Designer home cooked meals
Bagel Toaster by Kent Madden
A portable bagel-toasting machine and a flexible heating pad are two exciting and innovating new products, designed by students from Monash University to make the semi-finals in the prestigious international Electrolux Design Lab Awards.
The two designs by third-year Industrial Design students, Enzo Kocak and Kent Madden, form part of the top 25 finalists, chosen from a field of 1300 applicants from around the world.
Declared as the toughest brief since the annual challenge began nine years ago, designers were to provide ‘Intelligent Mobility’ solutions for domestic appliances utilising existing technology, showcasing lateral thinking and creativity, and consider future living design.
Enzo Kocak’s remarkable design, Ribbon, is an all-in-one hotplate, warming device and cooler for portable use. Its unique shape and flexibility allows for wrapping around a vessel containing food or drink for heating or chilling. The black side provides heat, whereas the white cools, and whilst not in use the cells convert excess heat back into electricity.
Kocak said that as the trend in home cooking grows, younger generations are looking for ways to integrate home-style food into their busy lives.
“Ribbon aims to give users more flexibility in storing and preparing food on the move. You can curl Ribbon up and take it with you, fold it out and even puzzle together to use as a hotplate,” said Ms Kocak.
Kent Madden, a third year exchange student from Canada has created Salvé Bagel Toaster, a portable toasting machine for preparing hot bagels on the run.
Madden said the toaster, which runs on sugar crystal batteries, is especially convenient for those who can’t find time to eat breakfast in the morning.
“The portable Salvé Bagel Toaster is easy to use – place a bagel in the toaster and it will automatically start rotating. When the user is happy with the colour of the bagel, simply remove and enjoy! There are now no excuses for missing the most important meal of the day!” said Mr Madden.
This week, eight finalists, chosen from the top 25, will be invited to present their concept to a jury of expert designers. The jury will consider entries based on intuitive design, innovation and consumer insight when awarding the first prize of a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design centre and 5,000 Euros.
For further information about Electrolux Design Lab see http://www.electroluxdesignlab.com