LOUISVILLE, KY, October 15, 2026 – FirstBuild’s Sourdough Sidekick has been named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026.

Co-created by FirstBuild, its passionate community, and experts at King Arthur Baking Company, Sourdough Sidekick automates one of the most demanding parts of sourdough baking: starter maintenance. In Auto mode, it can prepare the amount of starter a baker needs and have it ready on the chosen day and time, with no interaction required for up to a week. By reducing routine upkeep, waste and guesswork, Sourdough Sidekick makes sourdough baking easier to fit into everyday life.

TIME’s annual list of the Best Inventions recognizes 300 extraordinary innovations changing our lives. To compile this year’s list, TIME solicited nominations from editors and correspondents around the world, as well as through an online application process. Each contender was evaluated on factors including originality, efficacy, ambition and impact.

When the Sourdough Sidekick concept launched on Indiegogo in March 2025, it reached its crowdfunding goal in just 12 minutes. After shipping to thousands of backers, Sourdough Sidekick became available nationwide in May 2026.

For bakers new to sourdough, Sourdough Sidekick lowers the barrier to getting started. For experienced bakers, it simplifies starter care and helps ensure starter is ready when baking day arrives. The result is less time managing starter and more time enjoying the craft of baking bread.

To learn more, visit SourdoughSidekick.com. Watch Sourdough Sidekick’s development process on YouTube. See TIME’s full list of the Best Inventions of 2026 here: ti.me/best-inventions.

About GE Appliances, a Haier company
At GE Appliances, a Haier company, we come together to make good things, for life. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, we are a leading U.S. manufacturer of home appliances with 15,500 team members nationwide. GE Appliances, found in half of all U.S. homes, is proud to be rated America’s #1 Appliance Company1 and trusted by millions of families nationwide. We manufacture and sell products under the Monogram™, Café™, GE Profile™, GE®, Haier™, and Hotpoint™ brands. Our operations support nearly 90,000 additional American jobs and represent an investment of more than $2 billion since 2016. We are deeply committed to the communities where we live and work, passionate about getting closer to our product users to understand their needs and driven by the belief that there’s always a better way.  

To learn more about our company, brands, career opportunities, and impact, visit geappliancesco.com or connect with us on LinkedIn

1 OpenBrand Consumer Tracking Survey, Q1 – Q4 2024, Based on Volume of Total Majors/MO/RAC – Retail Units