Tea Kettle Design Competition:

The heritage of tea is laden with ritual and meaning that dates back thousands of years and spans the globe. The Japanese heat the tetsubin, a cast iron pot, over a portable charcoal brazier in the art of chanoyo, the tea ceremony. The Russian samovar earns its charm from its function: It keeps water, and a pot of tea concentrate, hot for hours, drawing people together in communal relaxation and conversation. The modern tea kettle translates this heritage into an icon of contemporary life, with form that functions at all levels.

The functions of a kettle are manifold. First, it must hold a dangerous substance-boiling water. It must operate safely and reliably. It must communicate its status instantly. When well designed, it elevates the experience of preparing, sharing, and consuming tea. No small task.

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UPDATED 19.01.09



Enclosed is one of the concepts generated (this concept is not astounding in design, but the use of new material technology is ground breaking). This took 28 hours to design, render and complete:

Research and observations has shown ways and opportunities to reduce the casualties in burn victims in the younger aged (0-4 years) through the process designing a safe kettle.

Some of these features are:

-Wider base (prevent kettle tip over and spillage)
-larger ergonomic wooden handle
-snap fit lid
-controlled spout opening
-visual & sound indicators
-heat resistant glass
-retractable cord (children can’t pull on overhanging cords)
-see through glass (enables user to see if water is present)
-portable on/off remote control
-controlled spout outlet

The visual aspect and aesthetics comes with the material.

Clear laminated glass/polymer gives the appearance of sophistication. The ease of formability, and its aesthetic features, such as transparency and pigmentation, renders glass as a common art medium.

This well-crafted glass with tight radius corners give it a minimal form with the strong line of the spout reaching from the base to the top of the kettle.

The LED on the base wraps around the base so when it is lit up it can be seen at 360° around the room. The base, handle and top lid are using timber giving a timeless wood-grain finish of a rich and elegance moving the kettle into an elite class. The feature of timber also doesn’t conduct heat which is a bonus as a safety measure.

To help add to the minimal design, the power cord is a retractable power cable eliminating clutter around the base and prevent excess cable for children to pull.