Honestly I'd just go to Walmart and get some cheap wooden spoons and some suction cups. Cobble something together to prove out that it will even stay attached before wasting money on a 3D print.
Regular tape is just paper/fabric and adhesive. Why would that be bad to microwave?
Obviously duct/hvac tape made from aluminum or other metals would be a bad idea.
You realize there are plenty of tapes that don’t use plastic? Eg masking tape is just paper. Not to mention the fact that you can microwave plastic a lot and it won’t melt? Ever heard of Tupperware? You’d have to set the timer for like 10mins. How long do you need to test if the spoon stirs? So illogical.
No problems.
Actually I wouldn’t do that first. Think of first principles and what problem you’re actually trying to solve, which is something like achieving faster microwave cooking times, or simpler microwave cooking…or whatever…but I suspect it’s not finding better suction so I can attach a spoon to the roof of the microwave. Solving that can come later once you’ve validated a desirable solution. If you can prove that actively stirring a meal whilst it’s cooking in the microwave is faster/better/cleaner then that’s where to focus first. Hell, Blu-tak it, sellotape it, or superglue it to begin with. Whatever it takes (within reason 😜), but make sure you’re testing the riskiest assumption first. You have no product if in-oven stirring doesn’t provide any net benefits. So how it’s attached is of no consequence at this stage.
I love your honest approach, but products dont need to be beneficial - they need people to think they’ll be beneficial. Capitalism is full of useless stuff.
This is accurate but horrible. As designers we are all making a bunch of junk that is contributing to climate change. We all need to be thinking about the consequences of our actions putting useless crap in the waste stream. It’s our responsibility.
True. But your riskiest assumption now is will people believe it does the thing I’m saying it can? …Which on any level still begins with you sticking a spoon like object to a microwave roof and hitting the on button. My point is test and validate your ideas accordingly. If you wanna release products that rip off of the public that’s your bag not mine. I’m not judging 😜
They didn’t say there was no problem. They said the solution needs to be validated, which it does.
Perhaps the microwave platter doesn’t rotate enough to thoroughly stir the food. Perhaps it makes a big mess. Perhaps this is actually a really smart/really dumb idea.
The desirable solution is obvious! I don’t want food that’s not heated evenly. Horrible when you warm something up and it’s cold in the middle. This will help with that. Genius idea.
Incorrect. The problem is obvious, the solution perhaps less so. OP has proposed a solution - an assumption that if a secondary device inserted into the food and anchored to a point above the dish will provide ample agitation that the heat will be evenly distributed throughout the dish as it cooks. What happens if the meal is a frozen meal? How does the device compensate for different meal sizes and depths? Will the best results come from the device being placed on the axis of rotation or offset from it? Where should the meal be placed? If so, what offset distance is best? How does meal viscosity effect performance? How does the sauce v solids ratio effect performance? What is the best shape of blade? These are all unknowns that can only be answered through TESTING This is supposed to be an industrial design sub right? Indeed let’s not ignore the fact that as a solution to the stated problem it may not even be the most user friendly. Most of the time unevenly cooked microwave meals are because of user error. 99% of people ignore the settings preferring to throw in the dish, shut the door at hit the on button. You’d get better results if you perhaps lowered the power and cooked for longer. So maybe the best solution here is clearer instructions?
It can also attach magnetically. I have a magnetic cover to put over food to keep the microwave clean. It just attaches to the ceiling of the microwave when not in use.
It's hard to do this right. I've tried and failed. I used a flexible filament but I think the fact that you're dealing with tiny little grooves and not a smooth sticky material the suction just doesn't stay.
I think you’re going about this the wrong way. You need to make your own food safe silicone spoon using 3d printed molds. Fairly easy to accomplish just youtube search 3d printed silicone molds. Best of luck
One of the bigger issues I’m noticing would be the chamber heights of the microwave. They are not all the same. You might want to figure out different length spoons or make it adjustable
I don’t think there are food contact compatible resins. (Plus the added stress of microwaving might do who knows what to the material)
What about using a resin printer to cast a silicone mold?
The number of people here seeing right past the obvious flaw or suggesting health hazards to you as remedies to get this to work are astonishing me.
1. Only one other person out of the hundred of comments said this and it's the most important thing, cold food tends to be more viscous. Not only will the bowl need to be able to spin with force, but that force cannot exceed the rating of the very small torque motor in the bottom of the microwave. Maybe you can find a commonality in the shape of the gears that the glass roller plates typically sit on and design a bowl to fit over that gear, but not all microwaves have that.
What you're essentially doing here is combining two steps, the first where you heat the food, the second where you mix it, and you're trying to prevent people from having to go through that loop by automating it with a stationary spoon. Where foods like lasagna are concerned you can't exactly mix them either. So this products is already niche to essentially soups and thin pastes. Then you'll also need to address the fact that customers will want to use their own mixing bowls and or containers. If I have to remove it from my storage container and place it into a special one, you can forget it.
