Protected: Idealaqua+ The New Electronic Kitchen Mixer
QuadroDesign introduces a new electronic kitchen mixer that combines the familiarity of a traditional tap with the functions of a complete water appliance. Mechanical and electronic controls, six different purified water options and a pull-out hand shower with two separate water outlets come together in a single product, while the technology required for filtration, heating, cooling and carbonation remains concealed beneath the kitchen worktop.
A traditional, entirely mechanical control operates hot and cold mains water, preserving the direct and intuitive function of a conventional kitchen mixer. Alongside it, a second, electronic control is dedicated exclusively to purified water and gives access to six different options: boiling water at 110°C, cold water, chilled water, room-temperature water, lightly sparkling water and highly sparkling water.
Each function is associated with a specific colour. Red identifies boiling water, blue cold water, light blue chilled water, green room-temperature water, light purple lightly sparkling water and purple highly sparkling water. The LED therefore becomes part of the interface rather than a decorative feature: a simple visual code that makes each selection immediately recognisable before the water is dispensed.
Behind this apparently simple interaction lies the more complex part of the system. Installed beneath the sink, a dedicated technical box integrates the electronic controls and solenoid valves and connects to the boiler, chiller and water treatment system required to manage the different temperatures and levels of carbonation.
The electronic system also makes it possible to control and monitor the use of water beyond its simple dispensing. Individual portions can be preset to deliver a defined quantity of water, while an energy-saving function optimises consumption according to actual use. Water heating can be programmed by day and time, allowing the boiler to operate only when required, while the system keeps track of the total litres dispensed.
Filtration is monitored automatically, with an alarm indicating when the filter requires replacement, while an anti-flooding function provides an additional level of protection in the event of abnormal water flow. These functions turn the technical box into the less visible but essential part of the project: a system that manages water, energy and safety while keeping the interaction above the worktop deliberately simple. Technology and machinery are therefore removed from the worktop and contained within the technical space of the kitchen, leaving the tap as the single visible interface.
It is in the pull-out hand shower, however, that the two sides of the project come together. Rather than using separate outlets or an additional tap for purified water, QuadroDesign has developed a single pull-out terminal incorporating two physically separate water paths. Mains water, controlled mechanically, is delivered through the outer ring, while purified water in any of its selected variations is dispensed through the central outlet. The two types of water therefore remain separate throughout the system and up to the point of delivery, while sharing the same pull-out hand shower. This makes it possible to retain the freedom and practicality of an extractable kitchen spray while integrating the additional functions within the same object.
The project will be available in two configurations. The single-hole version art.386, concentrates the system into a compact installation, while the three-hole version art. 343.12.1000, separates the mixer, electronic control and water outlet, giving architects and designers greater freedom to position the individual elements on the kitchen worktop according to the layout of the sink and the surrounding space. The result sits somewhere between a tap and an appliance. Its increasing technological complexity is largely concealed beneath the worktop and inside the product itself, while what remains visible — and what the user continues to interact with — is an ordinary and immediately recognisable object.
