Njori Dial

The Brief: Tactile Precision vs Touch Control

Njori launched with a mission to bring professional grade cooking precision to a portable format, making it accessible for the masses. For the Tempo, they envisioned a control interface that felt as high-end as the cooking technology it commanded.

The requirement was a dual purpose control dial:

• Precision Heat Control: The ability to “dial in” temperatures with degree level accuracy, providing a physical connection to the sensor data.
• System Navigation: A fluid, haptic method for navigating the cooker’s digital menus, replacing the laggy, frustrating experience of capacitive touch buttons.

Crucially, this interface had to be completely removable. The challenge was to create a dial that could be "snapped" onto a seamless ceramic glass surface for cooking, then popped off to leave a perfectly flat, easy-to-clean workspace. Taking inspiration from the magnetic interfaces of Miele’s flagship ranges, we set out to build a solution that combined the charm of analogue control with the power of digital sensing.

The Turnkey Approach: Solving the “System”

By handling the Mechanical, Electronic, and Firmware development under one roof, we were able to look past the surface level issues.

The initial magnetic only concept failed to provide the 240 distinct positions required for degree-level accuracy. During testing it suffered from lateral "slop" that frustrated the user experience. We therefore redesigned the fundamental interaction.

Our turnkey solution involved:

• Mechanical: A two-part housing and rotary encoder that provided a rock-solid physical axis, ensuring every "click" felt premium and intentional.
• Electronics: A novel wireless power and data bridge that eliminated the need for holes in the glass or internal batteries in the dial.
• Firmware: Custom debouncing and acceleration algorithms that made menu scrolling feel snappy and temperature selection feel granular and precise.

Outcome: A Proven, Protected Interface

The resulting dial became the "soul" of the Tempo, earning high praise in Wired UK’s Gear of the Year and becoming a primary selling point for the product.

Beyond the Kitchen, the novel technical architecture developed for this project was successfully patented, protecting the unique "through-barrier" data and power transmission method. While it defines the experience, we designed this system to be a versatile platform.

The underlying technology is inherently modular, offering a blueprint for any high performance application where a tactile, removable, and high precision interface is required through a sealed or sterile barrier. It is a testament to how a "user first" engineering approach can result in a valuable, licensable asset.

About Njori

Launched in 2018 by Embedism’s own Jack Raison and Nick Ormesmith, Njori was created to bring professional grade precision to the portable kitchen. The Tempo cooker allows home chefs to master complex techniques like sous-vide and deep frying with scientific accuracy, all in a beautiful, easily storable form factor.

Note: The wireless control technology featured in this study is a proprietary Embedism platform. We are open to discussing how this patented interface can be adapted for specialised applications in other sectors.