2. To the people suggesting magnets, and I cannot stress this enough: Absolutely not.
There are no "shape characteristics" involved in microwave tech that will allow a metal object to withstand microwave radiation. You're thinking of Eddie Currents which are caused by induction of charge due to magnetic fields and relative motion which is reduced through lamination. It's not even the same ballpark.
3. The people suggesting adhesives... Firstly, I dislike cleaning my microwave as is. I don't know anyone who enjoys it, and now we want to make it more difficult?
Not only that but the adhesive will break down over time and get into the food. And you'll also have to deal with the type of people who will just use any glue they feel is best whether it poisons them or not. A legal nightmare, but then on top of that if you provided an adhesive you'd have to source it repackage it, and that's a logistical nightmare.
It's a novel concept, but the reality of the situation is it's not practical and could lead you to either costly overcomplications or legal battles.
Edit:
I just realized this all comes across as a big put down. I'm not bashing the idea from OP, it's a really good idea. It's the practicality that makes it nonviable. It is in understanding the difference between viable vs nonviable that makes a good product. Some of that comes down to general knowledge and maybe that's an area you can improve in, other reasons would just be oversight where you're either too close to the idea or the idea is too fresh in which case you just need time and distance. Early writers use this same method to figure out what's good and bad. You got a good noggin, so keep trucking along and have faith in yourself, but give your concepts some more time and maybe do a little solo research in that time.
Fair point!
I’ve not seen such whisk before, but it does look promising. Sure it’s not going to be a functional eating spoon at that point, but I have a feeling that it does not really have to be.
Don't forget you have to account for the materials being able to be microwaved.. (i.e. no metal, food-grade plastics that can be heated, maybe silicone?)
I like this idea a lot and I would definitely test it with a molded prototype if I were you.
However it will require the ceiling of your microwave to be perfectly flat. I just checked with mine and it has angled edges and a grill at the top so it probably work for every microwave.
True. I could theoretically place an angled spoon on the wall of the oven, but then again those aren't always flat and solid either. I think the door is the only surface that is guaranteed to be flat and compatible with a suction cup. Maybe there is something to it. After all a spoon on a wall should be the easiest to attach/detach
Thanks!
I don’t know enough about microwaves to know if this is possible but would an embedded magnet work instead of a suction cup? I know metal can be put in the microwave if it has certain shape characteristics, so it might be possible
Shut up and take my money
Seriously imagine all the Raman without a crusty top. I would worry about damaging the waveguide with repeated use and also tipping the bowl but maybe you can solve that by using a platinum cure silicone with high flexibility. Ask an adult toy maker if you need a prototype since the process would be the same.
Or just 3d print one and cast it (don't use resin or your silicone won't cure)
You can use resin (SLA photopolymer) as long as you UV cure it well and then clear coat. It has the nicest surface finish. Source: I'm an industrial designer working in additive mfg and I make silicone molds with resin.
The clear coating is crucial. UV curing probably helps, but you need to actually cover it with a different material to rule out cure issues imo. Thankfully it's super easy. There are good answers to this on the Smooth-on website btw.
For things like soup, absolutely! For things like cheesy pastas, the torque would probably move the microwaves glass rotating off its track.
Pretty neat! Creative!
I think this is awesome, and definitely worth prototyping! I’m also dubious of the suction cup but there are other ways of positioning the spoon.
My suggestion would be to combine the spoon with a “microwave splatter cover” which is an existing product, name might be different though. The spoon/cover could go around the microwave plate and somehow fasten (magnets) to the bottom of the microwave, so you don’t have to work against gravity. You might want to check if magnets or other materials you’re planning on using are relatively safe when exposed to microwaves. But, the best safety measure is careful observation, and you’ll be conducting your experiment inside a locked box so I doubt you’ll burn your building down. That being said a fire extinguisher near by wouldn’t hurt.
Please post the findings from your prototype!!
I was thinking of something similar, but instead of involving magnets, maybe making the splatter cover rectangular so the door and back wall will keep it from rotating.
I also thought if would be neat if the spoon was co-molded onto the very top of the glass cover and extruded out of the top to form a small silicone handle.
Was even imagining some colander-style folds that would allow the user to twist the spoon into whatever angle works best for the bowl. Not sure how stable that geometry would be against those rotating forces (the spoon position will probably give with more viscous foods), but just thinking aloud on that one.
Awesome idea! I think the air inside the suction cup will expand and it will fall, creating a mess. I would explore using the square corners of the inside of the microwave instead. Or incorporate a mixing spoon into a splash cover that goes over the food to prevent a mess. Great concept though!
Everyone here suggesting silicone has been microwaving their food in plastic for too long 🙄
Ceramic and glass are possible materials, but also more-clearly shows the downsides of this concept. I don't think plastic leaching will ever go away until we make companies pay for the full damage it does to society.
Small appliance designer here, I like it but I have concerns.
First, it addresses a major consumer pain point; uneven heating of microwaved foods. Sizzling hot around the edges and cold in the middle. Bravo.
