Cinder Sensing Cooker
Intelligent Cooking With Countertop Convenience
2015 Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards — Product Design Finalist
Sophic Design partnered with Cinder to shape a new kind of countertop cooker. Through visual positioning, industrial design, functional refinement and CMF exploration, we balanced the durability expected of a kitchen appliance with the precision and clarity of a connected device.
Visual Positioning • Industrial Design • Product Integration • CMF
Cinder at a Glance
From Precision Cooking Technology To A Finished Kitchen Appliance
The Challenge
Make a connected precision cooker feel durable, familiar and practical in a working kitchen.
Sophic’s Work
Visual positioning, industrial design concept development, countertop-fit studies, control and functional refinement, and CMF exploration.
The Result
A production cooker with a substantial cooking body, clear physical controls and details designed around everyday use and cleaning.
The Opportunity
Bring Sous-Vide Precision To The Countertop
Cinder developed a dry cooking system that could control temperature precisely and finish food with a sear. The product opportunity was to make that technical leap feel simple at home.
Traditional Sous Vide Cooking Process
Bag & Seal • Water Bath • Transfer To Pan • Sear
Cinder Cooking Process
Place Food • Set The Result • Cook & Sear • Serve
The Assignment
Cinder Needed To Look Durable & Smart
The product combined controlled heating, sensing and connected interaction in a kitchen environment built for grease, heat and frequent cleaning.
Design Goal - Combine The Credibility Of An Appliance With The Intelligence Of A Connected Product.
Premium Kitchen Appliance
Robust Construction
Visible Mechanical Confidence
Easy Care
+
Connected Device
Precise Control
Clear Feedback
Refined Interaction
Visual Positioning
Overt Function & Implied Intelligence Met In One Form
The team analyzed cues from kitchen appliances and connected devices, then set a visual target: durable and smart.
Product Visual Messaging Objective - Durable & Smart
OVERT Functionality
Usability Reveals Itself Through Visual Cues
Body and hinge express strength, structure and reliable cooking performance.
IMPLIED Intelligence
Usability Reveals Itself Through Interaction
Knob and front panel draw attention to control, feedback and connected behavior.
Exploration Framework & Concept Inspiration
Six Visual Directions Tested The Balance. The round-one review compared Robust, Soft, Focused, Dynamic, Blended and Angular references, with three highlighted for further discussion.
Robust
Dynamic
Soft
Blended
Focused
Angular
PHOTO CREDITS - DeLonghi, Apple, Phil Wood & Company, Harman Kardon, Herman Miller, Bang & Olufsen, Creston Electronics, Jambox
Concept Development
Use Context & Strategic Concept Positioning
Use Considerations & Physical Context
The Lid Had To Open Under Upper Cabinets. Early volume studies showed that the original configurations collided with the cabinet. Pivot, wall and handle changes produced versions that cleared it.
Early Configuration - INTERFERENCE
Revised Configuration - CLEARANCE
Strategic Concept Ideation
Four concepts made the positioning tangible. Each direction changed the relationship between the main body, hinge, handle and control interface.
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
Concept 4
Concept Refinement
The Team Refined The Overall Height, Base, Control Knob & Handle
A subsequent volume study reduced the closed height from 6.87 inches to 5.12 inches while narrowing the width and depth.
Old Volume
New Volume
Form & Detail Refinement
Comparing components let the team preserve a coherent product stance while resolving touch points and visual weight. Selected elements became one direction. The final concept combined the selected base, knob and handle directions, resulting in smoother transitions, a lighter base and a more purposeful control area.
Base Form Refinement
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Control Knob Refinement
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Handle Form Refinement
Functional Integration
Product Details Supported The Way People Actually Cook
The sensing concept depended on reliable food contact, accessible controls and everyday cleanup.
COOKING PLATES • Support controlled heating and searing
FLOATING HINGE • Adapts to different food thicknesses
GREASE MANAGEMENT TRAY • Collects residue within the appliance
Everyday Use
Cleaning and grease flow shaped the architecture.
Plate release and a rear grease channel were developed as part of the product system, alongside the form and interface.
Physical Control
The front panel made intelligence visible through use. The recessed tool dish, rotary knob and light pipe focused attention on the main interaction area without a separate secondary display.
Tool Dish
A small landing area within the removable grease tray
Rotary Control
A physical touch point for direct adjustment.
Light Pipe
Illumination provides feedback at the knob.
Product Experience
The Cooking Journey Reduced Setup & Handoffs
Users could set a target, let Cinder control cooking and finish at higher heat for browning.
User Journey Steps
01
PLACE
Food goes directly onto the plate.
02
SELECT
Choose food and desired result.
Just place the food on the bottom cooking plate and choose from a variety of cooking presets based on protein or vegetable type, starting temperature, and desired end result.
03
COOK & HOLD
Control and hold at target temperature.
04
SEAR & SERVE
Finish for browning and flavor.
When ready to eat, turn the temperature up to “high” and sear the food to develop browning, texture and flavor.
Close the lid and track your cooking progress via the app.
Use-Case Illustration
Cinder Sensing Cooker product experience overview video
Color, Material & Finish
CMF Studies Explored How Premium Could Feel At Home
Sophic tested treatments beyond the silver production form, including warmth, color and contrast. Alternative finishes explored warmer and more expressive directions around the same product architecture.
Premium Color & Material Inspiration Images
Color, Finish & Material Exploration
Final Design
The Form Balanced Kitchen Familiarity With Technical Precision
The final design paired a substantial cooking body with a clear front control area, giving Cinder the durability of a kitchen appliance and the clarity of a connected device.
External Recognition
The Concept Attracted Design & Technology Attention
These are distinct forms of recognition for the product, the startup and its founders.
“It’s the Ferrari of George Foreman grills.”
“This smart countertop grill has all the chef skills you don’t”
“Cinder will slow-cook its way into your steak-loving heart”
Design Finalist
2015 Innovation by Design Awards, Product Design category. Joseph Morin credited among creators.
Startup Battlefield
Cinder competed at Disrupt SF in 2014 and received subsequent coverage.
Winter 2015 Cohort
Cinder joined Y Combinator’s Winter 2015 batch.