Philip Starck: Hot Bertaa/Juicy Salif
I'm a fan of both the hot bertaa and juicy salif. I'm doing some research for my a-level exam (yes another student) but i can't seem to find information about the specific problems of either design. Even though i know both are pretty useless, i haven't had the opportunity to use either product (too expensive for me to buy!).

Therefore I would appreciate any experience on using these products and the problems with them, thanks!

form and function
why if these products dont function well do they retail for the prices they do? is it the deisgner tag? why do consumers buy designer products if they dont function well?

the hot bertta kettle doesn't pour well at all - try it

appreciate help
if any of you could send me any info on philippe starcks hot bertaa kettle or juicy salif i would be most grateful and repay you somehow.

does anyone know of such titles of these books, ive looked but i can't find any books which debate these products

Salif
Does any body know what 'Salif' means?

what is it about the design of the collindar that is so great?

its about 111 pounds.

£111 pounds for a colindar? thats abit excessive isnt it? what does it do, that is so much better?

So Chan, why did you buy the juicy Salif? Was it for the ownership of a designer product or as a piece of aesthetic sculpture?

I ADORE THE EFFECTS OF CITRIC ACID ON JUICY.IT POINTS UP THE FORM.

IS IT NOT NOW TEFLON COATED TO STOP THE CITRIC ACID ROTTING THE ALUMINIUM

Chemical reaction.
On the first squeezing of a citrus fruit, a chemical reaction occurs between the citrus-juice and the aluminium, making the juice of the first squeeze unusable. After which the Juicy Salif also loses it shine!

Its in the instuction booklet.
Azurechicken, I hate to correct you but you can find this information on the instruction booklet which accompies the Juicy Salif. And it has also been documented in a few texts.

juicy salif
I don't have the booklet to hand, but I've got a text in which it says '...they also tell us that upon first use, a chemical reaction takes place between the lemon-juice and the aluminium, rendering the first the squeezing redundant. Equally the metal discolours, losing its shine'. Taken from The Culture of Design by Guy Julier.

THANK YOU
I could not see any edible meat on the bones Pal posted.Pal was a major advocate for the barriers.Geritt you are fortunate to own a production problem Salif,so am I.

Documented evidence
Firstly I was only stating what I have read, which didn't state anything about the Juicy Salif blackening, just losing it shine, and if something is published by the manufacturing firm itself, you would think it would be an accurate description, which I still believe. And secondly, no I do not own a Juicy Salif nor would I want to, why would I buy a piece of design which has been documented not to work very well. I personally feel it has been so successful, in terms of number of units, for the status symbol which it has become?


The only logical reason I can think as to why your Salif hasn't faded is, that its true that they have now released a Teflon coated version, which I have only read on the forum so I couldn't be sure it a definite fact.

A "gag" gift of a toothbrush ...
A "gag" gift of a toothbrush usually is a polite way for the gift giver to imply that the recipient has bad breath. A Starck toothbrush must be as scarce as hens teeth.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN MEDIUM RARE.
Azure Chicken, In Texas, social standing must take on different meaning than here on Palm Beach. We don't give out gag gifts. We also don't eat much chicken. We have little understanding of insecure farm animals altogether. Peck Off.

.
Your quite the sophisticate,please realize the word gag has multiple meanings.But you missed that.

okay, i must admit, i also...
okay, i must admit, i also gave a starcktoothbrush as a gift to someone; NOT because she had bad teeth or so but because this was 'design', and we cannot always give some alessi stuff as a gift...

cont.
I also suspect that because of the success of the product, the production method has changed over time and with the speed of the casting process the alloy has changed to an alloy with a higher zinc content. So, member Gerrit and member Azurechicken, instead of having production failures you probably own a....new and improuved...version. As to the original question which is probably related to a product analysis exercise I would say the following: From a strictly functional point of view: Considering that the ease of squeezing is better served by stability and by a lower lever of the hand (highest pressure is reached at about hip-height) the height of the citrus should be as low as the principle of putting the juicer over the glass allows. Considering that in most cultures the glass used for juice is the so called: double old fashion and not the higher: high ball, the legs could have been shorter. The designer being french, he probably has taken the height of the french juice glass which is not very different from what we know as a white wine glass. He might also have used aesthetical considerations rather than functional ones to That glass is actually slightly higher than the high ball. From a functional point of view the user would be served better by having some anti slip ends on the three legs. Counters, especially melamine formaldehyde ones are known to be slippery and a lot of common kitchen products (Rosti's mixing bowl, Zyliss's kitchen scale, Goodgrips's salad spinner etc.) and kitchen appliances ( Hobart or Kitchenaid etc.) have anti-slip rings of pads. Most people enjoy juice without seeds, i.o.w. a shape that would have taken out the seeds would have been better from a functional point of view. Usually the squeezing part is slightly pointed. This feature has two functions, one being that it prevents you from sliding off the round top in the beginning of the movement, in other words it gives a natural axis to the turning movement. Secondly, it delays the squeezing until the top of the squeezer has penetrated deep enough into to fruit to direct the juices downward and not to the side. In some squeezers this point to has no ribs in order to enhance both additional functions. Last but not least: Unless the product has a typical, highly sculptural shape that would make it suitable for being on the kitchen counter all the time, one should take into consideration the space it takes in the kitchen drawer.
As to the use of material, I think that a properly anodized cast aluminum is the right material to use. This is in short what I would expect from a student doing a basic product analysis....good luck!

anti slip
and the juici salif got (the one i own) some anti slip at the end of the legs but they are so thiny that they aren't really useful; you got to hold the squeezer firmly with one hand while squeezing. The biggest problem are the seeds, but that depends on the oranges (thx to biogenetic designs -big etical discussion about that- there are oranges for sale with a minimum on seeds)

Natural selection
Gerrit, could the fact that some oranges now do come without seeds be a form of natural selection (in a Darwinian sense) due to the increasing numbers of Juicy Salif owners? Annette

.
With Koens return, my molting process is complete, my feathers have returned a deep azure.

quite enough, Annette
Do you guys eat that much toast?Thats boring,chattering on about toasters!Give it a rest!

why the Juicy Salif?
Getting back to the Juicy Salif, why did anyone who owns one, buy it? To squeeze lemons seems the simple answer, but as annette said whats wrong with the own glass version, which is approx twenty times cheaper than the Salif? consuming products is more than mere function i understand that but i'm curious to what drives a consumer to be attracted to a product like the juicy

Its all biological!
Excellent book 'Emontional Design' by D.A. Norman, in which he explains how aesthetics are visceral, and its biological for us to feel pleasure from appealing forms, so those of you who find the form of the Juicy Salif appealing(which personally i don't), its down the visceral level of the brain, but also how the visceral level reacts to the sound and feel of an object also. After all why shouldn't a product make us smile when we use it.

juicy salif makes a great world cup
THe reason why I bought the juicy salif (and it does squeeze quite well too) is for my beloved to pick it up and run around the room waving it in the air after beating me or anyone else at scrabble, monopoly, cards etc. It makes a great imitation world cup, and is regularly used (and kissed) as such.
Design is about communication at least as much as utility.

legal implications
I must remember to sue Philippe Starck if my other half ever does any damage in his jubilation!