Background:
A substantial amount of food that is produced is wasted at the consumer (household) level.
Additionally, if you’re reading this text in English in the middle of the 21st century, it’s statistically likely that you, the reader, are not highly concerned with famine as a day-to-day hazard.
Proposal:
Ideally, we would like to both reduce food waste and gain an additional appreciation for the importance of “food security” (i.e., reliably having food).
Thus, the following form factor is proposed: a rice cooker that is styled to look like a stereotypical medieval treasure chest (Figure 1).
By subliminally reinforcing the idea that the contents are valuable, the treasure chest form factor may increase appreciation for food and reduce food waste. (More funding for studies will, naturally, be necessary in order to be certain.)
Conclusion & Future Work:
This idea is—unusually—neither obviously impractical nor obviously unsafe.
In addition to rice cookers, the proposed “pirate treasure chest” form factor would also work well for the following:
- Chest freezers (it’s even right there in the name, “chest” freezer!)
- Both full-size and mini-fridges
- The Instant Pot™ brand multicooker
- A sous vide enclosure
- A pressure cooker
- Perhaps many other options as well!
PROS: Increases day-to-day satisfaction of life, as one gets the recurring experience of opening a pirate treasure chest as part of a common routine.
CONS: None!
WorstPlans: updated every Monday since July 2014! 
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