Splatter Guard That Helps You Cook Smarter
I enjoy cooking for my family. From purchasing the ingredients and preparing the meal to organizing and placing the plates on the table. I watch them breath it in and tell me how good it looks. We begin eating and I listen for the mmmmm sound and when I hear it…happiness.
What I hate is the mess and I know I should embrace it and enjoy it equally, but don’t. I’m always wondering could I have prepared in less time and mess. I believe that using Frywall splatter guard will do both, and my stove will thank me for it.
The Frywall Splatter Guard is a silicone shield that rests on the inside rim of your pan. The sides protect your stove top against splattering oil and liquid, and keep food (like that huge pile of kale) from tumbling out. The broad open top lets steam escape and provides easy access to the cooking surface. Afterwards, just put it in the dishwasher and roll it up for storage. You’ll enjoy cooking more when the mess is less from using this splatter guard.
As I clean my stove top, I realize that most of the mess could be been prevented has I used some sort of splatter guard. I never thought much about it until I found the Frywall on Kickstarter. So I contacted Yair Reiner, the inventor and asked him the following questions:
How was the prototype process?
The very first prototype I improvised on the fly with store-bought aluminum foil. I was about to pan fry duck breast, but couldn’t bear thinking about the clean up awaiting me at the other end. So I fabricated something similar to the Frywall using aluminum foil.
In that first attempt, the proto- Frywall encircled the skillet on the outside. I was surprised by how well it worked, and started thinking about how it might be turned into a commercial product. I made several more prototypes with aluminum foil.
My big break-through came when I made my first silicone prototype using a two part paste bought over the internet. I shaped it using an improvised mold made of construction paper and plastic wrap. The result was hideously ugly and very heavy (I can send you photo), but it worked like a charm. The ultimate design of Frywall has changed very little since that prototype.
How was the patent process?
Frywall is currently patent pending. The patent process is costly and often frustrating. It’s very rare for a patent to get approved on the first shot. Typically one has to overcome some pushback from the patent office. Getting a patent often hinges on its differing from prior inventions and on being non-obvious. Both of these qualification are highly subjective. Still, I’m very hopeful that my patent application will be approved. The splatter problem has never been approached in quite this way.
How do you plan to market it?
Marketing can be the hardest part for a first time inventors like me. I’ve spent the last year working out the design, testing prototypes, finding a manufacturing partner, fine-tuning the packaging. It’s only now, as I’m about to hit the market, that I’ve turned to thinking in a focused way about marketing. I should have done so earlier. I’ve started a Kickstarter campaign, and that is helping to test out new approaches. I have a website. I’ve begun to promote my product through facebook and instagram. And I have a great on-line retailer lined up for a launch in the early fall, which will help spread the word. I am also working to get some press coverage and get Frywall into the hands of influential bloggers and chefs.
How did you did decide on a manufacturer?
I found manufacturing candidates by scouring the internet, Alibaba, and Global Source. I reached out to about a dozen companies before settling on one. The company that won out was the best in terms of communicating in a clear and timely way, and putting me in touch with the key decision maker in the company (the CEO), rather than having to work through layers of sales people. I got a very strong sense of the person I was working with, and that he was honest, reliable, and ready to work with me to overcome any challenges. Price was also a factor, but it was not the most important one.
What advice would you give to those interested in inventing?
Be prepared. Bringing a product to market is a marathon, and it will have many ups and downs. You will get encouragement along the way from family, friends, and even strangers, and that will be a huge source of support. But day in, day out, you will have to be your own cheerleader in chief, you own pick-me upper, your own biggest believer. Getting to market will also cost you more than you expect, even if you temporarily become a jack of all trades (web designer, photographer, copyrighter, publicist, gofer), as I have.
More Information
Click here to see Yari Reiner on the Today Show
and click here to visit Yari Reiner on Linkedin.
Click here to visit the Kickstarter Campaign page
and click here to learn about Yari Reiner Performance Profile on TipRanks.
Click here to visit Yari Reiner personal and here for the FryWall Business Facebook page
and click here to learn more about the FryWall patent.
Finally, click here to learn about the deal Yari Reiner made with Lori Greiner on Shark Tank.
For more information please visit www.frywall.com
