Excellence in Product Design — Part 2

I’m a Product Manager. I enjoy learning about problems that need to be solved, and working closely with talented creators to build products that solve those problems in ways that really please the people who need the problems solved. Few things are more satisfying to me than hearing a customer tell someone else how much they love the product that I helped create.

A key part of my job is rigorous critique: looking at my product as if I were a hard-to-please customer (or a competitor), and noting ways the product could be better. That constant search for improvement drives progress, and results in products that deliver a joyful experience to customers. It also keeps me very attuned to the merits and flaws of products made by others, so when I come across products that I think are really well designed, there’s a good chance you’ll like them also.

In Part 1 of this series, I highlighted various tools that I store in my garage. In this article, I’ll focus on tools that I use in the kitchen.

Kitchenware Products That Exemplify Excellent Design

I’ve cooked almost every day for decades, and I’ve had the opportunity to try quite a few different tools. Here are some of my favorites:?

Frieling SwissGold KF300 1-Cup Coffee Brewer

For brewing just a cup or two of coffee, a plethora of options is available, including scaled-down automatic drip brewers (think Mr. Coffee), pour-over cone brewers, French presses, stovetop espresso brewers, and lately, capsule brewers like those from Keurig and Nestlé. Most of these can produce a pretty good cup of coffee, but they all have their drawbacks. Some are slow and inefficient, some are a hassle to clean, some require expensive pre-packaged consumables, and some generate a lot of trash beyond the biodegradable coffee grounds.

The best solution I’ve found for brewing just a cup or two of coffee is the Frieling SwissGold KF300. This simple device has 4 plastic parts: a filter cup whose bottom is a non-reactive gold-plated fine screen, a ring that stabilizes the filter cup when used on larger mugs, a perforated insert that fits into the cup and moderates the flow of water through the coffee grounds, and a lid that helps the liquid stay warm.

The KF300 brewer is compact, fast, easy, economical, and environmentally sensible. It works with any ground coffee I want to try. To brew a cup of coffee, I simply place ground coffee directly on the foil in the filter cup, drop in the perforated insert, affix the ring (if using a large mug), place the assembly on the mug, and pour in hot water. In 1-3 minutes, the coffee is ready to enjoy. Cleanup takes just a few seconds—it’s just a matter of rinsing out the used coffee grounds, which I spread around my plants.

(Once every month or two, when the filter drip rate starts getting slow due to coffee residue buildup, I use a toothbrush with a bit of lye or baking soda to clean the filter screen and perforated insert.)

A design aspect of the KF300 that I really appreciate is the way the 4 parts fit together. The ring provides a broad flange when affixed to the bottom of the filter cup, but it also fits snugly into the top of the perforated insert, whose diameter it matches exactly. When assembled this way, the brewer can be easily transported in luggage or a backpack without risk of breaking the ring. This, along with all the aforementioned features, makes the KF300 a perfect solution for preparing great coffee in the backcountry.

Unfortunately, the KF300 is not currently in production, but it’s worth trying to find a used one.

Ecko Flint Cooking Utensils

Beyond a set of pots and pans, some of the most essential kitchen tools are cooking utensils. Nowadays, it’s hard to find any as durable as those in the Ecko Flint line, which aren’t manufactured anymore, but can still be found at estate sales and on eBay. My mom cooked with a set of them for over 50 years, and I’ve used my set for over 30 so far. I’ve accumulated a set of backup pieces, in case I happen to damage one, and so that I have some extra pieces to give to deserving recipients.

The tools are made of high-grade stainless steel, and feature Bakelite handles that won’t melt if they get too close to a burner. A hole near the end of the handle makes them easy to hang on a rack for easy access. The shape of most of the tools suits my purposes well; the one exception is the masher, whose grid is a bit less effective and harder to clean than the serpentine type mashers I prefer.

The business end of most of the tools is made of stainless steel, which can damage the non-stick finish on many modern pans, so they shouldn’t be used on those. Some Flint spatulas and spoons made with nylon ends can be used on non-stick pans, but of course, the nylon is not nearly as durable as the stainless steel.

Immersion Blender

When my sister gave me one of these, I didn’t expect to use it much—it seemed like an unnecessary gadget. But I soon discovered how handy it is for so many tasks—beating eggs, whipping up a smoothie, mixing pancake or waffle batter, pureeing soup, and many more—and now it’s a tool I use almost every day. Compared to a traditional countertop blender, a countertop mixer, or hand-held mixer, an immersion blender is much faster to access, use, and clean. I now use it for most of my blending jobs, and use the other appliances only for big jobs like mixing cookie dough or blending large batches of salsa.

