17 more Electrolux kitchen concepts that are too awesome to exist
Electrolux is well known for sponsoring conceptual design contests that encourage a minimal basis in reality and a corresponding maximal amount of creativity. This latest round of concepts features such wild ideas as the Smoobo Blender above, which manages to be a bouncy toy, kinetic energy harvester, and smoothie blender all in one. Just what you've always desperately needed, I know!
The 2011 Electrolux Design Competition ends next month, and here are 17 of the finalists.
Electrolux, via Yanko
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Salvé Bagel Toaster - The new portable bagel toaster is especially convenient for those who canât find time to eat breakfast in the morning. Place a bagel in the toaster and it will automatically start rotating. When happy with the color of the freshly toasted bagel, simply remove and enjoy. The toaster is very energy efficient being run on sugar crystal batteries or recharged on a ceramic dock using induction. Now there are no excuses for missing the most important meal of the day!
Breez Portable Dish Dryer - Breez is a portable and easy to stow away dish dryer that helps you quickly dry your hand washed plates, ensuring you avoid bacteria and germs that can spread when drying many plates with the same cloth. A digital pulse motor concentrates air to a thin stream that blows the plate dry when once moved through the machine. The air travels at a speed of 400 MPH (644 km/h) and leaves the plate completely dry and ready to place directly into the cupboard.
Mobile Kitchen Kit - This mobile kitchen kit is designed to contain everything you need to cook skillet meals, still taking up almost no space at all. The top lid is a cutting board and inside the container â that even be used as a make shift sink â is fitted a flexible induction cooking pad, strainer, spatula, wooden spoon, cutting knife, peeling knife, sauce pan and skillet. Just about everything you need to make dinner is fitted into one neat kit that can be carried along or easily stowed away in small spaces.
EMS Cooker - The Cooker EMS Cooker has a wristband design and uses kinetic energy to heat and cook food. Placing the band on your arm or wrist, the bodyâs own energy is transformed into heat. The wristband can be rolled out and used as a heating plate or wrapped around a coffee mug for instance, or anything else youâd like to keep warm or heat up. Itâs a clever way of using oneâs own energy and provides an extra incentive to exercise and move around more often during the day (should you need it).
Heat Grenade - The Heat Grenade is a great looking portable cooking device, conceived for emergency use and powered by paper-thin batteries. These batteries can produce power and recharge from water absorbed from the air. When closed, the concept resembles an oval aluminium egg. However, when the top button is pressed it folds out like a flower to turn into an induction hob with a black glass surface and a control panel that slides out from under it.
Honeycomb Modular Induction Tiles - The Honeycomb is a modular induction cooker system ideal for compact homes â although it can work equally as well in a larger family house as a heating plate. The hexagonal modules can connect to each other in different variations. Click them together and create a cooking area wherever you like. A remote control wirelessly controls the heat via Bluetooth. The top of each module is finished in high gloss white to look good anywhere in the home. Their stackability makes them easy to put away when not in use.
The Marble - It looks like a smooth golf ball, but itâs actually a mixer. Put the ingredients you want to mix in a bowl, throw in one or more of the mixers and theyâll automatically bounce around and do the mixing for you. Shake the ball to set the time, shake it hard to add an extra minute or shake it just a little to add 15 more seconds. The rotor blades are made of nanotechnology rubber that makes them flexible when not in use, but hard as steel once in motion. This way theyâre safe and easy to clean, but effective when in use. Keeping many of them in a bowl makes a nice design piece in the kitchen.
Mohe - Mohe is a vacuum sealer, food carrier and food warmer â all in one. Place food in a special re-cycled bag, vacuum seal it with the Mohe, and when you later open the bag it will warm up the contents. The special bags have an insulation of special heat-shielding gel and an outer layer of paper. The devise, powered by inductively rechargeable batteries, will recognize if the bag is open or closed and act accordingly by either vacuum sealing or warming up the food with only one touch.