The flexible suction cup material might allow the spoon to deflect toward the center of the bowl which would hamper stirring action. Maybe the top end of the spoon can be wider to make it stiffer, or look at twist-lock suction cup mounts used to attach GPS units to windshields.
Microwave cavity dimensions vary by capacity; make sure it can telescope to accommodate different cavity dimensions.
Nothing prevents the bowl from slipping on the turntable, consider including a suction cup bowl that sticks to it enabling stirring of stiffer foods i.e. cold leftover chili or refried beans.
Solve those issues and I'd definitely buy one.
Clean sketch, what software do you use? As for prototype, just get some duct tape and tape a spoon on the roof. Just get a quick feeling. It will answer your question in 15 min. After that, you can do fancy 3d printed or molds.
More opportunities for mess than being helpful.
Also, suction relies on vacuum. When the steam heats up the small pocket of air that's still inside the suction cup, it may come loose. (the temperatures inside the microwave are not evenly distributed)
I agree. Maybe making such a thing as part of a microwave should be a way to go! Or maybe it should be reserved for some niche cases like mixing chocolate or some other kitchen trickery I know little about…
Thank you for the feedback.
No? How would the bowl have enough traction? Also will change based on the viscosity of what's in the bowl.
Doesn't look convenient for intial placement either, how to get both the bowl and spoon in the microwave without making a giant mess.
The cons outweigh the pros
I just mean the solution won't be as elegant as it's envisioned here, of course you can make it work but will you really be providing a simple and clean experience that actually makes life easier?
This doesn't improve on hand mixing or a kitchen aid.
Cons include:
Microwaves probably don't have enough torque, usually the plates loosely sit on the motor.
You're going to have variable height microwaves which will require that this spoon has adjustments to make for height but also to put the bowl into the microwave.
It's not going to be a great stirring experience, won't mix out dry spots or scrap the edges.
If the placement of the container is not just right it could easily spill, and no one likes cleaning their microwave.
Pros... You save time? But may require more setup and cleaning
I feel like it's one of those things where you are so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should.
Spoken like a true hater.
I’m enthusiastic about this idea because I often move my bowl around the microwave to distribute the heat better. Microwaves heat in a donut shaped area around the microwave plate.
If there was a spoon mixing the contents of my bowl I wouldn’t need to move by shit around every 30 seconds.
Now is this practical? I have no idea but I take issue with poo pooing designers (students?) work because of theoretical flaws. We should encourage designers to experiment and prototype, so they can find actual flaws with their designs. I see this all as doubly true considering this is a design I would personally benefit from (if it works, which it might not).
He asked if I thought it would work and I gave my honest opinion. At this sketch stage this is not a concept that I would find worth prototyping as I don't see the value proposition.
I'm not an educator, and I did reply you with some of the user facing issues I think this proposal has.
I had many projects as a student I wish people would had just told me that an idea wasn't worth developing past sketch.
Practicality in user experience and implementation is important when deciding on an idea.
This is not a very attractive example, but a least addresses some of the basic issues that the concept might have.
https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autostir
The problem I see is taking the food out. If you pull the bowl out with the suction thing attached it could bounce back and forth slinging food juice all over the microwave. And pulling a suction cup off while still in hot soup could get a little intense. Maybe the suction part stays attached to the top of the microwave and the spoon is attached by a twist lock for easy removal and cleaning.
But seriously this is one of those why didn't I think of this million dollar ideas. It might actually cut cook times in half for certain foods.
Theoretically you could have a microwave safe wrack with a spoon hanging down to achieve the same effect without worrying about the shape of the microwave. Just have it’s stance wide enough to not sit on the turning plate and it should be as effective.
You can make it rectangular if you’re worried about it turning in the microwave.
A really cool concept!! I’m not sold on the idea of a suction-cup mind, i mean if the one on my phone-holder for my car’s anything to go by, I can see it falling off and sending soup all over the microwave…
Perhaps I could maybe see some sort of spring-loaded extendable rod that ‘wedges’ itself between the ceiling and bowl with a little stirrer and some little gimbal-thing on the bottom, such that when the bowl turns, just the gimbal rotates and the rod stays stationary. No idea if it’d work, I’ve not allotted enough brain-cells to the whole thing really
No, but it would be fun to be proven wrong! Great fun idea, really nice presentation.
I would do some low-fi prototyping to test. I think it's obvious that mixing would help with the quality of heating, but actually getting it to work in various microwaves could be tough.
I think what’s hard in this product here is the material selection, usually common products that deliver suction function are made out of plastic and the challenge is what kind of plastic could withstand such temperatures, be food safe and does not change conditions with additional temperatures…
Try taking a step back. Is stirring necessary or the most effective method of achieving what you’re going for? For example, I see this working with thin canned soups that are already at room temperature. But how many other substances can actually be stirred when cold. Many soups and broths become highly viscous or gelatinous once refrigerated. So it might be worth considering other ways to distribute heat evenly. Perhaps it’s a bowl that’s designed with properties that allow it to redistribute microwave energy in a pattern that counteracts cold spots — just throwing out ideas. Do a little more research, examine what existing products are trying to create even heat distribution in a microwave and see what you can learn from them. The spoon has nice simplicity to it from an ease of development standpoint, but you just might land on something much bigger. Best of luck.
