This blog has seen me examine a range of products, themes and people in an attempt to develop my own thoughts about what great design is. However, sometimes when striving to shed light on a colossal topic, smaller examples are forgotten about. And in this case, it’s the humble spatula.
Cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery are often considered by product designers. Cooking and eating transcends cultures and borders, for thousands of years humans have centred their lives around it. Naturally, in a world full of designers and manufactures we know find ourselves with an abundance of utensils and gadgets to “make our lives easier” in the kitchen. However, amongst this clutter there are some definite glimpses of products I would call great. The best example of this is the silicon spatula. We’ve all been there, using a wooden spoon or a whisk to try and scrape the last of the pancake batter or the whipped cream out of the baking bowl. No matter how much you try there’s always those streaks left up the side ready to cement themselves to the bowl before you get round to cleaning up. Silicon allows the spatula to satisfyingly fit to the bowl’s curve and remove any and all residue. It elevates the basic wooden spoon that served us well for hundreds of years and just does the job it should, every time – isn’t that what great design should be?
To me, it defines how simple and minimal design can excel to create a genuinely useful product that is long lasting, easy to maintain and ultimately extremely desirable regardless of branding. In the consumer minefield we live in today it’s impossible to purchase anything without being aware of the brand and to some that matters. Kitchenware is an industry built on brand reputation and often that is used to justify price points. But, having experienced spatulas at a range of price points I can honestly say that the brand doesn’t matter. The product in itself, including the accepted shape and standard materials which are used by most manufactures, is great even at the lowest price points.
I concede, yes, at the top end there may be nice features such as Joseph Joseph’s Elevate Egg Spatula (RRP £10). The added rest prevents it dirtying the worksurface and the face’s shape is clearly a thoughtfulness decision to increase its performance in a range of scenarios, specifically cooking your preferred style of eggs. Or Le Creuset’s range of wooden handled silicon utensils. With RRP’s ranging from £15-£20 you expect and receive a quality product. The detailed handle, quality finishes and the brand’s reputation all justify the price. But if we compare these more expensive examples with cheap, basic alternatives the primary function that they aim to achieve is the same and the standard they complete it to is very similar. It just the simple joy of scraping out the bowl perfectly that just can’t be achieved with wooden or metal products.
Finally, I couldn’t write about the benefits of simple kitchenware design and how useful, practical design is without showing some examples of the vast range of kitchen gadgets on the market. Some of these are fantastically specific but, nonetheless, fun.
Credits:
Photos of Joseph Joseph and Le Creuset products taken from their own websites.
Gadget images taken from: https://www.bestproducts.com/eats/gadgets-cookware/g1764/cool-kitchen-gadgets/?slide=3