Here's a great example of re-thinking an everyday object and using a little science to improve the user experience:
The shape of your basic cooking pot hasn't changed much since its invention, though nowadays we use metal drawing rather than hand-hammering. But an unnamed Japanese inventor has been prototyping pots with Bundt-pan-like fluting in the sides, angled in the manner of a helical gear. The reason? When heated up, convection causes the liquids within to move (hot water rises to the top), and the vortex shape channels that movement into a fixed direction. The result is a pot that essentially stirs itself!
A Japanese company called Watanabe Co. Ltd is currently seeking a manufacturer for the device, called the Kuru-Kuru Nabe ("Round and round pot.")
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
Series
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.
A Watched Pot Never Boils, But This One Stirs Itself
Let's see it stir a cup or two of grains or legumes, or perhaps a thick sauce or a rich stew. Heck, I'll be impressed if it can stir dry noodles (spaghetti, soba, whatever) firmly enough to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
I could see this maybe being useful in collecting foam or scum in the middle of the pot, like if you're boiling fried tofu or making soup stock, to make it easier to skim. But whether it works depends on whether the things you're boiling don't break up the current stirring the pot.
Keeping it clean might be another issue. Not a big one, since there aren't any particularly tight spaces to catch bits of food, but it's not as straightforward as wiping down a broad, smooth surface. The time added to cleaning might negate the time saved from stirring.
Hey, if I'm wrong, I'll welcome it (a self-stirring pot with no moving parts would be pretty handy for some dishes) but I think I'm right when I say it's a gimmick.