WaterBoiler
Intoku 2019
Intoku is our studio concept for a modular and minimal water heating system. Intoku (Japanese) means “good done in secret” and that’s exactly what it does.
We love coming up with new takes on everyday products. Intoku’s uncomplicated design works with cups, bowls, glasses, teapots, and any other non-metal vessel. Seamlessly integrated capacitive buttons let you set the precise temperature making it a perfect device for tea and coffee enthusiasts. Simply fill the vessel of your choice with water, immerse the heating rod in the liquid, and let it boil.
AnessentialappliancereinventedbyPONG
We decided to challenge the water kettle—probably one of the most established kitchen devices—because it’s usually overfilled and thereby wastes energy, it uses up a lot of space in constantly shrinking kitchens, and usually isn’t particularly beautiful.
Our modular approach allows heating just the right amount of liquid. Overfilling and wasting energy are things from the past. Since INTOKU can be stored in the vessel, it doesn’t occupy additional countertop space.
Technology-enabledaestheticsbythinkingoutsidethebox
The foundation of our design process was a thorough research and right away the concept of an immersion heater caught our attention. It has a minimal ecological footprint and can be used with all kinds of vessels. Only the aesthetics and usability lagged behind these functional advantages. It seemed to be the perfect item for a concept study.
Newaestheticsthroughnewmaterials
Since the actual core piece, the metal rod, looks pretty outdated we investigated new possibilities and found industrial standard tube ceramic heaters, produced by implementing unique ceramic lamination processes, like printing resistors on alumina sheet, and laminating and sintering them into one piece. From a technological perspective it offers significant advantages regarding its thermal performance and energy efficiency.
Furthermore, the application of ceramic enables totally new aesthetics. The result is a minimal design that’s still inspired by a typical vessel, while the ceramic rod becomes an eye-catching yet essential part of the system.
