Mon, Jan 31 2011
Quirky’s blowing up HSN’s YouTube channel with Click ‘n Cook and other awesome socially-developed products from the weekend’s premiere:
Quirky’s blowing up HSN’s YouTube channel with Click ‘n Cook and other awesome socially-developed products from the weekend’s premiere:
It’s a rough life here at Quirky. A surprise holiday gift arrived from Mister Fred Ende, ideator of the popular holiday gift, Click ‘n Cook.
We did our best to wait until the rest of the team was back in the office, but a week is a long time to wait for delicious cinnamon bun waffles and pancakes. So we busted out the office Click ‘n Cook to mix…
flip…
and serve!
Then there was nothing left to do but attack the mini-pancakes and waffles! Oh wait. Oh no. The waffles are attacking back… watch out, Marni!
Get outta here, Click ‘n Cook. You’ve got loving kitchens around the world that need you more than we do.
It’s official: the first units are out the door. Big ups to ideator Fred Ende on a fantastic product! Can’t wait to hear what y’all think.
We’re just about ready to ship out the Click ‘n Cook, but before we do, we wanted to catch you all up on one of our favorite ideator families: Fred, Laurie, and Baby Girl Ende.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m an eighth grade science teacher in Westchester County, New York. Along with my wife, daughter, and very child-like parrot, we live in Putnam County, which is about an hour north of New York City. We live in a beautiful townhome community which is the perfect size for a family of three (or three-and-a-half if you consider the parrot). We can’t wait to “trade up” to a house, but find we enjoy the perks of not having to shovel our walkways when the first snow arrives (which interestingly enough, was this morning 
). As for where I’m from, I grew up in a small town towards the center of New York’s Long Island.
2. When did you join Quirky?
I joined Quirky almost a year-and-a-half ago, in September of 2009.
3. How did you find out about us?
I first learned about Quirky after reading an article about the company in the New York Times magazine back in September of 2009. I checked out the site and was hooked right away. I loved getting involved in all the phases of product development and eventually pitched a luggage/travel idea of my own. While the idea wasn’t a hit with community members at the time, I found the feedback received enlightening, and had a feeling I would be submitting quite a few more ideas in the future. When my wife, Laurie, and I had a “kitchen mishap” a few months later (involving a spatula and a runaway omelet), we brainstormed the idea for a kitchen tool which had interchangeable heads, and friction pads to reduce slippage. The friction pads didn’t hold the interest of the community for long, but the interchangeable heads appeared to be a smash hit, and the basis for the Click ‘n Cook, the world’s coolest spatula, was born!
4. When and how did you think up the idea for this product?
It was during what would be considered a fairly normal breakfast. After the omelet cleanup, we started talking about ways to make a spatula better. We ended up focusing on three items: interchangeable heads, friction tabs, and a way to reduce drawer/counter clutter.
5. Had you tried to make this thing on your own already?
No. In fact, the concept had only occurred to me and Laurie a week before the idea was pitched. It was truly a thought that was “in development.”
6. What do you think of the final product?
I love it. I was truly excited to watch the evolution of the Click ‘n Cook from its starting design to its final version. It was great to see how testing influenced the final product and led to different base models. I also enjoyed seeing how community input on aspects such as the counter footprint played a role in the final design. To me, the Click ‘n Cook truly feels like a partnership between the Quirky staff and the community.
7. In your opinion, what is the most innovative product ever invented?
I can’t think of one, but I can think of three. I would say radio, television, and the personal computer. These items weren’t only inventions, they were game changers. They created new media that are not only still present today, but are constantly changing. Whereas many products are forced to fit the mold of society, these technologies forced society to change to fit their mold. Truly amazing.
8. What inspires you?
My biggest inspirations would be my wife and daughter. I do everything for them, and they provide me with all the motivation I’ll ever need.
9. What are some of your quirks?
Too many quirks to list, but here are my top four (I would have given top three, but four sounded “quirkier”): 1. I collect Spider-Man comics… yes, I’m going to see it on Broadway, 2. I only eat cereal if at least three varieties are mixed together… no exceptions 3. My wife and I name our pets after famous scientists (our misunderstood parrot is named “Einstein”), and 4. I’m one heck of a mean beatboxer.
10. What’s your favorite cereal? Deli meat?
Any and all (as long as they meet the qualifications set above). As for deli meat, I tend to be a spicy food type of guy, and since wings aren’t a deli meat, I’ll just go with Boar’s Head Buffalo Chicken.
11. Any parting words?
My sincerest gratitude to all the Quirky staff for helping to turn this idea (and many others) into a reality. I also have to give my thanks to all the community members for their constructive criticism, positive feedback, and desire to get the Click ‘n Cook to the shipping point (big thanks to Chad S., Jene H., and Eric R. for their awesome naming, tagline, and logo work). The Ende family couldn’t be happier!
The Quirky Kitchen is back in business. This time, we’re whipping up pancakes, burgers, pasta, and other forms of deliciousness to test out the brand new Click ‘n Cook.
If this picture doesn’t sell the product, we don’t know what will!
Ho, ho, ho! (Too early?)
We’re releasing limited quantities of FOUR brand new products, just in time for the holidays:
Order confirmation e-mails got sent out this afternoon. We’ll be fulfilling all commitments on a first-come, first-served basis, and supplies are limited… so don’t wait to complete your order if you’re hoping to receive one (or all) of these products by Christmas!
And this is just the beginning. Keep your eyes on your inboxes in the coming weeks as we continue to move products out of production and into your hands for the holidays.
Looks like Michael Taylor is determined to win a popularity contest, but not for himself! He’s been pushing hard to get the Click ‘n Cook into the top spot of a Best Gifts of 2010 online contest. Quite fitting that the contest is on a site called It’s Thoughtful because we certainly think Michael is.
Show your support, sign up and vote today!
The past three weeks…
Click n Cook is looking good, and it’s almost ready for production. The T1 samples of the five spatula head types looked great, and they even work with our 3D-printed handle! We are making some slight adjustments, like softening sharp edges and specifying a stiffer durometer for the mixing head. Overall, a very positive run. Check them out below (and please note that the colored tab is not shown in these images).
Over the past few weeks, we have also made several modifications to the CnC base and handle design, and our factory has nearly finished executing them.
Here’s the base in a historical context (final base design on bottom). Its evolution is a great example of how much designs can change in a short time span. Throughout its development, many factors dictated this product’s final form: improving visual aspects of design, modifying general ergonomics/usability, solidifying manufacturing feasibility, etc.
We received an updated quote for the final base design and confirmed with the factory that it is within our range. It is now time to move forward. Let the injection molding begin!!!
The next three weeks…
We are expecting T2 versions of the spatula heads next week, and we should see tooled T1 samples of the final base design and improved handle in mid-November. We will provide an update then, so stay tuned.
Since the last time we updated you on Click n Cook, we’ve made a lot of progress. First off, we redesigned the base to reduce unit cost after we realized that the previous base was almost as expensive to produce as the five tools put together! We are still waiting on an exact quote, but it looks like we have trimmed a lot of the fat out of the quote, and also ended up with a base design that is more effective, compact and elegant than the previous design. Here’s a rendered sneak peek:
The factory is working on final tweaks to the handle design before injection molding begins. This includes making sure the eject and lock mechanism is fully functional and that all the parts are easy to assemble when we go into full manufacturing.
Next steps:
- Get updated quote for base.
- Receive T1 samples of handle and spatula heads for review.
Check back in about three weeks for another update!
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