Appliance Idea

RobJones89

Hello we are a group of students attending Sweet Home High School in Amherst, New York. We are currently enrolled in a Project Lead the Way class called Engineering Design and Development. We are doing a project were we have to create a solution to a problem and work it all the way through.

Our idea was to make an kitchen appliance that will stir a variety of liquids and other food items. This device would not be a countertop device but would be under the counter, using magnets to stir the liquid in the container, which is what makes it different from current products. It will be flush with the countertop, so it is not protruding from it and getting in the way of limited kitchen space.

We are curious as to whether or not an idea like this has be produced before and if it has, was it successful.

Also would like to know if people are willing to spend money on the little extra convenience items when remodeling or first creating a kitchen.

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Rob Jones

Bradracer18

I don't know of any "kitchen" devices like this, however, there is a chemisty device which stirres(spelling?) by using a magnet. You set your beaker on top of the magnetic field, I'm assuming, and then throw the magnet in the solution.....it does a very good job, and you can adjust how fast you stir it too. Might be something to look into.

bill r

Hi Rob, Some of the circulator pumps sold for aquariums use magnetic coupling to drive the pump impeller. (This removes the requirement for shaft seals.) I'm thinking you might be able to jury-rig one of these devices to test your application.

Jeremy E

I'm with Bradracer. Go talk to your chem teacher. There's probably something in the lab you can check out.

tinner666

You're hitting near an idea I've OFTEN thought about. Why not a pot or pan that somehow continously stirs food so it CAN'T stick or burn to the bottom of the pot. When Making chili nor stew, some always burns unless you stir it constantly.
Just food for thought and maybe a doable idea for you fellows.

JamesNLA

I have seen (only once) a blender that was mounted under the countertop. Only the hex drive (little plastic thing) was visable and it was flush with the surface of the counter top. User takes their blender jar and sets it on there, pushes a multitude of buttons located nearby to activate the unit. This is similar, but in all reality is completely different to your idea. Doing your proposed idea, is very do-able. Take a look at how Mag Trains operate. It's really the same design. Magnets can be very powerful and a "green" way of doing things. Now, go study!!

Teetorbilt

Not to blow holes in your basic theory but it will take a lot of magnetic power to chop veggies.

You can also check out circulation pumps for marine A/C, many of them use a mag drive.

To chop veggies or make rumrunners, I'd use rare earth magnets placed in a circle as opposed the the usual N/S center drive concept. Available torque would be dependent on the strength of the magnets, number of the magnets and their distance from the center of rotation.

Keep us informed!

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

mdshunk

NuTone made that in the late 60's through the early 70's. It was a flop in major markets, and only saw use in high end homes. With the current neodymium magnets available, it's time for an update. Have at it! Small laboratory stirrers have been this way forever, so why not in the home?

Bring a product to market, and I'll buy 100. No kidding. I see this as a device that could be easily retro-fitted in existing counter surfaces.

Tscarborough

To chop vegetables, the magnetic force would have to be cyclical. That is, it would have turn off and on to drive the blades into the material as it spun it. Very doable.

WNYcarpenter

I have nothing much to add besides thanking NY school systems for encouraging our students......sadly, this ambitious poster will leave WNY soon after graduation. Good Luck Rob from your neighbor in Jamestown! Stick around, we need folks like you!.....

"Let's Go Buff-alo!!!!"

RobJones89

Thanks for all of your replies we really do appreciate it. We have already began to build the prototype and it is coming fairly well. We were never planning on chopping anything like vegetables, its primary use will be stirring liquids such as protein shakes and the like. Also we already have a magnetic laboratory stirrer that has been donated. What we need to find out is if there is a market out there for this, many replies have been very helpful with this. Since this product needs to be installed either in a new home or a renovated kitchen we need to estimate the cost of this. The unit would have to be installed under the counter and plugged in down there too, along with a place for the rheostat to control the speed of the unit.

This was a much greater turn out than I had expected, so thanks again.

Glasshousebltr

Hook it to the cold water line .......chill it ......have a dispenser lid for crap like powders ....tea or Kool aid for example .....that might be marketable to the fatter lazy-er population.

__________________
Bob

Same Old

Figure out a way to mount it under a gas burner. If you patent this idea I want .1% of gross.

bill r

Now we're cookin!

Glasshousebltr

Market it like "Maybe now the wife has more time for....... other things"

Sex sells man.

__________________
Bob

bill r

Hey Rob, How about a stovetop-capable cookpot that has automatic mag-driven stirring capability? This might be easier to get onto the market. Got to be fully washable and its gotta take the heat.

Jeremy E

Mounting it under the countertop will cost valuable cabinet space in your "limited kitchen space." If you can make it small enough to operate within the unusable space behind a lazy susan in a corner base cabinet, that might make it more marketable. I don't see a problem plugging it in below the counter (think disposal).