ELEMENTAL KITCHEN
"The kitchen has been around for a very, very long time," one of the developers of the new Elemental Kitchen brand observes. And when you think about it, humans were preparing and storing food even before figuring out fire. We’ve brought ever more complex innovations into our kitchens since the caveman era, but the functions we perform there remain the same. Elemental Kitchen brings high-tech to the basics.
The product line is the result of a unique partnership between Nectar Design, Sinoglass and Grant Howard. Nectar is a funky little studio in Long Beach, California, where about a dozen people hammer out inventions like medical devices and Leda Lock furniture. Sinoglass is the Chinese manufacturer of products sold around the world, with about 1,500 employees. Grant Howard manages sales and distribution of the Elemental Kitchen brand, among many others.
The trio came together in the spring of 2006, and rolled out a trio of Elemental Kitchen products – storage jars with timers, magnetic spice jars and health-conscious oil and vinegar dispensers – to a receptive trade show audience in Chicago this spring. Each product reflects the time Nectar’s designers spent living in households and observing kitchen behavior. Among their conclusions: simplicity is key, and health and food safety awareness are on the rise.
Fresh Count Storage Jars
"An exciting thing for me with Fresh Count," says Nectar Design President Darren Saravis, "is bringing us one step closer to fresher, healthier food."
Very simply, Fresh Count jars tell you how old your food is. Put food in the glass jar, press the button on the timer built into the airtight lid, and put it away. When you’re digging through the fridge for leftovers, or rooting around the pantry for the pistachios you sprinkle on a special-occasion pastry, you can use the timer, rather than your nose, to decide whether the food is safe.
"You don’t have to open it, you just have to look," says Rock Zhang, Vice President at Sinoglass. "So far we have not seen anything in this category. Some people might have a separate (timer) piece which you maybe can apply, but to integrate the counting mechanism as part of the product is unique."
The lid with timer mechanism is as dishwasher-safe as the glass jar, but only the glass can go in the microwave. The mercury-free battery is designed to last almost three years (so you might want to clean the cupboards at least that often), and after that you can replace the timer.
Today the Fresh Count jars are available in four sizes, up to 2 liters. The stainless steel lids are lined with plastic, and the seal is silicone. Future plans include different materials for different storage needs.
Spices, Oil and Vinegar
Nectar’s researchers noticed people struggling with big jars of oil and vinegar in their kitchens, measuring out portions that then had to be mixed in another container.
"When we started building this product we realized there is a trend for people being health conscious, and very cautious about the amount of oil in cooking," Zhang says. "We thought if we could combine the measurement system on the bottle, you wouldn’t have to pour it into another container. Just by looking at the bottle, you will know how much you are using."
The solution: each oil and vinegar jar has two push-buttons, one on each side. Squeezing both at once pumps a total of one tablespoon to the dispensing cup on the top of the jar. The 500 ml bottles would do well in the kitchen, and they’re available in 250 ml for the restaurant or home table.
Also meant for table or pantry - or any metal surface, for that matter - are the spice jars. Glass jars with magnets on the outside, they interlock and can stand alone, eliminating the need for a spice rack. Nectar’s office refrigerator has a few stuck on it. Zhang has customers who keep barbeque spices on the exterior of their grills.
"You can have six in line, or two groups of three which will form a cube," Zhang says. "The concept is to organize your spice jars in a fun and creative way. Play with them like a Rubik’s cube. When you pass the salt and pepper, you can pass them together. It’s fun. You can have different spice collections in one block – your Asian, your Italian, create your own."
These three products are just the beginning for the partners behind Elemental Kitchen. Saravis says, "Our designers came back from the field research and we had this session where we built many, many prototypes." The Fresh Count technology in particular will be expanded in ways he’s not yet ready to discuss, but Zhang mentions milk – it’s highly perishable, and it’s served from the same container in which it’s stored.
"This is only a humble beginning for the Elemental line," Zhang promises. "We’re looking forward to having more product by October of this year."
A Unique Partnership
Nectar Design, Sinoglass and Grant Howard plan to continue working together long after the design stage, a somewhat unusual arrangement. As a product development consultancy, Nectar is accustomed to being hired by manufacturers and then moving on. Vice President Cary Chow likes that "we have more of a partnership with Sinoglass. It’s more of an entrepreneurial approach, where we’re really participating in the generation of the brand itself."
"I think the cooperation between Sinoglass, Nectar and Grant Howard is really demonstrating a trend in manufacturing and distribution of housewares in the US," Zhang adds. "Everybody is going to China for manufacturing. China has huge capacity. But what China needs right now and what will benefit companies in America is very strong capabilities of developing new product. Nectar is strong in developing new product, Grant Howard is strong in marketing through distribution channels, and Sinoglass is strong in manufacturing. This creates an excellent joint force for the products to be marketed here in the US."
