All work

Cold Cycle Coffee

Cold Cycle Coffee built a machine that brews cold brew in 30 minutes instead of the traditional 18–24 hours, and does it at scale: a consistent batch that uses 40% less coffee grounds and pours a smoother, less acidic cup. The product was unmatched. The machine needed a design to match.

Role
Product & Design Advisor
Company
Cold Cycle Coffee
Website
coldcyclecoffee.com
Contribution
V1 machine design direction, industrial & UX design advising, hardware layout and constraint problem-solving, on-machine LCD control interface
The Cold Cycle Coffee machine on a cafe counter: a brushed-steel brewing drum with a porthole window sitting atop a navy refrigerated base with a stainless drip tray
The V1 machine in its natural habitat, designed to brew the best cold brew and still look like it belongs on the counter of your favorite coffee shop.

The Challenge

The machine's design must match its unmatched coffee

The original prototype was large, bulky, and resembled a typical cold-drink mixing machine. It did nothing to signal the uniqueness of Cold Cycle Coffee, and it clashed with the aesthetics of the cafes it was meant to live in.

We needed to design a coffee machine that brewed the best cold brew and also looked great on the counter of your favorite coffee shop, with no trade-off between the two.

The original Cold Cycle Coffee prototype on a cafe counter: a bulky stainless mixing tank sitting on a rough laser-cut plywood box that houses the refrigeration unit Before
The V1 Cold Cycle Coffee machine: a brushed-steel brewing drum with the wordmark, set on a dark refrigerated base with a vented grille and a stainless drip tray After
Before and after: the original prototype was a bulky mixing tank on a plywood housing. The V1 resolves the same hardware into a counter-ready machine that signals what's inside.

The Strategy

Design a standout machine that doesn't sacrifice quality

Eric advised and helped the Cold Cycle Coffee founders design their V1 machine so that it looks fantastic but is also easy to use. It had to have a unique, unmistakable design while staying functional, supporting the machine's signature features: creating recipes, visualizing temperature, and managing brew timing cycles.

There were many hardware constraints to factor in, including the location of the refrigeration unit, the hopper that holds the filters, and the spout for pouring the coffee. The placement of the LCD control display was especially important: close enough to connect with the machine, but never in the way of the pouring spout.

A labeled cutaway of the Cold Cycle Coffee machine showing the internal layout: the saddlebag coffee chambers and filters up top, the water reservoir and circulation path, the refrigeration unit in the base, the side control, and the drip tray
Every component had to earn its place: the saddlebag chambers and filters, water circulation, refrigeration in the base, and the pouring spout, all arranged around how the machine is actually used.

The Solution

Industry-leading coffee machine with a design to match

Cold Cycle Coffee's V1 machine looks like it's from the future, because it is. An all-in-one machine that brews two gallons of the best cold brew in just 30 minutes, ready to serve chilled, wrapped in a brushed-steel drum and a refrigerated base that reads as equipment worth showing off.

The V1 machine in motion, the brewing drum, porthole window, and refrigerated base resolved into a single piece of counter-ready hardware.

The top handle of the machine pulls out a patented saddlebag that holds the coffee grounds and allows for maximum saturation, extracting the most flavor while keeping the same caffeine content.

A hand opening a white Cold Cycle System saddlebag of coffee grounds beside the machine, with a labeled pouch and additional saddlebags stacked on the counter
The patented saddlebag drops into the top of the machine, holding the grounds for maximum saturation, more flavor extracted from less coffee.

The LCD screen on the right-hand side lets users cycle through every function, save their recipes, and monitor brew status, positioned to stay within reach without ever crowding the pouring spout.

Side profile of the Cold Cycle Coffee machine in daylight, showing the navy control face with the rounded LCD control area and a single control button above the drip tray
Controls placed where the hand falls: the LCD and dial sit on the front face, clear of the spout, so baristas can run a brew without reaching around the machine.

The Impact

The best cold brew, in a machine worth putting on display

30 min
brew time, down from the traditional 18–24 hours
40%
less coffee grounds per batch
2 gal
of cold brew per cycle, built for high-volume sales
100%
flavor and caffeine retained, no compromises
1
all-in-one machine to brew, chill, and serve
V1
production machine designed end to end

The V1 machine proves a cold brew system can be both the best performer and the best-looking thing on the counter. It brews two gallons in 30 minutes instead of 18–24 hours, uses 40% less coffee grounds, and gives up nothing on flavor or caffeine content in the process.

Beyond the brew, the design makes the machine easy to live with: simpler maintenance and cleaning than traditional machines, and an intuitive interface that lets users execute every function, save recipes, and monitor brew status at a glance. See it in the wild at coldcyclecoffee.com.