In the Netherlands, designer Kyran Knauf wants to introduce a truly alternative protein to people’s diets: crickets. He has created a small device that will allow people to breed and grow the bugs in their own kitchens. Dubbed Crikorama, the machine can accommodate 30 crickets at a time.
“I generally have two passions, which are food and well-designed products,” Knauf told Dezeen. “I was looking into the data of how we could feed ourselves more sustainably, regarding meat, especially. [Crikorama is] a bit of the ‘farm to fork’ idea where individuals buy or produce their food at home. And the reason why crickets is that they’re super efficient in transforming feed into protein.”
If a household swapped just one meat serving a week with crickets, it would save 104,000 liters of water and 200 square meters of land annually, Knauf added. The device is extra sustainable considering it is produced by 3D printing the bioplastic polylactic acid.
“The whole idea is that the machine is something fun to have at home,” said Knauf. “It’s a bit like those old espresso machines made of metal. They make a statement in the kitchen. If you love or hate coffee, they all look great.”
Crikorama is expected to be available in February and cost under $300.