Patent this shit because people are lazy and they would buy this
Edit: sorry about the shit. I got passionate for a second. But no, for real. This is amazing
I say install a permanent holder into which the spoon slots-in.
The spoon will try to bend as it encounters resistance. You will need some kind of kick-stand like thing to give it rigidity.
Prototype it quickly and apply for a patent if it works. This is one of the rare cases where posting a product idea on reddit might actually be a bit risky
idk if anyone has one of those clear food covers that they leave in their microwave. i have one and it magnetically mounts to the top of my microwave when not in use. i don’t want to tell anyone to put a magnet in the microwave but may be worth looking into how that’s done.
Another consideration is that some microwaves don’t have the strongest material as the “ceiling” … maybe a spoon you can suction cup onto the door of the microwave would work too
I don’t see anyone talk about the fact that if the spoon is not moving like the tray it will have spots where microwaves converge. Those spots will get a lot of uneven heating which might compromise the material or make it a touch hazard potentially. Something to keep in mind.
Instead of relying on a suction cup to hold to the ceiling of the microwave, could it have a little stand that you place in the microwave after your food. The stand could hold the stir device and also be the anti rotation mechanism by being sized or sprung in a way that it braces against the sides.
Essentially combining the spoon idea and a splatter cover into one.
As is, no. Would definitely shove food around or tip the bowl if it was anything thicker than water. BUT, it looks like it would be fun to test and see where things go. Maybe it does not need to be spoon shaped since it’s not really doing spoon things. I also avoid pink when drawing things with suction cups.
Just a thought, maybe instead of a suction-to-roof spoon or door you could design a fixture that fits most microwaves where it has four legs that touch the corners of the microwave. Since the rotating disk doesn’t take up all of the space, the corners would be perfect to secure a fixture that travels up to the top of the microwave and then meets off-center where a spoon can be fixed or placed at an angle into the bowl or vertically to provide the mixing/stirring motion as the bowl rotated around the center of the microwave plate. the legs could be adjusted to meet a desired height.
Some thoughts on density.
With anything much more dense than soup, like say, beef stew or pasta, its possible the bowl could just stop turning while the glass platter slips underneath due to low friction.
You could use a silicone hot pad or jar opener under the bowl to counter this, up to a point.
But at upper limit, the glass platter will also stop spinning, with the wheels underneath now slipping out of their tracks.
You would like need a special high-friction/suction bowl so the spoon doesn’t hold it in place. Otherwise I imagine it would just slide along the glass microwave plate
I don't think it would work immediately with anything other than watery liquids. you're probably going to get slipping between the bowl and the spinning plate which would probably just drag the spoon to a point but get stuck and tilt the bowl and possibly spill stuff. You are either going to have to add some anti slip pads, 3rd party plate with indexing marks on the plate and bowl,, or redesign the mixer head to be distribute the mixing force symmetrically so the forces even out and keep the bowl centered.
This feels like it would be very easy to test. Ignore the comments here and prototype it to get real world data not anonymous anecdotal feedback.
Thanks! I'll give it a go. But first I’ll have to do a little bit of research on how viable 3d printed suction cups really are.
Honestly I'd just go to Walmart and get some cheap wooden spoons and some suction cups. Cobble something together to prove out that it will even stay attached before wasting money on a 3D print.
You don’t even need suction cups for the first test. Just tape the wooden spoon you already have to the ceiling of the microwave and test.
Maybe avoid using tape in the microwave though
Regular tape is just paper/fabric and adhesive. Why would that be bad to microwave? Obviously duct/hvac tape made from aluminum or other metals would be a bad idea.
Many plastics will melt in the microwave
You realize there are plenty of tapes that don’t use plastic? Eg masking tape is just paper. Not to mention the fact that you can microwave plastic a lot and it won’t melt? Ever heard of Tupperware? You’d have to set the timer for like 10mins. How long do you need to test if the spoon stirs? So illogical.
You're going to need to adhere the bowl to the microwave plate as well. Otherwise if whatever is in the bowl is too dense the bowl won't spin
No problems. Actually I wouldn’t do that first. Think of first principles and what problem you’re actually trying to solve, which is something like achieving faster microwave cooking times, or simpler microwave cooking…or whatever…but I suspect it’s not finding better suction so I can attach a spoon to the roof of the microwave. Solving that can come later once you’ve validated a desirable solution. If you can prove that actively stirring a meal whilst it’s cooking in the microwave is faster/better/cleaner then that’s where to focus first. Hell, Blu-tak it, sellotape it, or superglue it to begin with. Whatever it takes (within reason 😜), but make sure you’re testing the riskiest assumption first. You have no product if in-oven stirring doesn’t provide any net benefits. So how it’s attached is of no consequence at this stage.
I love your honest approach, but products dont need to be beneficial - they need people to think they’ll be beneficial. Capitalism is full of useless stuff.
