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Design Concepts: Creative Culinary Contraptions

by Matthew Zuras on February 25, 2010 at 12:40 PM

The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money, or technology, many of those products never progress from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over them, nevertheless.

Maybe it's due to the recent snowstorms hitting New York City, but we've been feeling more homebody-ish than usual. (We are bloggers, after all.) As such, we've been thinking about the future of our cramped kitchens and all of the delicious food we've been making lately. The greasy stovetop could use an update, and our IKEA plates are looking a little rough. So, join us on a kitchen fantasia, in which we will reuse all our food waste and taste the essence of good eats.

Ekokook by FALTAZI

FALTAZI's solution to every conceivable kind of kitchen waste is pretty amazing. The first of the Ekokook's three modules compresses solid, inorganic waste (like glass and cardboard) for easy removal and disposal. The middle module catches liquid waste, which is then filtered and reused to water the plants hanging above the sink. The third module is a large composting mechanism, complete with worms and a rotating bin to reduce your avocado pits and egg shells to nutrient-rich dirt. Brilliant.

Multi-sensorial Gastronomy by Philips Design

Molecular gastronomy is getting big nowadays, taking the esoteric science of aroma compounds and fractal flavors to a larger audience. Philips Design teamed up with multi-Michelin-Star chef Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena to demonstrate three serving vessels that respond to the food placed in them by lighting up, diffusing fragrances, and performing other cool tricks. While the site is short on technical details, be sure to check out the amazing video demo of the Lunar Eclipse bowl, Fama plate, and Bocado de Luz plate in action.

Stoov by Mathieu Baele

While the blogging life has its perks, money is not exactly one of them. When the gas company decides to turn off our supply for (only slightly!) overdue bills, we would love to have some of Mathieu Baele's Stoovs waiting in the wings. Perfect for camping or tailgating, these ovoid gizmos are made from magnets, a rechargeable battery, and heat-conducting components. When in need of high temperatures, just stick the Stoovs to the bottom or sides of your pot to get things cooking. If only we'd had these last week, our Ramen might have been a tad less crunchy.

Vap Steamer by Arthur Senant

Microwaves have certain culinary uses that beat the pants off of other cooking methods. But, for the most part, they are the province of lazy cooks and the bane of healthy eating. Do away with them completely and get hooked on the gorgeous Vap digital steamer by Arthur Senant, instead. Gently cooking food with vapor, Vap keeps your vittles moist and allows fat to drain from a suspended basket -- all without sacrificing flavor. We love the oversized digital readout on top that tells you when your meal is steamed to perfection.

Egg Printer by Matt Brown

The bizarre Egg Printer was part of designer Matt Brown's interaction design thesis at The Umea Institute of Design. Brown imagined a future in which food is grown inside of kitchens, including complex animal structures like eggs -- which could involve customized yolk designs. In the comments section over at Designboom (which previously covered Brown's work) the designer claimed that his Egg Printer and other imaginative food devices were a whimsical take on the direction of food and culinary design. From an energy consumption standpoint, though, we think that Brown's ideas are much more than mere whimsy; if we can manufacture foods that are just as good (if not better) than their "analog" counterparts, without the waste of, say, raising a genetically engineered chicken, where's the harm? That's not to say we support 100-percent processed foods, but we like the idea of Devo-branded eggs. Whip 'em good. Into a soufflé.

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Tags: arthur senant, ArthurSenant, design, designconcepts, egg printer, EggPrinter, ekokook, faltazi, features, mathieu baele, MathieuBaele, matt brown, MattBrown, molecular gastronomy, MolecularGastronomy, philips, stoov, top, vap steamer, VapSteamer

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