Function

The William is the next evolutionary step in modern kitchen cooking — utilizing the full surface area potential of a stove-top. When pots and pans are placed on The William they are automatically detected by the Honeycombs that then produce a uniquely heated Signature with corresponding controls on a touch screen interface. Each Signature is defined by the active Honeycombs that fill the entire bottom surface of cookware to ensure a perfectly even heat distribution. New signatures are assigned a number and are visually represented in 2 areas of the Control Panel; the Visualizer and the Heat Controller. This allows the user to interact with, and control, each new Signature and access signature-specific information like temperature, time span, and weight. The user also has the option to set custom Auto functions. Of course, The William also has a clock, a timer, and beautifully displays date and time which are regular functions users expect from any stove-top.

Inspiration

The average, modern stove-top seems to have an obvious design flaw; Because they have just four or five burners — which only take up about 25% of the surface area — the rest of the stove-top is left inactive. That’s about 75% of the surface area going unused. I wanted to make use of as much surface area as possible while simultaneously making the cooking experience more robust and enjoyable. Also, with the advance of touch screen technology, I felt there could be a smarter approach to the way people interact with their stove-top — and make it easy, too.

Development

Using Custom Signature technology, The William is a built-in, flush-fitting electric stove-top. The glass-ceramic surface has over 1,500 individual Honeycombs which can recognize, and heat, up to 21 unique Signatures. Taking advantage of usable surface area, 85% of The William is solely dedicated to producing heat through its Honeycombs. The dynamic GUI of the touch screen then visually displays each new Signature giving the user unprecedented control at the tip of their finger. The William’s surface is completely smooth, scratch resistant, and easy to clean. Equipped with a child safety lock, active Signatures also automatically turn off when cookware is removed for more than 60 seconds as an added safety feature. The William is designed to be the same size as most other conventional stove-tops, and offers an intuitive user experience so consumers will instinctively know how to use it.