mind your help either, in case you wanted to post our campaign to Facebook or email your coffee-loving friends. ;)

Thanks!

Hans & Karl

To all 1,259 of you: thank you thank you thank you!
over 6 years ago – Mon, Dec 04, 2017 at 07:13:54 PM

Rumble Jaristas,

A huge thanks from both of us! We're beyond thrilled with the outcome. The campaign ended up a whole lot larger than we'd originally hoped for...and also a whole lot cooler because of those stretch goals we were able to hit! We can't wait to share it with you and get you on this cold brew choo choo train.

Now we've got some work to do. We've actually gotten a head start on some of it since we were able to reach our goal so early. We submitted a deposit for manufacturing mid-campaign...essentially moving us into their queue and getting the clock ticking a bit earlier. We're also putting together the final details of our add-on program, since so many of you had asked for an additional jar or an additional cap or filter, etc. that couldn't be managed within the normal reward tier system. We were absolutely listening to you all and realized we needed to have a proper add-on system to handle this. We'll share those details as soon as possible, so if you're interested in it, keep an eye out for that update.

Huge thanks again!

Karl & Hans

Stretch goal #3 is unlocked, plus a note from a friend of Rumble Jar
over 6 years ago – Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 03:42:13 PM

Rumble Jarists,

Our campaign somehow had a nice big pop the last couple days, so we (surprisingly) managed to unlock stretch goal #3! All backers will now get their choice between the traditional Mason jar and the new, sleeker, minimally-decorated jar. Hurray!

Second, please take a look at this GIR Kickstarter campaign. These folks have been really really helpful in advising us on Rumble Jar. They make some amazing kitchen equipment and are total Kickstarter pros with a super loyal backer following because 1) they make high-quality gear that looks good, 2) it's affordable and 3) they deliver on-time (i.e. everything we aspire to be!). They're just really good at what they do and we wanted to thank them for their help by telling you about their project. It ends in 12 hours, and they're guaranteeing delivery by the holidays in case you need a gift!

GIR Tongs + Whisks | Squeeze. Lock. Whisk. Repeat.

Five years and seven Kickstarter campaigns later, the GIR team finally perfected their two most-requested kitchen tools: tongs and whisks. They developed an intuitive one-handed locking mechanism for the GIR Tongs so they work like an extension of your hands: simply squeeze to lock, and squeeze to unlock. The GIR Whisk features 12 hardened stainless steel wires (versus the typical 8-10 wires), inserted under high tension, to create max vibration and efficiency for faster, easier whisking.

 

Thanks to you all for your help in getting us to that stretch goal. Still can't believe we got there!

Hans & Karl

Our first review, plus a few photos of our filter after 2 months of use
over 6 years ago – Tue, Nov 28, 2017 at 03:03:31 PM

Cold brewers old and new,

We got our first review, and it was solid! Cooking with Jack did a two-part review of Rumble Jar, and it sounds like he approves ("Oh my goodness, that's a five dollar drink right there!"). 

Part 1 has his unboxing and prep (ignore our packaging here...yours will be prettier!):

Part 2 has him tasting his Rumble Jar cold brew:

We also wanted to share a few photos we just took of our pre-production Rumble Jar filter after two months of brewing 3-5 times per week. We couldn't be happier with how well it's been holding up. No meaningful dents/scratches/nicks, nothing misshapen, metal still pretty shiny...just a few grounds still in there from this morning. Basically: YEEEESSSS!!!! 

Finally, Prowling Dog selected us as their Project of the Week! They also did a great job explaining some of the science behind cold brew. Scroll to the bottom for their Project of the Week section: http://www.prowlingdog.com/prowling-dog-cool-things-issue-157/

Just a few more days to hopefully hit our $50K stretch goal. We'd be super appreciative of any help you can give us sharing our campaign so we can reach it!

Thanks!

Hans & Karl