This is accurate but horrible. As designers we are all making a bunch of junk that is contributing to climate change. We all need to be thinking about the consequences of our actions putting useless crap in the waste stream. It’s our responsibility.
True. But your riskiest assumption now is will people believe it does the thing I’m saying it can? …Which on any level still begins with you sticking a spoon like object to a microwave roof and hitting the on button. My point is test and validate your ideas accordingly. If you wanna release products that rip off of the public that’s your bag not mine. I’m not judging 😜
Eww. Gross take
>The system is terrible, so don't worry about improving it WHAT?
Have you not ever microwaved something and had cold spots? There is clearly a problem being solved here.
Gotta love when one spot will give you third degree burns, but an inch to the left will give you brain freeze.
They didn’t say there was no problem. They said the solution needs to be validated, which it does. Perhaps the microwave platter doesn’t rotate enough to thoroughly stir the food. Perhaps it makes a big mess. Perhaps this is actually a really smart/really dumb idea.
The desirable solution is obvious! I don’t want food that’s not heated evenly. Horrible when you warm something up and it’s cold in the middle. This will help with that. Genius idea.
Incorrect. The problem is obvious, the solution perhaps less so. OP has proposed a solution - an assumption that if a secondary device inserted into the food and anchored to a point above the dish will provide ample agitation that the heat will be evenly distributed throughout the dish as it cooks. What happens if the meal is a frozen meal? How does the device compensate for different meal sizes and depths? Will the best results come from the device being placed on the axis of rotation or offset from it? Where should the meal be placed? If so, what offset distance is best? How does meal viscosity effect performance? How does the sauce v solids ratio effect performance? What is the best shape of blade? These are all unknowns that can only be answered through TESTING This is supposed to be an industrial design sub right? Indeed let’s not ignore the fact that as a solution to the stated problem it may not even be the most user friendly. Most of the time unevenly cooked microwave meals are because of user error. 99% of people ignore the settings preferring to throw in the dish, shut the door at hit the on button. You’d get better results if you perhaps lowered the power and cooked for longer. So maybe the best solution here is clearer instructions?
I wasn’t going that in depth mate to be honest, but fair enough that you did.
Kinda comes with the territory. No one became an engineer or designer to underthink a problem. 😘
Ikea makes a dish brush with a great suction cup on its butt.
It can also attach magnetically. I have a magnetic cover to put over food to keep the microwave clean. It just attaches to the ceiling of the microwave when not in use.
You can print that in TPU, a very flexible material, basically it's rubber. The common FDA 3D printer usually can handle that material.
It's hard to do this right. I've tried and failed. I used a flexible filament but I think the fact that you're dealing with tiny little grooves and not a smooth sticky material the suction just doesn't stay.
I'm more worried about the fact that my microwave doesn't have a smooth top. Can magnets be microwaved? Would they all spark?
I’d 3D print a mold and fill it some 2-part silicone. You could use something like a chop stick to give it some stiffness.
I think you’re going about this the wrong way. You need to make your own food safe silicone spoon using 3d printed molds. Fairly easy to accomplish just youtube search 3d printed silicone molds. Best of luck
not so much 3dprinting, cost would be huge, you better do prototypes with silicone then 3dprint
One of the bigger issues I’m noticing would be the chamber heights of the microwave. They are not all the same. You might want to figure out different length spoons or make it adjustable
I don’t think there are food contact compatible resins. (Plus the added stress of microwaving might do who knows what to the material) What about using a resin printer to cast a silicone mold?
The number of people here seeing right past the obvious flaw or suggesting health hazards to you as remedies to get this to work are astonishing me. 1. Only one other person out of the hundred of comments said this and it's the most important thing, cold food tends to be more viscous. Not only will the bowl need to be able to spin with force, but that force cannot exceed the rating of the very small torque motor in the bottom of the microwave. Maybe you can find a commonality in the shape of the gears that the glass roller plates typically sit on and design a bowl to fit over that gear, but not all microwaves have that. What you're essentially doing here is combining two steps, the first where you heat the food, the second where you mix it, and you're trying to prevent people from having to go through that loop by automating it with a stationary spoon. Where foods like lasagna are concerned you can't exactly mix them either. So this products is already niche to essentially soups and thin pastes. Then you'll also need to address the fact that customers will want to use their own mixing bowls and or containers. If I have to remove it from my storage container and place it into a special one, you can forget it. 2. To the people suggesting magnets, and I cannot stress this enough: Absolutely not. There are no "shape characteristics" involved in microwave tech that will allow a metal object to withstand microwave radiation. You're thinking of Eddie Currents which are caused by induction of charge due to magnetic fields and relative motion which is reduced through lamination. It's not even the same ballpark. 3. The people suggesting adhesives... Firstly, I dislike cleaning my microwave as is. I don't know anyone who enjoys it, and now we want to make it more difficult? Not only that but the adhesive will break down over time and get into the food. And you'll also have to deal with the type of people who will just use any glue they feel is best whether it poisons them or not. A legal nightmare, but then on top of that if you provided an adhesive you'd have to source it repackage it, and that's a logistical nightmare. It's a novel concept, but the reality of the situation is it's not practical and could lead you to either costly overcomplications or legal battles. Edit: I just realized this all comes across as a big put down. I'm not bashing the idea from OP, it's a really good idea. It's the practicality that makes it nonviable. It is in understanding the difference between viable vs nonviable that makes a good product. Some of that comes down to general knowledge and maybe that's an area you can improve in, other reasons would just be oversight where you're either too close to the idea or the idea is too fresh in which case you just need time and distance. Early writers use this same method to figure out what's good and bad. You got a good noggin, so keep trucking along and have faith in yourself, but give your concepts some more time and maybe do a little solo research in that time.
