Meet Scott Heimendinger, the Seattle inventor who spent six years developing a $399 ultrasonic kitchen knife; what it does and how it works

Scott Heimendinger is the founder and CEO of Seattle Ultrasonics. He spent nearly six years developing the C-200, which is an eight-inch chef-knife that uses ultrasonic vibrations to help cut to food easily.

Who is Scott Heimendinger?

Scott Heimendinger is a Seattle-based inventor and culinary technologist. He is the founder and CEO of Seattle Ultrasonics. He developed the C-200, an eight-inch ultrasonic chef's knife designed to make cutting food easier and reduce the amount of force required.

The idea came after he watched engineering videos on YouTube and came across industrial ultrasonic food-cutting machines.


These machines could slice sticky foods, including cheesecake and mozzarella, without crushing them or allowing as much food to stick to the blade. Heimendinger wondered whether the technology could be miniaturised and incorporated into an everyday kitchen knife. He thought of it to be a six-month project but it took nearly six years because of the technical challenges involved.

Why was it a difficult task?

A kitchen knife has a long, thin and asymmetrical blade. This made it difficult to generate and direct ultrasonic vibrations effectively. The handle also restricts where the electronic components can be positioned. Heimendinger experimented with different shapes and settings and used thousands of computer simulations during development.

The progress came from testing prototypes and refining the design on his workbench. His aim was to develop a practical knife that combined the cutting performance of a traditional chef's knife with the advantages of ultrasonic technology.

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How does it work?

The C-200 is an eight-inch chef's knife that looks broadly similar to a conventional kitchen knife. The vibrations in it are too subtle to see and are designed to reduce friction between the blade and food.

The blade is made from Japanese AUS-10 stainless steel, constructed in three layers. Its blade measures 200mm and is designed for home cooks rather than exclusively for professional kitchens.

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Price and other features

The C-200 knife is priced at $399 in the US. A bundle with the company's wireless charging tile was listed at $499 on its official website.

The charging tile doubles as a storage mount and uses a battery-powered wireless charging system. The knife can also be charged using USB-C.

Seattle Ultrasonics says the ultrasonic function operates for more than 20 minutes of continuous use on a full charge. Actual kitchen use generally involves activating the function only while cutting.