From initial spark to finished product, BALMUDA The Toaster was two decades in the making. Development began based on a certain idea, but took some surprising turns after chance discoveries. Below, I share some memories of the journey.
Gen Terao, CEO and Chief Designer, BALMUDA
From initial spark to finished product, BALMUDA The Toaster was two decades in the making. Development began based on a certain idea, but took some surprising turns after chance discoveries. Below, I share some memories of the journey.
When I was 17, I dropped out of high school to see the world. I spent a year tracing the Mediterranean coastline on my own, visiting Spain, Italy, Morocco, and other countries. It was an unforgettable adventure -- equal parts pleasurable, lonely, and stimulating.
I left Japan by plane, then traveled by train, bus, and foot to my first destination: the town of Ronda. Barely able to sleep from excitement and nerves, I arrived exhausted and famished. A delicious aroma on a street corner caught my attention and I eventually tracked it to a small local bakery.
Using my rudimentary Spanish, I managed to convince the baker to share some of his bread with me. As I took my first bite, tears welled in my eyes -- I felt tension, fatigue, hope, and uncertainty. The flavor and aroma of the bread seemed to break down a dam within me, letting all my emotions flow out. Even today, I still remember the fragrance and taste of that freshly baked bread.
When I was 17, I dropped out of high school to see the world. I spent a year tracing the Mediterranean coastline on my own, visiting Spain, Italy, Morocco, and other countries. It was an unforgettable adventure -- equal parts pleasurable, lonely, and stimulating.
I left Japan by plane, then traveled by train, bus, and foot to my first destination: the town of Ronda. Barely able to sleep from excitement and nerves, I arrived exhausted and famished. A delicious aroma on a street corner caught my attention and I eventually tracked it to a small local bakery.
Using my rudimentary Spanish, I managed to convince the baker to share some of his bread with me. As I took my first bite, tears welled in my eyes -- I felt tension, fatigue, hope, and uncertainty. The flavor and aroma of the bread seemed to break down a dam within me, letting all my emotions flow out. Even today, I still remember the fragrance and taste of that freshly baked bread.
May 2014. It was the day of our annual company barbecue, and unfortunately it was raining buckets since the early morning. We considered canceling the event, but we decided to go ahead with it anyway. If nothing else, we reasoned, it would be a memorable experience… and we were right! Although we all got soaked to the skin while eating, this happy accident ultimately provided the inspiration for BALMUDA the Toaster.
Our development team brought some bread along to grill with the meat. For some mysterious reason, the toast came out perfectly: crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. If we could reproduce this, we thought, BALMUDA could make a revolutionary toaster!
The following day, the team began experiments seeking to reproduce that perfect toast. Despite a full staff effort, success remained elusive. What was the secret ingredient? Was it the charcoal? The distance from the flame? The grill itself? As the process of trial and error went on, someone finally made a key observation: “Remember how rainy it was the day of the barbecue?” The answer was humidity.
May 2014. It was the day of our annual company barbecue, and unfortunately it was raining buckets since the early morning. We considered canceling the event, but we decided to go ahead with it anyway. If nothing else, we reasoned, it would be a memorable experience… and we were right! Although we all got soaked to the skin while eating, this happy accident ultimately provided the inspiration for BALMUDA the Toaster.
Our development team brought some bread along to grill with the meat. For some mysterious reason, the toast came out perfectly: crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. If we could reproduce this, we thought, BALMUDA could make a revolutionary toaster!
The following day, the team began experiments seeking to reproduce that perfect toast. Despite a full staff effort, success remained elusive. What was the secret ingredient? Was it the charcoal? The distance from the flame? The grill itself? As the process of trial and error went on, someone finally made a key observation: “Remember how rainy it was the day of the barbecue?” The answer was humidity.
A visit to a famous bakery in Tokyo provided a key moment in the research and development process for BALMUDA The Toaster. They were kind enough to allow our development team to visit before they opened and try some freshly baked bread. The team then enjoyed a tour of the kitchen where they found electric ovens with highly precise steam functionality. It was a startling discovery: truly remarkable bread could be baked using only the power of electricity and water. On this day, we became confident that we were on the right track.
A visit to a famous bakery in Tokyo provided a key moment in the research and development process for BALMUDA The Toaster. They were kind enough to allow our development team to visit before they opened and try some freshly baked bread. The team then enjoyed a tour of the kitchen where they found electric ovens with highly precise steam functionality. It was a startling discovery: truly remarkable bread could be baked using only the power of electricity and water. On this day, we became confident that we were on the right track.
As our engineering team worked on the basic prototype for BALMUDA The Toaster, our design team started to explore product renderings. The first stage was to ideate through free-form brainstorming.
The guiding question for the design of BALMUDA The Toaster was, “how should the toaster be designed to match the delicious food it creates?" A simply modern design would not be enough — the product needed to combine a feeling of nostalgia with uniqueness.
After reviewing proposals from countless candidates, a basic model was chosen. The design team then began working hand in hand with the technology teams on every little detail -- right down to the size and placement of individual screws.
By the time they were finished, the design team had created approximately two thousand sketches and renderings for BALMUDA The Toaster.
As our engineering team worked on the basic prototype for BALMUDA The Toaster, our design team started to explore product renderings. The first stage was to ideate through free-form brainstorming.
The guiding question for the design of BALMUDA The Toaster was, “how should the toaster be designed to match the delicious food it creates?" A simply modern design would not be enough — the product needed to combine a feeling of nostalgia with uniqueness.
After reviewing proposals from countless candidates, a basic model was chosen. The design team then began working hand in hand with the technology teams on every little detail -- right down to the size and placement of individual screws.
By the time they were finished, the design team had created approximately two thousand sketches and renderings for BALMUDA The Toaster.
Once the prototype reflecting the core design proposal was ready, the next step was refining the hardware. Even minor changes to minute details such as the size of the toasting area, the angle of the reflecting board, and the position of the heating tubes could significantly change how the toast came out.
Over a thousand hours of experimental toasting led us to develop a range of modes for different types of bread, optimizing each for the best results.
Once the prototype reflecting the core design proposal was ready, the next step was refining the hardware. Even minor changes to minute details such as the size of the toasting area, the angle of the reflecting board, and the position of the heating tubes could significantly change how the toast came out.
Over a thousand hours of experimental toasting led us to develop a range of modes for different types of bread, optimizing each for the best results.