Slow Control smart fork Review

June 16, 2021

There are innovations which may seem fanciful at first glance, and which reveal unsuspected potential from their first use (as such, a top of the best kitchen innovations !). Let’s see if this is the case with Slow Control smart fork , for which we gave free rein to our curiosity …

Filling is not nourishing!

It goes without saying that good health depends on what you ingest; the invention of smart cutlery (or “smart health connected fork” for previous versions) has the virtue of questioning us on how we ingest it. Education always lets bad habits slip away: “Hurry up and finish your plate…”, “Fill your fork while you chew, it will go faster! Are phrases that have led some of us to eat quickly. However, it is widely shown that eating slowly promotes chewing and salivation, otherwise the digestion process will be poorly engaged, which can lead to harmful effects on the body. Indeed, how can the body sort nutrients and wastes out of poorly broken down food? To binge, it is thus to eat less well to poison oneself a little better.

Smart fork smart health connected to the brain

We don’t lose our bad habits: we create better ones instead. However, reconditioning your brain does not happen overnight. As in music, it is necessary to rehearse for a long time until an automatism is obtained, and the will is not always enough to achieve it. Cutlery from the French brand Slow Control has been designed to facilitate this transition, and increase the chances of having conclusive results. The principle is simple: a fork / spoon equipped with an LED and sensors, programmed to vibrate as soon as it meets your mouth at too high a frequency. Here is an overview of this nutritional rehabilitation tutor.

Slow Control premium pack product sheet

  • Smart fork (= fork head + stainless steel handle + electronic key + fitted battery)

  • Assorted isolated knife

  • Smart spoon (= spoon head + stainless steel handle + electronic key + fitted battery)

  • Fabric transport pouch

  • User manual

Unboxing of Slow Control smart fork

First of all, it should be noted that delivering Slow Control cutlery with their transport pouch is an idea that fits perfectly with the concept. Being able to take them everywhere is still a sine qua non to complete the experience.. It is therefore a real comfort not to have to look for a way to protect them.

The design is sober: by default, the electronic key is black, but you can order it in white or taupe. The handle and the head of each cutlery come apart quite easily, as long as you pull on it with a good grip. This operation is used for washing: only the head of cutlery is dishwasher safe. This slight inconvenience is justified by the presence of the electronic system, powered by a battery already included. A small button with an LED is located at the lower end of the two keys. It has three functions:

  • light the cutlery (that only turn off after three minutes of inactivity)

  • indicate when to enjoy the next bite (signal green : permission to enter the mouth, signal red: patience, chew!)

  • adjust the latency time between two forks and activate / deactivate visual signal to rely only on vibrations (if you like to play in hard mode)

Use and impressions of smart fork

Manual

It is better to start by reading the instructions carefully, or it will take a little time to familiarize yourself with the product, although its operation seems simple. The guide is very comprehensive, with colors, typography and diagrams making it easy to read. Its three sections entitled “My Body”, “My Program” and “My Fork” contain useful information to better understand this new way of eating. But let’s practice!

Slow Control smart cutlery review and review

How much does a smart fork cost?

The Slow Control store offers three packs:

  • “Discovery” at $ 39.99: knife + fork

  • “More Discovery” at $ 45.99: knife + fork + spoon head

  • “Premium” at $ 69.99: the three whole place settings + a pouch

  • Bonus: the electronic key (26 $), the whole spoon (35 $) and the pouch (4 $) can be sold separately.

First approach and characteristics

Being the stereotype of the fast eater, I was the perfect guinea pig. At first, I watched the led a lot, for fear of being reprimanded by my fork. Very quickly, you get used to this presence which might seem intrusive at first glance: the vibration is neither painful nor noisy. On the other hand it may seem unfair in case of false detection, which is very likely to happen at least once. Indeed, you will feel a vibration if your utensil comes into direct or indirect contact with your second hand, when you :

  • touch the tines of the fork with a piece of bread (the one you use to push your food)

  • hold your plate, bowl or other container and that it is not insulated (happens to me quite often)

  • use another knife than the one in the pack

Does it work ?

I could have swallowed my food as fast as usual just waiting for the green signal to repeat the operation. In place, I started chewing longer. That’s not all: now I put my fork / spoon after each bite, and I focus on the inside of my mouth. From gourmet, we go to gourmet! Better: when I don’t need cutlery, I spontaneously slow down. Me who finished a plate in five minutes flat, I tripled the average time of my meals, with a feeling of complete satiety! One could object that it would be enough to count in his head or to put down his cutlery between two bites, even if they are banal. The first option is too tedious and you might give up. The second is precisely a reflex to which you are accustomed to the intelligent Slow Control cutlery.

Areas for improvement

  • He becomes frustrating eating yogurt or compotes, which require less chewing and that we often swallow at the first second. From then on, the 9 seconds of patience increase suddenly …

  • Personally, I fall on many uninsulated containers, which make the fork / spoon react as soon as I grab them with my other hand (plates, pots, etc.).

  • For some foods,the dimensions of the cutlery allow only small bites (for peas for example). We would really like to supplement with another component of the plate, but that would be exposing ourselves to the small Pavlovian sanction …

Medium / long term use

The cutlery is designed to be relatively discreet. Even the vibration is not heard very much. However, if you were to talk about your approach, it’s an opportunity to discuss important values ​​together. It is true that food is a sensitive subject, but without playing the lesson-giver, you can make yourself the ambassador of a new way of life to be built as a smart health connected man!

Your questions about Slow Control smart fork

What is the autonomy of smart fork?

About 3 months, at the rate of two meals per day. A fork / spoon is equipped with an AAAA battery, which is available on the Slow Control website and in supermarkets.

How to choose the alarm rhythm?

By default, the alarm is set for ten seconds. It is already a great base for anyone who wants to improve their way of eating.

If you are a compulsive fast eater, you can easily start with set your fork / spoon to 5 seconds, then increase the deadlines as the weeks go by.

If you have become comfortable with 10 seconds you can go further, and push to 15, 20 or 30 seconds. You will chew all the more and deepen your relationship with food.

With the vibrations, I’m afraid for my teeth!

Do not panic : the vibration is light, it is localized in the handle and is triggered one second after contact, by the time your fork has certainly already left your mouth.

Can my children use smart fork?

Yes, from six years old. They are often amused by the led system, and lend themselves to the game more seriously even than adults! In short, a good way to learn something together.

Can I use my Slow Control fork occasionally?

Certainly ! Each meal eaten slowly will be a plus for your good habits and your health.