“Copperware” enhances eating experiences through the taste-altering properties of copper while challenging the Western stigma of eating with hands. Copper has a unique influence on taste, altering and enhancing perceived flavors in foods. This collection works at providing a different sensory experience through the use of copper. Alongside, they are designed with finger attachments and curves that fit directly in the palm, redefining the tactile experience of eating.
FALL 2023
RESEARCH & BACKGROUND
Copper & Food:
Copper is a material that alters perceived tastants and flavors, specifically augmenting the flavors of salt and sugar in foods and reacting poorly with acidic foods, creating a bitter taste.
Food marriages: when a particular material of spoon or cutlery is paired with a specific food or drink, where the material can impact the flavor.
Eating With Hands:
Eating food with hands can create a sense of connection and intimacy with the food you are eating, but there exists a cultural distance between Western and Eastern cultures surrounding the practice of eating with one’s hands.
Specifically in western cultures, there is a lot of the stigma surrounding eating with our hands that comes from misconceptions that this practice is unhygienic or lacking in manners.
IDEATION
My ideation explored different ways utensils could mimic or enhance the experience of eating with your hands.
PROTOTYPING
USER TESTING
I conducted user testing to gauge how people felt about the eating with copper utensils as well as their experiences interacting with my utensil prototypes.
Eating with Copper Insights:
Copper was unanimously preferred over the plastic spoon.
Flavor, weight, aesthetic
Three of four users tasted a difference between copper and plastic.
Were surprised that there was a difference
Utensil Prototypes Insights:
Users were more excited about the abstract forms of the utensils over the traditional forms.
When using them, the more abstract forms were not as intuitive.
I incorporated a hammered textured into my final forms to indicate where they are meant to be held.
FINAL MODELS
