Rowenta’s Clever Kitchen Appliances

British designer Jasper Morrison has created three intensive functional appliances for the high-end German manufacturer. The toaster, which is so streamlined it’s visually silent, features a sensor that actually reads the color of the toast, and so if you set it for medium, your bread will come out the same golden shade, whether it’s stale challah or fresh rye. The coffee pot also keeps a lid on its special features—the filters, measuring spoon, water valve, measuring chart, and plastic instruction brochure all tuck neatly beneath a concealed cover on top of the machine.

But the most impressive technology is hidden in the tea kettle, specifically in its hollow handle. As water begins to boil, the steam rises and is forced into a valve at the top of the handle. As pressure builds, it travels down the handle and under the kettle, where it flips a switch that automatically turns the pot off.

* Rowenta Jasper Morrison won the 2004 ICFF Editors Award for Accessories