About this project
MIITO – the sustainable alternative to the electric kettle
€818,098
6,052
“One day of extra energy use [from overfilling electric kettles] is enough to light all the streetlights in England for a night.”
This quote by Leyla Acaroglu during her 2014 TED Talk inspired us as designers and innovators to rethink the electric kettle. Here at MIITO we love a good cup of tea, but let’s face it: traditional kettles are wasteful. In order to make a simple cup of tea, you end up overfilling the kettle. This wastes energy and water and also means you have to wait longer for it to heat up. We set out to change this by eliminating the electric kettle completely and replacing it with MIITO.
MIITO is a super adaptable device that can heat a variety of liquids directly in the vessel of your choice.
MIITO is the game changer that goes beyond your normal kettle needs. You only have to heat the amount of liquid you need using whatever vessel you prefer. And it heats more than just water – it can also heat milk, soup and even more.
MIITO's uncomplicated design works with cups, bowls, glass, teapots, and any other non-ferrous vessel. Simply fill the vessel of your choice with water, place it onto the induction base,immerse the heating rod in the liquid, and let the liquid boil.
Thanks to all the overwhelming support and feedback that we have received from people all around the world, we realized that MIITO answers an unfulfilled consumer need: We all want more sustainable solutions in our everyday lives. It is because of our supporter base that we are here today and that's why we want all of you to have exclusive access to the very first MIITOs. Our MIITO community includes parents wanting a simple safe way to heat up liquids without resorting to a microwave; design and tech lovers who enjoy the look and feel of a good device but don't want to be weighed down by too many appliances; professionals who want the same modern conveniences at their office or on the road as they have at home. While remaining truly innovative, MIITO is designed to feel familiar and reliable, something that hangs out in your kitchen without ever outliving its usefulness.
SIMPLICITY: Heat only the amount of liquid you need directly in the container you will use it in.
EASY TO USE: MIITO is fast and intuitive without any complicated settings or buttons. It's easy to set up and you can quickly learn how to use it.
VERSATILITY: MIITO doesn’t just heat water, it works with almost every liquid: e.g. coffee / soup / sauce. And it works with any vessel – you can use your favorite tea mug or kettle when you have guests.
EFFICIENCY: Only heating the amount you need saves time and energy! And it’s better for the environment!
PRACTICALITY: MIITO isn’t just beautiful. It’s also very clean since there is no limescale. Simply clean the rod with running water or in the dishwasher.
SAFETY: MIITO’s design is safe for children since the top of the base always stays cold.
The boiling time will vary depending on the vessel you use and the liquid you want to heat. The thicker your vessel is on the bottom, the longer it will take the liquid to boil. For this reason, we would not recommend using a footed kettle or cup. However, you can use any vessel made from non-ferrous materials, such as ceramics (including porcelain, earthenware and stoneware), glass and heat-resistant plastics. For a better idea of what vessels will work best, check out our rewards “MIITO Set” and MIITO Experience”. These two rewards include specially-selected vessels that we recommend for their excellent heat efficiency. (Please see the rewards section for more details.)
One of the things that makes MIITO so intuitive is its one button technology: a touch-sensor button. Simply touch the button and MIITO will enter Standby mode. MITTO will wake its smart sensors and check that the rod is placed in the vessel before starting the heating process. Once the water is boiled, MIITO will switch off automatically or simply press the button again at any time to switch MIITO off manually. MIITO won't be accidentally turned on or off and it won't keep heating your liquid after it reaches the boiling point!
MIITO started as a student project when Nils Chudy and Jasmina Grase were still at the Design Academy Eindhoven (NL).They continued working on it after graduation, eventually leading to them co-founding MIITO. The continuous amount of positive feedback MIITO received, along with a growing list of design and innovation awards and nominations, led Jasmina and Nils devote to start devoting all their time and energy to realizingMIITO. Going the independent route, they turned down offers from companies and advertisers and went straight from being new graduates to co-founders of their own company. In this way, they've managed to keep their original vision for MIITO alive. Earlier in 2015, Jasmina and Nils set up their base in Berlin and teamed up with engineer David Riding so that they could continue their MIITO journey. Before moving to Berlin with his family, David worked in Electric Engineering in England and later established a kitchen appliance company where he developed and distributed home appliances. young international creatives and expert partners, the MIITO team shares boundless energy and passion aimed at leaving their mark on this world through everyday innovative products.
Over a year ago MIITO started as a concept and now it has developed into a working prototype that heats a variety of liquids in different vessels. As you can imagine, we have already gone through multiple stages of development: our initial concept to create a device that heats liquids through induction; countless sketches and 3D designs to work out MIITO's design and technology; a MIITO proof was created to test our concept; then we developed our prototype to reproduce the actual technique and improve the electronics; and now as we prepare for mass production, we are in contact with possible manufacturers who can help us bring MIITO to life.
