9.18.2007

CUP NOODLE 101





- 3 mins is the minimum time for cooking process
- too hot to hold cup in first 3 mins? (might be good for winter)
- Hotwater is essential
- User keeps stirring noodle : to make it warm, to get ingredint and seasoning
- Lid Problem 01 - it won't close because of paer material (stiffed)
- Lid Problem 02 - Paper is torn and left over on the lip (health concern?)
- Leaving noodle to long make noodle become too soaky.
- Folk can scratch the inside of cup as it is made of stryofoam.





















Aluminium lid VS Waxed Paper lid


Supermarket Investigation : price




1) Symbolic Quality
- Modern consumption habit
- Promote Convenience – 7/11 and 24 hours convenient store
- Speedy, unhealthy lifestyle – against ‘slow food movement’
- Young, cheap and energetic personality
- Modern Asian
- Fashion and trendy ( in Japan)

- Mass Production
- Wastefulness and excessive commercialisation

2) Product or Food?
- Cup Noodle falls in the gap between product (man made, artificial and mass produced) and food (naturalness, taste and sensation).
- The combination of instant food and self-cooking package has created a sense of an artifical product. Every parts of it has been carefully designed with out allowance for natural touch.
- The product has variety of flavours (still food), the consumer need is purely on the taste and sensation from product, how well the flavor is developed.
- Similar to idea of soft drinks or Energy bar

3) Luxury or Cheap food?
- Depending on the locations :

3.1 Home – Quality snack better than potato chips, semi-meal, cheap as a proper meal.
3.2 Convenience store – Perfect food for cold winter night, can eat on spot
3.3 Office – Quality and quantity snack
3.4 Outdoor (in far country) – Luxury Meal for those who cannot escape urban’s taste.

4) New Culture
- Instant noodle has a big contribution in the existence of new meal ‘Late night supper’ which considering as very unhealthy.
- Japanese Drunken businessman eat Cup Noodle at 7/11 (convienent store) on the way home.
- Big fans of Cup Noodle are designers, gamers and college students, it becomes a part of new Tech/Pop culture.