I’m not recommending a specific brand just yet; many are available, and I’ve only tried 2 models from Procter-Silex. They work fine, but I expect that I’ll find some other brands a bit better in terms of durability, balance, depth capability, mixing effectiveness, and other factors. But they’re pretty simple devices, so as long as you get a well-sealed one with 2 speeds and decent depth capability, you’re likely to be pretty happy with it.

GarlicEasy Garlic Press

I cook almost every evening, and many of the main dishes I make call for crushed garlic. I’ve tried many different garlic presses, and have been disappointed by most of them. It’s not easy to find one that’s easy to use, effective, and easy to clean, but the main attribute that’s missing from most is durability. After a year or two of use, most fail at the pivot point or start losing the plastic teeth that are designed to clean the grid holes.

I’ve now discovered a garlic press that I can heartily recommend. The sleek GarlicEasy press is made of durable stainless steel with a nice finish. Its 2 handles fit together easily and come apart readily, are comfortable to hold, and provide ample leverage for crushing large cloves. After crushing as much garlic as the dish needs (is there ever enough?), I simply separate the handles, use the top one to scrape out any garlic that’s left on the grid, and rinse under running water. A quick poke or two with a brush clears any remaining residue from the holes, then I simply toss the handles in the dish drainer to dry.

Unlike most garlic presses, which use a piece of perforated sheet metal for the grid, the GarlicEasy press has a heavy-duty integrated grid that’s machined into the handle, so it’s very sturdy and likely to last for decades. Though the GarlicEasy costs 2-3 times as much as other garlic presses, its durability and great performance make it well worth the investment.

Spar Cheese Plane

If you serve firm cheese on a regular basis, you really should have a cheese plane. This simple, easy-to-store device makes it easy to cut thin slices of uniform thickness, so you can get the maximum flavor from your cheese.

I’ve had Spar cheese planes for many years, and they have served me well. The stainless steel blade is easy to clean with a brush, and the hardwood handle stays looking good for years if you don’t run it through a dishwasher. You can adjust the slicing thickness by gently bending the tool at the slot.?is a great tool for getting the most en

ScrewPull Cork Puller

Any corkscrew can open a wine bottle, but none makes the process as easy and enjoyable as the ScrewPull. This well-made device has a simple clamp that holds the bottle neck, and a lever that drives the action. Flip the lever over the bottle, and it drives a strong, thin, Teflon-coated?screw into the cork; flip the lever back, and it pulls the cork out easily. But through a bit of clever engineering, when you cycle the lever a second time, the cork is removed from the screw, and you’re ready to open the next bottle. If you ever need to open multiple bottles of wine at an event, this is the tool for the job, but it’s fun to use even if you’re only opening a single bottle.

Everything about the ScrewPull conveys an impression of quality—the industrial design, the finish of the metal, the feel of the action, the solid click as the device switches modes. It’s a great gift for any wine enthusiast.

Pillivuyt Fat Separator

If you cook meat or poultry, you’ll often end up with a need to skim fat off of liquid, whether you’re planning to make gravy or simply remove excess fat from the dish. The Pillivuyt ceramic fat separator is an excellent tool for the job. It has two spouts, one that pours from the bottom of the vessel, and the other from the top.

To separate the fat, you simply ladle in the broth (I do it through a fine sieve to remove any particles), then pour off the aqueous liquid from the spout that’s connected to the bottom of the separator. You can top up with more broth and repeat until the fat accounts for 20-50% of the volume, then pour the fat off through the upper spout. In just a few minutes, you’ve got lean broth and separated fat.

I’ve seen fat separators made out of plastic, but those will certainly be much harder to clean because of the affinity fats have for plastic. The ceramic Pillivuyt fat separator is easily cleaned with hot water and detergent, and is dishwasher safe.

What All These Products Have In Common

These kitchen tools are designed for a variety of different purposes, but they all excel at what they’re designed to do, and are a pleasure to use. Cheap alternatives are available for all of them, but unless you’re only ever going to use the tool just a few times, you’re better off investing more in a tool that will work much better and last much longer.

Watch for additional articles in this series.

Jim Schibler leads product management teams that deliver software experiences customers love, and he coaches professionals on job search and career management. He writes on a broad range of topics; see more of his articles at his website.

Images are from websites of manufacturers or resellers.

Copyright ? 2022 Jim Schibler — All rights reserved