PicoBrew Pro Home Beer Making Machine

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Photo: courtesy Pico Brew

When the team from PicoBrew took home an innovation award at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, their automated home beer brewing system—though revolutionary—was still pretty bulky and far from ideal for the craft beer fanatics who wanted to brew at home. Yes, this machine simplified many of the arduous steps of home brewing, but wasn’t exactly an attractive appliance to display on your countertop.

Now, with the Pico Pro ($799), they’ve slimmed down and simplified. Brewing starts with a Pico pack, which includes all the premeasured hops and grains to make a particular beer. Just insert the pack into the machine and the Pico Pro does most the rest of the work. Pico has also partnered with more than 150 craft breweries, so various Pico packs can mimic your favorite beer’s recipe. Even better, you can customize those packs to make a beer just for you. Once the pack is in place, it takes about two hours to brew and then one week to ferment. At the end, you get a mini-keg with five liters of suds.