LONDON — UK designers black + blum created a fun piece of cookware that combines two things that are related but are not often seen together. Their Hot Pot BBQ is a small charcoal grill. A tray for planting herbs can be slipped over the bbq when it’s not in use.
Rachel Oakley writes at Lost at E-minor:
Don’t think the herbs are just a decoy, either-they actually grow like regular herbs but only conceal the grill below. The plant pot has even got a heat insulated ceramic coating so coals stay piping hot and your food stays at the right temperature while cooking. The best part is that the Hot-Pot BBQ is small enough for terraces and balconies, so people who live in tight spaces can still enjoy a home cooked barbecued dinner!
We like how the combination is both appropriate and inappropriate. It’s appropriate because one’s herbs are onhand as they cook. It’s inappropriate because, well, fire and plants. Its two uses both compliment and oppose each other.
The bbq is no longer on black + blum’s page, which is too bad. We were wondering how the planter is separated from the rest of the grill. Most planters have a way to drain excess liquid into a catch tray at the bottom of the planter. Does the planter portion drain through the grill? That would be a little messy. It would be interesting to see how the design duo navigated problems like that one.
According to their biography, Dan Black and Martin Blum met while studying industrial design at Northumbria University. In 1998, not long after graduating, they formed black+blum. Although the company started as a consultancy, their passion lay in developing and selling their own designs and they launched their first range of lighting in 2000. The range quickly grew and they entered the homeware market in 2002.
What do you think of this design in contemporary ceramics? Let us know in the comments.
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