Of course we still have plenty of steps ahead of us before MIITO is ready for the mass market and that first step is crowdfunding. Once we meet our crowdfunding goal, we will have the means to further perfect MIITOs technology and choose the right materials for the mechanical design. We will also be able to run a test alpha series of MIITOs for initial manufacturing and certification purposes, and collaborate with a professional manufacturer to launch into full-scale production. And finally, we will be able to fulfill your pre-orders and reward your support!.
MIITO team includes our very own superheroes – our engineers – who have been responsible for developing the first prototype and making sure it meets the highest performance levels. As the development of MIITO has grown in the last year and a half, so has our confidence and belief that our final product is well on its way and can one day even surpass the traditional kettle.
It's supporters like you who have played such a vital role in getting us to where we are today. MIITO is a small product, but with your support we can make a big impact on the world around us and find more sustainable solutions for our everyday lifestyle. The MIITO way is the perfect alternative to how we traditionally heat liquids. Of course, making and delivering MIITO the right way will require substantial resources in order to meet all our hardware and design needs during manufacturing and distribution. As we gear up to start production, we want to make sure that the product we deliver isn't just 100% perfect, but 120%. That's how we see the world and that's how we designed MIITO. Come and join us for this next exciting step and see what we can build together.
We are offering shipment to EU countries and continental Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Gibraltar, Russia, Israel, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
MIITO Precise Is Now Unlocked – Check Out The New Precise Rewards!
Now you can upgrade to our MIITO Precise with built-in temperature control! This optional upgrade will bring more precise control to your MIITO – select the right temperature for green tea, milk and so much more! The MIITO Precise will include:
A smart rod with a built-in temperature sensor A base with a temperature-scale input based on capacitive touch and a built-in temperature display
More info about MIITO Precise: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/747044530/miito-the-sustainable-alternative-to-the-electric/posts/1250635
How to change your pledge: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/747044530/miito-the-sustainable-alternative-to-the-electric/posts/1250914
MIITO White is coming! Our first stretch goal is MIITO White – super sleek, beautiful and elegant! MIITO White has a softer look that will naturally blend into your warm surroundings at home, whether it's your bright kitchen, your cozy living room, or on your desk at work. It's a new way to still bring MIITO home without making your surroundings feel weighed down by even more hi-tech appliances.
More info in the updates: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/747044530/miito-the-sustainable-alternative-to-the-electric/posts/1245500
MIITO Precise will allow you to select the precise temperature you need when heating a liquid. Tea drinkers can choose a temperature between 60-80°C (140-176°F) based on whether they are making a delicate green tea or hearty black brew. Meanwhile, parents can simply lower the temperature to about 37°C (98.5°F) to make sure baby food is heated just right. The new temperature sensor will include:
- A built-in display that shows the final temperature
- A temperature-scale input based on capacitive touch
Simply raise or lower to the precise temperature with just the touch of a finger!
More info in the updates: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/747044530/miito-the-sustainable-alternative-to-the-electric/posts/1250635
MIITO Precise Is Now Unlocked – Check Out The New Precise Rewards!
Now you can upgrade to our MIITO Precise with built-in temperature control! This optional upgrade will bring more precise control to your MIITO – select the right temperature for green tea, milk and so much more! The MIITO Precise will include: • A new rod with a built-in temperature sensor • A base with a temperature-scale input based on capacitive touch and a built-in temperature display
To pledge for or upgrade to one of the new MIITO Precise rewards, follow the directions on our
Risks and challenges
CERTIFICATION:
Fortunately for the consumer, appliances used with food and beverages come with strict safety regulations. We don't try to pretend to be experts in this area. That's why we are partnering with an expert who can handle all the necessary steps required to get MIITO approved and certified for the consumer market.
DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING:
During pre-production, our prototypes are rigorously tested by our engineering and manufacturing experts in order to create an optimal final product. However, we are aware that our MIITO may face additional changes to meet manufacturing and certification requirements. In addition to keeping our supporters up to date, we will make sure any changes during manufacturing uphold our original design intentions and meet the greater interests of our supporters.
MASS PRODUCTION:
Manufacturing a product is complex and involves many people, parts and tools all dependent on each other to keep things running smoothly. If one thing doesn't go as planned, it can lead to any number of disruptions along the production line and result in delays. If anything does come up along the way, we promise to handle it like the pros we are and will keep our supporters informed of any changes.
WE BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
We have built up a strong network of experts in hardware engineering, tooling, manufacturing, distribution and certification. We are ready for any challenges that may pop up along the way. However, we realize creating an amazing hardware product is a highly complicated process. We promise our complete devotion to bringing MIITO into production and into our backers homes! Furthermore we promise complete transparency and we will communicate on a regular basis with our backers.
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Funding period
- (32 days)