OXO Spatula
Hsiao-Ching Chou
It's safe to say that most people have at least one OXO tool in the kitchen. I have many. The most interesting pieces I have are ones that are sold only in Japan. OXO believes in Universal Design and has studied how people use tools from peelers to brooms to garden shovels. What OXO discovered about Japanese cooks (the research applies to many if not most Asians) is that they hold their kitchen tools as if they were holding a pen -- versus the Western overhand grip. So, OXO designed cooking utensils to reflect the different grip and, because Asians tend to be smaller in stature, a more petite overall size. Brilliant!