Choosing a Problem to Solve

 Problem Statement (Quick read):

Tortillas are commonly heated up on a traditional comal or a cast iron skillet. Though microwaving a tortilla is the fastest way to heat up tortillas, it is the least preferred method because it leaves the tortilla a bit gummy according to tortilla company, Old El Paso.( The Best Ways to Warm Up Tortillas from Old El Paso.) According to Ameriburn.org, there were 398,000 fire or burn related injuries in 2021 along with 252,000 injuries related to hot objects or substance (e.g. contact burn).”

We want to make something that prevents finger burns and flips the tortilla at the right time. It must flip a tortilla without human assistance, it must be easy to maintain and able to remove the tortilla without risking touching a hot surface.

Problem Statement:

According to ScienceDirect, approximately 120 million tortillas are consumed each year in America, making them the second most popular baked product after white bread. (Tortilla - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics). The popularity of the tortilla is rising globally,   it’s showing the most growth in popularity in the United States. The tortilla industry generates 25$ billion and is showing a 5% growth rate according to World-Grain.com (Tortilla popularity rising in the US | World Grain).  With this increase in popularity, a growing issue has presented itself, the risk of burns associated with heating tortillas. Heating tortillas traditionally has shown to be quite risky, typically involving heating one on a cast iron skillet or on a comal. Though it is possible and safer to heat tortillas in a microwave oven, this is the least preferred method because it can leave the tortilla tasting “a bit gummy” according to Old El Paso, a major tortilla company selling products around the globe. (The Best Ways to Warm Up Tortillas from Old El Paso) Additionally, according to Maggie Hennessey, a food and drink journalist with 15 years of expertise in cooking and baking, the best way to heat up store bought tortillas is to heat them in a cast iron skillet or comal. (foodandwine.com)  Moreover, a  study from the National Library of Medicine found that 25% of burn related injuries are cooking related. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8164180/) Our aim is to develop a device to safely heat tortillas to prevent the risk of burns whilst also maintaining the quality equivalent to heating them on a skillet or comal. We also want to make the solution durable and easy to maintain.