If you’re making drinks, guacamole, salad dressing, fresh fish or a number of other dishes, adding a bit of fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice can make all the difference. The Urchin lemon juicer will not only make that easier, but prettier. The sculptural kitchen tool adheres to “form follows function,” a design principle in which the form or expression of an object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose.
Urchin Lemon Juicer
There’s really only one citrus juicer out there that is considered a true design icon and that’s the stainless steel 1990 Juicy Salif by Philippe Starck for Alessi. It’s lovely, if you have room for a foot tall sculpture that looks like a spider in your kitchen. And then, of course, there are the heavy duty professional lemon presses that no one ever uses a second time. Now, there’s Urchin.
Urchin, designed by Brain Khouw of the Netherlands’ Studio Khouw, is a ceramic citrus juicer with a sophisticated, subtle yet striking look you needn’t hide in the cupboard. Urchin’s thoughtful design highlights the connection between user and tool going way back to prehistoric times when the sharp edges of flint used for cutting were also present at the part where the user holds the tool. This connection between function and tactility- as designer Brian puts it- was the inspiration for Urchin.
The bowl-shaped, neutrally colored Urchin was made using the technique of slip casting, then each piece is carefully modified by hand before being glazed and kiln-fired.
The sharp functional pattern, which resembles the exoskeleton of a seahorse, stretches over the curved section, beneath which Urchin can be comfortably supported by your hand.
Simply use your other hand to grind the lemon, lime or orange onto the top of Urchin. The juice will flow like a waterfall, neatly into the bowl. Very handy to have at the bar when mixing fresh cocktails.
With such appeal, Urchin had no trouble getting their funding via Kickstarter and is now available to purchase for $43.31 USD (price subject to change).