LOUISVILLE, KY—Feb. 4, 2015—FirstBuild™, GE Appliances’ new global co-creation community of designers, engineers and appliances users dedicated to developing and manufacturing the next generation of home appliances, launched the Paragon Induction Cooktop today with discount pricing through a campaign on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Paragon enables home cooks to achieve restaurant quality results for a variety of cooking techniques using a Bluetooth-connected temperature sensor and associated iOS app. Early bird pricing begins at $149, with future retail pricing expected to be $249.

The Paragon Induction Cooktop campaign can be found at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/paragon-induction-cooktop/

The 1,400-watt Paragon Induction Cooktop controls temperatures within 1 degree Fahrenheit so it can be used for precision cooking techniques like sous vide. A wireless temperature sensor continuously monitors temperature and sends this information to the cooktop, which automatically adjusts the burner’s heat output to maintain the set temperature. The Paragon Induction Cooktop is capable of multiple precise cooking techniques: sous vide, deep-frying, simmering, and holding at a precise serving temperature are all assisted by the wireless temperature sensor. It doubles as an induction cooktop so sous vide cooking and searing can be done all on one device.
 

 
FirstBuild launched the new Paragon Induction Cooktop with discount pricing through crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Paragon is capable of multiple precise cooking techniques, including sous vide, shown here. To learn more, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/paragon-induction-cooktop/

Paragon was co-created by FirstBuild and its community of makers. Brad Walchak, a community member, submitted the original idea for a cooktop that could be controlled via a wireless temperature sensor. In November 2014, FirstBuild launched design challenges to continue development of the industrial design and the mobile app. Winning submissions by Cosmin Mandita and Aaron Ma had a significant influence on Paragon’s final design.

"We believe this product, generated by the FirstBuild community, will appeal to cooking aspirers, early adopters and crowdfunding enthusiasts," said Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, director of FirstBuild. "Our co-creation model, in which ideas can come from anywhere and design and manufacture happen quickly, enabled us to develop this product and sell it at a low price point to home cooks who want to achieve restaurant quality results."

About FirstBuild
FirstBuild, a partnership between GE Appliances and Local Motors is a global co-creation community that harnesses the brainpower of the maker movement to change the way major home appliances are conceived, designed and manufactured. A physical state-of-the-art microfactory on the University of Louisville campus and online forum, FirstBuild speeds products from mind to market and enables customization through small batch production, without the costs and risks of traditional mass manufacturing. For more information about how to get involved, visit FirstBuild.com.