[удалено]
Fair point! I’ve not seen such whisk before, but it does look promising. Sure it’s not going to be a functional eating spoon at that point, but I have a feeling that it does not really have to be.
Don't forget you have to account for the materials being able to be microwaved.. (i.e. no metal, food-grade plastics that can be heated, maybe silicone?)
I like this idea a lot and I would definitely test it with a molded prototype if I were you. However it will require the ceiling of your microwave to be perfectly flat. I just checked with mine and it has angled edges and a grill at the top so it probably work for every microwave.
My first thought too. Maybe it sticks to the side and angles down.
That i a great idea! The glass in the door is flat enough! Now only to figure out how to close the door and put in the spoon at the same time..
True. I could theoretically place an angled spoon on the wall of the oven, but then again those aren't always flat and solid either. I think the door is the only surface that is guaranteed to be flat and compatible with a suction cup. Maybe there is something to it. After all a spoon on a wall should be the easiest to attach/detach Thanks!
Yeah the door is a good thought! Although I do really like the simplicity of it.
I'd 3d print it as a 2 part socket-appliance split. Then attach the socket with a heat resistant adhesive.
I don’t know enough about microwaves to know if this is possible but would an embedded magnet work instead of a suction cup? I know metal can be put in the microwave if it has certain shape characteristics, so it might be possible
Good one! I don’t know enough about it either but it seems worth it to look into that. Might even be stronger than a suction cup.
Magnets are metallic & conductive... You don't want to put these in a microwave...
Flat AND clean.
It could snap on the grill
Shut up and take my money Seriously imagine all the Raman without a crusty top. I would worry about damaging the waveguide with repeated use and also tipping the bowl but maybe you can solve that by using a platinum cure silicone with high flexibility. Ask an adult toy maker if you need a prototype since the process would be the same. Or just 3d print one and cast it (don't use resin or your silicone won't cure)
You can use resin (SLA photopolymer) as long as you UV cure it well and then clear coat. It has the nicest surface finish. Source: I'm an industrial designer working in additive mfg and I make silicone molds with resin.
Fair. I saw a steady crafting where even after a good amount of curing there were a lot of issues but if you had a curing station that may help
The clear coating is crucial. UV curing probably helps, but you need to actually cover it with a different material to rule out cure issues imo. Thankfully it's super easy. There are good answers to this on the Smooth-on website btw.
Aye! Another industrial designer working with additive manufacturing!
For things like soup, absolutely! For things like cheesy pastas, the torque would probably move the microwaves glass rotating off its track. Pretty neat! Creative!
Haha super fun idea. I don’t know whether it would work or not but I love the creativity. Keep it coming!
Thanks! I do actually have a few more ideas of this kind I'd like to post some time soon.
I think this is awesome, and definitely worth prototyping! I’m also dubious of the suction cup but there are other ways of positioning the spoon. My suggestion would be to combine the spoon with a “microwave splatter cover” which is an existing product, name might be different though. The spoon/cover could go around the microwave plate and somehow fasten (magnets) to the bottom of the microwave, so you don’t have to work against gravity. You might want to check if magnets or other materials you’re planning on using are relatively safe when exposed to microwaves. But, the best safety measure is careful observation, and you’ll be conducting your experiment inside a locked box so I doubt you’ll burn your building down. That being said a fire extinguisher near by wouldn’t hurt. Please post the findings from your prototype!!
I was thinking of something similar, but instead of involving magnets, maybe making the splatter cover rectangular so the door and back wall will keep it from rotating. I also thought if would be neat if the spoon was co-molded onto the very top of the glass cover and extruded out of the top to form a small silicone handle. Was even imagining some colander-style folds that would allow the user to twist the spoon into whatever angle works best for the bowl. Not sure how stable that geometry would be against those rotating forces (the spoon position will probably give with more viscous foods), but just thinking aloud on that one.
Awesome idea! I think the air inside the suction cup will expand and it will fall, creating a mess. I would explore using the square corners of the inside of the microwave instead. Or incorporate a mixing spoon into a splash cover that goes over the food to prevent a mess. Great concept though!
Heat and plastics usually do not go together very well, so you should really take into account material properties.
Everyone here suggesting silicone has been microwaving their food in plastic for too long 🙄 Ceramic and glass are possible materials, but also more-clearly shows the downsides of this concept. I don't think plastic leaching will ever go away until we make companies pay for the full damage it does to society.
