The Judges Awards

01.4 'Slowcooker' by Margriet Foolen for Royal VKB

In an era of fiscal frugality, a kitchen device championing the simplest route from fridge to oven to plate was bound to come top of our list. Royal VKB – a Dutch design firm with a flare for all things domestic – has recently launched the ‘Slowcooker'. Courtesy of designer Margriet Foolen, the cooker resembles a kitchen-bound flying saucer and has condensed slow cooking to its most stylish form yet. Somewhere between a Moroccan tagine and a typical Dutch stewing pot, with a pared-down, rustic aesthetic, the ‘Slowcooker' steams food slowly and evenly, avoiding drying, burning and sticking. Produced in porous terracotta, it absorbs and holds in moisture, ensuring an even spread of heat and eliminating the need for additional fats or oils. Its two interlocking bowls are ingeniously reversible, so when it's a meal for one, fresh ingredients go straight into the smaller base bowl, while for bigger parties the cooker can be flipped over and the larger bowl filled. Silicone rings top and bottom mean that the hot cooker can be placed directly onto the table.

Key features: A simple, reversible cooking pot; silicone pads mean it can be placed directly on the table
Material: Terracotta, silicone
Previous projects by designer: Various home utensils; has worked with Droog and Dutch interiors company Perlei
Based:Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands
Worth mentioning:The ‘Slowcooker' helps preserve flavours and vitamins

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www.royalvkb.com

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