Grand Rapids, Mich.-based manufacturer OXX has launched a campaign on the crowd-funding website Kickstarter to bring a more rugged coffee machine to the market. If the company meets its $50,000 fund-raising goal by the end of 2014, OXX will begin mass production on the CoffeeBoxx, a lightweight yet durable coffee brewer built to survive the rough conditions of construction sites.
"The inspiration for CoffeeBoxx came when I started noticing construction crews in our neighborhood using beaten-up coffeemakers on jobsites," says OXX CEO and founder Jim Doan. At the time, Doan was a design manager at Whirlpool, and he didn't think the idea would be a good fit for the home-focused brand. So, he decided to build it himself.
Doan studied other construction-site equipment for design ideas. "When you look around the jobsite, you see the things that are built to perform in the environment and last: power tools," he says.
Made of impact-resistant polymers, CoffeeBoxx's heavy-duty chassis has been field-tested to be crush-proof, dustproof and water-resistant. Measuring 11 in. by 8.5 in. by 11 in. and weighing only 11 lb when empty, the CoffeeBoxx features a sturdy handle and a 3-ft-long, heavy-duty retractable power cord. The brewer's large, rubberized buttons can be used while wearing heavy work gloves. The coffeemaker's 84.5-oz. removable water tank is the largest available for portable coffeemakers, according to Doan. A removable drip tray allows for large mugs. The CoffeeBoxx uses single-serve brewing pods and works with any K-Cup-compatible coffee pod.
While the design and engineering of the CoffeeBoxx is done in Grand Rapids, OXX has partnered with the world's largest coffeemaker manufacturer, which is based in China. If OXX receives the funding, production will begin in March 2015. The final coffee machine is expected to have a MSRP of $299. "Our immediate plans are to make sure we build a great CoffeeBoxx product," says Doan, "and continue to innovate."