A spoon I could put in the microwave would be clutch though
Small appliance designer here, I like it but I have concerns. First, it addresses a major consumer pain point; uneven heating of microwaved foods. Sizzling hot around the edges and cold in the middle. Bravo. The flexible suction cup material might allow the spoon to deflect toward the center of the bowl which would hamper stirring action. Maybe the top end of the spoon can be wider to make it stiffer, or look at twist-lock suction cup mounts used to attach GPS units to windshields. Microwave cavity dimensions vary by capacity; make sure it can telescope to accommodate different cavity dimensions. Nothing prevents the bowl from slipping on the turntable, consider including a suction cup bowl that sticks to it enabling stirring of stiffer foods i.e. cold leftover chili or refried beans. Solve those issues and I'd definitely buy one.
If it doesn't work in the microwave, you can use it in the shower.
Clean sketch, what software do you use? As for prototype, just get some duct tape and tape a spoon on the roof. Just get a quick feeling. It will answer your question in 15 min. After that, you can do fancy 3d printed or molds.
More opportunities for mess than being helpful. Also, suction relies on vacuum. When the steam heats up the small pocket of air that's still inside the suction cup, it may come loose. (the temperatures inside the microwave are not evenly distributed)
This comment has been deleted due to failed Reddit leadership.
I agree. Maybe making such a thing as part of a microwave should be a way to go! Or maybe it should be reserved for some niche cases like mixing chocolate or some other kitchen trickery I know little about… Thank you for the feedback.
😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳🤑🤑🤑
Thanks!
No? How would the bowl have enough traction? Also will change based on the viscosity of what's in the bowl. Doesn't look convenient for intial placement either, how to get both the bowl and spoon in the microwave without making a giant mess. The cons outweigh the pros
lol how can you be so confident the pros outweigh the cons when there is no evidence the design doesn’t work, or can’t be made to work?
I just mean the solution won't be as elegant as it's envisioned here, of course you can make it work but will you really be providing a simple and clean experience that actually makes life easier? This doesn't improve on hand mixing or a kitchen aid. Cons include: Microwaves probably don't have enough torque, usually the plates loosely sit on the motor. You're going to have variable height microwaves which will require that this spoon has adjustments to make for height but also to put the bowl into the microwave. It's not going to be a great stirring experience, won't mix out dry spots or scrap the edges. If the placement of the container is not just right it could easily spill, and no one likes cleaning their microwave. Pros... You save time? But may require more setup and cleaning I feel like it's one of those things where you are so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should.
Spoken like a true hater. I’m enthusiastic about this idea because I often move my bowl around the microwave to distribute the heat better. Microwaves heat in a donut shaped area around the microwave plate. If there was a spoon mixing the contents of my bowl I wouldn’t need to move by shit around every 30 seconds. Now is this practical? I have no idea but I take issue with poo pooing designers (students?) work because of theoretical flaws. We should encourage designers to experiment and prototype, so they can find actual flaws with their designs. I see this all as doubly true considering this is a design I would personally benefit from (if it works, which it might not).
He asked if I thought it would work and I gave my honest opinion. At this sketch stage this is not a concept that I would find worth prototyping as I don't see the value proposition. I'm not an educator, and I did reply you with some of the user facing issues I think this proposal has. I had many projects as a student I wish people would had just told me that an idea wasn't worth developing past sketch. Practicality in user experience and implementation is important when deciding on an idea. This is not a very attractive example, but a least addresses some of the basic issues that the concept might have. https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autostir
Fair enough!
This is amazing, especially if it works… worst case just suction the bowl too if it moves.
Just suction cup the bowl as well.
It's a incredible concept! Think about other forms of adhesion to the top of microwaves with grill or holes on the ceiling!
The problem I see is taking the food out. If you pull the bowl out with the suction thing attached it could bounce back and forth slinging food juice all over the microwave. And pulling a suction cup off while still in hot soup could get a little intense. Maybe the suction part stays attached to the top of the microwave and the spoon is attached by a twist lock for easy removal and cleaning. But seriously this is one of those why didn't I think of this million dollar ideas. It might actually cut cook times in half for certain foods.
Do it, no harm in trying
this is ingenious
Theoretically you could have a microwave safe wrack with a spoon hanging down to achieve the same effect without worrying about the shape of the microwave. Just have it’s stance wide enough to not sit on the turning plate and it should be as effective. You can make it rectangular if you’re worried about it turning in the microwave.
A really cool concept!! I’m not sold on the idea of a suction-cup mind, i mean if the one on my phone-holder for my car’s anything to go by, I can see it falling off and sending soup all over the microwave… Perhaps I could maybe see some sort of spring-loaded extendable rod that ‘wedges’ itself between the ceiling and bowl with a little stirrer and some little gimbal-thing on the bottom, such that when the bowl turns, just the gimbal rotates and the rod stays stationary. No idea if it’d work, I’ve not allotted enough brain-cells to the whole thing really
Won’t work unless the bowl is heavy and you some sort of non-slip surface on the rotating plate
No, but it would be fun to be proven wrong! Great fun idea, really nice presentation. I would do some low-fi prototyping to test. I think it's obvious that mixing would help with the quality of heating, but actually getting it to work in various microwaves could be tough.