Onda Portable Microwave - The Onda portable microwave oven is a very clever twist on an appliance that was first introduced to homes in 1955. As with traditional use of this device, pre-prepared meals are placed in compatible food packages and warmed with microwaves. Specifically, the Onda is slid on to the packaging and the aluminium contained within the interior of the handheld device, creates a circuit connection when the seal of the packaging is broken. Paper batteries are used to produce energy, making the Onda simple, smart, portable, and eco-friendly. The Onda also comes in a range of different colors for personal preference.
Ping Pong - Ping Pong is a wireless cooking assistant that allows you to optimize your time whilst food is being heated. Sensors (the âPingsâ) are attached to the cooking utensils in use. For instance, if youâre cooking a soup, place the Ping transmitter on the panâs rim and take the Pong receiver with you to the next room where you can sit down and enjoy reading. The Ping transmitter will send information on the cooking status to the Pong receiver close to you and so keeping you informed. The design is inspired by a vase full of flowers ensuring your new kitchen assistant looks good and puts a smile on your face.
Portable Washing Machine - An innovation welcomed by every traveler â whether youâre a back packer or a business traveler you will love this small portable washing machine. Four pre-installed cleaning programs are available for quick and easy use. Pull the two components apart, place on either side of the garment with a stain or odor and choose the suitable cleaning program. The machine does all the work using negative ions and steam. Powered with a sugar crystal battery, you can use it practically anywhere in the world.
Ribbon - The 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. You can curl it up, take it with you, fold it out and even puzzle together to use as a hotplate. Controls placed on the side facilitate easy use. The chargeable thermoelectric cell battery can also reverse the charging processâ whilst not in use the cells convert excess heat back into electricity.
Ringoo - Ringoo is a small circular microwave heater for warm drinks that helps us use less water and lead more ecologically friendly lives. Water (or any liquid for that matter) when poured through the ring becomes hot. This addresses the wasted energy that comes through the heating of more water than required for e.g. a cup of tea. The Ringoo will heat the water to the desired temperature allowing you to sit back to enjoy your tea and your contribution to the protection of the planet.
Robo TAP Cleaner - The Robo TAP is a smart evolution of the robotic vacuum cleaner used to target an exact area for cleaning. An IPS system aligned with a simple remote control attached to the shoe or slipper of the user, means automated cleaning can be over-ridden. Two taps on a dirty spot directs the Robo TAP to the precise area. Two more taps will cancel the order and three taps returns the vacuum cleaner to regular cleaning. Itâs as fun as tap dancing, but much easier. You can now pretend to be Fred Astaire while effortlessly cleaning the house.
Take-away Steward - The Steward is a food delivery postbox system designed to keep delivered take-away food fresh at your home or work place until you can collect it. With the aid of an integrated electronic system within the âstewardâ you can pre-order your food and set a pass word to the delivery company. When the food arrives, the deliverer uses the password and places the food in the postbox. The Steward will intuitively keep the food at its optimal temperature. The postbox is made of a solar panel coated material that provides all necessary power.
Wave - The Wave washing assistant helps you to identify the severity of a stain, to pre-wash and also communicate with your washing machine in order to get the best results with the minimum use of water and detergents. The contamination sensor will determine what needs to be done; the Wave then applies ultrasound and water to stains and uses hot air to dry as required. When the Wave is placed in its dock for charging, it can also communicate with your washing machine so that you can operate it remotely.
Smoobo Blender - The Smoobo blender is a fun and environmentally friendly way of making smoothies. Simply put all your favorite ingredients inside the rubber ball, shut the knob tightly and start bouncing it around. The bounce in itself activates the kinetic energy batteries that in turn make the rotor blades spin, resulting in a perfectly blended smoothie. The Smoobo surface is made of uneven rubber knobs that will make the bounce even more fun as youâll never know what direction the Smoobo will take.