The new Slow Juicer hd line by Hotpoint Ariston is composed by three essential elements: a polycarbonate worm screw of helical shape, a stainless steel micro-filter that separates the juice from the pulp and a polycarbonate spatula that conveys juice and pulp through two separate output channels.
Silvia Fissore
1 – IDEA
At the base of the new line there is the company’s idea of widening the sphere of action towards sectors related to the current one of the production of big household appliances and of seizing business opportunities in other markets where the company is not currently present. Nowadays the Kitchen&Beverage range includes digital kettles with differentiated temperatures, various digital toasters, the steam blender for the preparation of soups with steam cooking, the slow juicer for excellent blended foods, the water purifier and the kitchen machine, the multifunctional food processor, the hand blender and two models of coffee machines for the preparation of coffee with “hotpoint for illy” pods designed by the Angeletti Ruzza studio and by Up Design studio as completion of an all-Italian partnership on coffee. The Floor & Garment Care range, in its turn, includes irons with traditional boiler and a line of steam irons with performances equalling boiler irons’. The line is completed by tow-type vacuum cleaners, with the exclusive Trolley Power system with high suction power, and compact electric brooms. “In conceptual and aesthetical terms, HD Line products recall the same line of big appliances and their marketing concerns the markets of Italy, United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey and France “explains Dino Giubbilei, Food Division Business Development Manager of Indesit Company. “We have focused on the segments of Food&Beverage and of Floor&Garment Care since they are deemed more in tune with the design philosophy of Hotpoint-Ariston brand that is centred on house and housing”.
2 – CONCEPT DESIGN
The company’s research and development team has been requested to concentrate the efforts on the efficacy of the primary function of each single product, which in design jargon is defined “effectiveness”. Among the top products of the range for the food preparation there is the new centrifuge machine whose characteristic is to grant a low-speed squeezing process to preserve the nutritional properties of foods. The study for the design and the development of the line of small appliances HD LINE by Hotpoint-Ariston started two years ago. “The first step was just the choice of the Hotpoint-Ariston brand. The market surveys about the three corporate brands, in fact, have highlighted that it is the most adequate, since it is perceived by consumers as family brand and at the same time able to rank in the high-end segment of the market” explains Giubbilei. The company’s research and development team has been requested to concentrate the efforts on the efficacy of the primary function of each single product, that’s to say “effectiveness”, which is one of the key values of the brand, adds the manager. “In other words, each product category is expected to perform its primary function at best”. This “effectiveness” was to be coupled with a technologically convincing aesthetics. Therefore, while in the world of small appliances plastic is generally king, in the concept design of the HD line the steel used for the bearing structure of appliances becomes a real conceptual icon, besides representing a guarantee of functionality and reliability in time. “In particular – Giubbilei specifies- this material and the choice of some details, like for instance the knob, become the element of aesthetical and functional continuity with the line of big Hotpoint-Ariston appliances”.
3 – ENGINEERING
The challenge in implementing the new centrifuge machine was the design of a new squeezing system, Soft Squeeze Technology, based on a worm screw of helical shape that rotates on the motor axis. In that way it is possible to squeeze the pulp of fruits and vegetables without using knifes and at low speed (80 rpm), thus avoiding overheating and permitting to extract up to 30% of juice more than with conventional centrifuges. One of the top products of the Food&Beverage collection by Hotpoint-Ariston is undoubtedly the Slow Juicer. With this product Hotpoint-Ariston has chosen of controlling a market that is strongly connected with the wellbeing trend. “The juicer is a useful household appliance especially in controlled and corrects diets” adds Dino Giubbilei. “Also for this reason we have decided to present the product preview, on the occasion of Rimini Wellness, the traditional trade fair event concerning the wellbeing and sports world”. Traditional centrifuges exploit a technology affected by an essential limit: the presence of steel blades that turn at high speed and that therefore, while operating, heat the food causing its oxidation. For this reason Hotpoint-Ariston has staked on an appliance based on a new technology able to assure cold squeezing, absolutely necessary to respect the nutritional characteristics of foods. The Soft Squeeze Technology system, in fact, thanks to a process of accurate squeezing, uses an innovative blade-free system at low speed (80 rpm) that preserves the essential nutritional principles at best while extracting up to 30% of juice more than a standard squeezing. Besides, the juice obtained is perfectly homogeneous and without residues and preserves all essential nutritional principles. In the product engineering phase, the products featuring higher implementation complexity were those connected with the use safety and the motion synchrony. “The European Union, on the matter, imposes very severe regulations. In the specific case, the juicer must be provided with safety device that stops the accidental start of the motor if the cover is not correctly closed, yet. Besides, the hole to introduce the foods to be ground must not be too large and must have the right depth to prevent user’s hands from ever getting close to the screw”.
4 – MATERIALS AND PRODUCTION
The Slow Juicer by Hotpoint Ariston is composed by three essential elements: a polycarbonate worm screw with helical shape, a stainless steel micro-filter that separates the juice from the pulp and a polycarbonate spatula that conveys juice and pulp through two separate output channels. The machine is equipped with high-efficiency d.c. motor, which develops a power of 400 Watt. In the prototyping phase, they carried out the testing of each prototype and, besides the productive start, they preferred carrying out a field test on the preproduction. “The target was to have end-users’ opinion and assessment about the product effectiveness and the user friendliness and maintenance of the appliance itself “. The Slow Juicer by Hotpoint Ariston is composed by three essential elements: a polycarbonate worm screw with helical shape, a stainless steel micro-filter that separates the juice from the pulp and a spatula that conveys juice and pulp through two separate output channels and minimizes wastes. The machine is equipped with high-efficiency d.c. motor, which needs a power of 400 Watt only, permitting also an energy saving in comparison with standard centrifuges that need up to 1000 W. The juicer operates at a single speed, since the only requested function is just to centrifuge at constant speed and a relatively low revolution number (80 per minute), in order to preserve the nutritional qualities of foods.
5 – FINAL RESULT
The final design target was to obtain a user friendly juicer thanks to the easy assembly of the three bearing elements, making also cleaning operations quite immediate. It is sufficient, in fact, to pour some water while leaving the product switched on and most of the residues of fruits and vegetables slide away, permitting the immediate preparation of another juice. Also at the use end, cleaning operations are much simpler than with a conventional centrifuge: in few minutes, you can disassembly and rinse under running water the various components. The user has at disposal a very familiar use interface, that’s to say a knob designed for perfect touch and feel, mirroring Hotpoint style, which can be turned on three positions corresponding to as many functions: switching on, switching off and “reverse”. The latter option allows making centrifuge operations smoother in case the helical screw is hindered by the introduction of too big or too hard pieces.
SLOW JUICER BY HOTPOINT-ARISTON
- Maximum power 400 W
- Voltage 220-240 V
- Frequency 50/60 Hz
- DC motor
- 80rpm
- 2 years of warranty
- Soft Squeeze Technology
- Blade-free squeeze system
- Intact nutritional contents
- Reverse function
- Easily cleaned, mounted and dismounted
- Minimum dry fruit waste
- 1 litre waste container
- 1 litre juice container
- Safety system
- Recipes included
- Brushed AISI 304 stainless steel
- Sizes: (WxLxH) 15 x 24 x 49 cm