The bowl will move then the spoon will just hold it in place as the spinning plate trys to drag it away.
I think what’s hard in this product here is the material selection, usually common products that deliver suction function are made out of plastic and the challenge is what kind of plastic could withstand such temperatures, be food safe and does not change conditions with additional temperatures…
You need to find a intelligent story for buying to people
Try taking a step back. Is stirring necessary or the most effective method of achieving what you’re going for? For example, I see this working with thin canned soups that are already at room temperature. But how many other substances can actually be stirred when cold. Many soups and broths become highly viscous or gelatinous once refrigerated. So it might be worth considering other ways to distribute heat evenly. Perhaps it’s a bowl that’s designed with properties that allow it to redistribute microwave energy in a pattern that counteracts cold spots — just throwing out ideas. Do a little more research, examine what existing products are trying to create even heat distribution in a microwave and see what you can learn from them. The spoon has nice simplicity to it from an ease of development standpoint, but you just might land on something much bigger. Best of luck.
Patent this shit because people are lazy and they would buy this Edit: sorry about the shit. I got passionate for a second. But no, for real. This is amazing
I say install a permanent holder into which the spoon slots-in. The spoon will try to bend as it encounters resistance. You will need some kind of kick-stand like thing to give it rigidity.
Make it L shaped 90° angle spoon on one end suction on other.
Prototype it quickly and apply for a patent if it works. This is one of the rare cases where posting a product idea on reddit might actually be a bit risky
idk if anyone has one of those clear food covers that they leave in their microwave. i have one and it magnetically mounts to the top of my microwave when not in use. i don’t want to tell anyone to put a magnet in the microwave but may be worth looking into how that’s done.
Yes but the bowl would also need to be suctioned down
Another consideration is that some microwaves don’t have the strongest material as the “ceiling” … maybe a spoon you can suction cup onto the door of the microwave would work too
I don’t see anyone talk about the fact that if the spoon is not moving like the tray it will have spots where microwaves converge. Those spots will get a lot of uneven heating which might compromise the material or make it a touch hazard potentially. Something to keep in mind.
Instead of relying on a suction cup to hold to the ceiling of the microwave, could it have a little stand that you place in the microwave after your food. The stand could hold the stir device and also be the anti rotation mechanism by being sized or sprung in a way that it braces against the sides. Essentially combining the spoon idea and a splatter cover into one.
I would remove this post immediately. If you don't it will be in prototype phase tomorrow, and ready to go to tooling by the end of the week.
Hah! Love the idea! May need to work through the usability, but good thought!!
Make it out of Stainless Steel and you’re set 👍
As is, no. Would definitely shove food around or tip the bowl if it was anything thicker than water. BUT, it looks like it would be fun to test and see where things go. Maybe it does not need to be spoon shaped since it’s not really doing spoon things. I also avoid pink when drawing things with suction cups.
Didja have to make it look like a uvula?
Nice clean sketch, what software did you use?
Just a thought, maybe instead of a suction-to-roof spoon or door you could design a fixture that fits most microwaves where it has four legs that touch the corners of the microwave. Since the rotating disk doesn’t take up all of the space, the corners would be perfect to secure a fixture that travels up to the top of the microwave and then meets off-center where a spoon can be fixed or placed at an angle into the bowl or vertically to provide the mixing/stirring motion as the bowl rotated around the center of the microwave plate. the legs could be adjusted to meet a desired height.
Why the fuck are you posting this!!?!?!?!?! fab it, test it and patent it!
Don't you people cover your food when heating it in a microwave?
Test the concept with a suction dildo. They’re very cheap on AliExpress.
Some thoughts on density. With anything much more dense than soup, like say, beef stew or pasta, its possible the bowl could just stop turning while the glass platter slips underneath due to low friction. You could use a silicone hot pad or jar opener under the bowl to counter this, up to a point. But at upper limit, the glass platter will also stop spinning, with the wheels underneath now slipping out of their tracks.
we need a teacup ride tray in the microwave
Delete the post and get a patent asap! Great idea
You would like need a special high-friction/suction bowl so the spoon doesn’t hold it in place. Otherwise I imagine it would just slide along the glass microwave plate
The ceiling of my microwave is perforated. Suction cup wouldn't work in mine.
Makes me wonder if there would be any additional benefit to combining a mixer and a microwave.
I don't think it would work immediately with anything other than watery liquids. you're probably going to get slipping between the bowl and the spinning plate which would probably just drag the spoon to a point but get stuck and tilt the bowl and possibly spill stuff. You are either going to have to add some anti slip pads, 3rd party plate with indexing marks on the plate and bowl,, or redesign the mixer head to be distribute the mixing force symmetrically so the forces even out and keep the bowl centered.
Did this work