If you’re keeping score, humanity loses another few points today with the creation of the S’More To Love rack which manages to simplify a ‘cooking’ process already easy enough for monkeys and dolphins to follow. And if your kitchen isn’t already filled with enough unitasking contraptions, the S’More To Love will be a welcome addition, particularly if the act of heating a marshmallow, a piece of chocolate and graham crackers has you completely befuddled.
I’ll agree that starting a small camp fire in the kitchen sink just to make s’mores hasn’t always turned out the way I had hoped, but as an alternative the microwave does just as good job at heating the aforementioned ingredients without the risk of burning. Well, with less risk of burning. Of course as always I’ll leave it to you to decide if the $19.95 asking price is worth it, and it just might be if you think you’re as hopelessly inept as the actors appearing in this promotional video.
I’m a big fan of Quirky, and like that it gives amateur inventors the real opportunity to bring their creations to life. But at the same time it can be really frustrating to stumble across an innovative new product you really like, only to discover it’s a Quirky project still waiting for enough commitments to become a reality. Such is the case with the Ventu. It’s a combination serving/straining bowl that uses a unique pivoting armature to seal up a built-in colander once you’ve drained foods like freshly cooked pasta.
Made from brushed stainless steel with acacia wood handles the Ventu also looks as good as it functions, and the pivoting part can be removed for easy cleaning. At the moment it’s even on pre-sale for just $49.99, but unfortunately it’s only received 55 of the 1800 commitments needed for it to move into production, which could mean it’s going to be a long time before this sees the light of day.
I try not to lose too much sleep over it, but every once in a while the worry that my home will be invaded by a Roman fleet gets the best of me. I’m not proud of it, and I’ll admit there’s a chance I’m maybe being a little paranoid, but I just know the second I let my guard down- BAM!… Roman Centurions knocking on my door. Thankfully I’ll now be prepared though because some clever Greeks (I’m assuming, possibly even the direct descendants of Archimedes, even though their website’s in French) have created a portable solar death ray cleverly disguised as a solar oven.
The horribly named COOKUP200 can be assembled in as little as 10 minutes (I can probably get that down to 8 with years of practice) which should be enough time to get it set up and properly aimed if invading forces are spotted early enough. By default the parabolic mirrors are focused on the cooking plate so that the naive will think it’s designed for cooking, but I’m sure the focal point can be adjusted to cause one’s enemies some real discomfort. It even comes with its own carrying case making it easy to haul up on the roof giving you the high ground, and a built-in orientation sensor helps you properly align it towards the sun. The ~$700(€499.95) price tag does have me a little worried, but I guess you can’t put a price on your home’s safety.
Even though I have the opportunity to play with new high-techery week in and week out, it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate those simpler gadgets that have just as much potential for improving our lives. And I’ll be honest, I have just as much gadget lust for this brilliant Chopula spatula as I did for anything I saw at CES earlier this year.
The clever pun of a product name pretty much sums up the Chopula’s greatest strength, a unique head shape which allows you to use one edge to ‘chop’ food in the pan. It’s probably no match for meats or vegetables, but with eggs or other softer fare it saves you from having to reach into a hot pan with a dedicated cutting utensil. The head’s also made from flexible, premium-grade silicone with a multi-curved design making it easy to scrape every last bit from a pan. And if that wasn’t enough to sell you on its design, its even got a built-in kickstand which keeps the head off the counter when not in use. ~$15 from Dreamfarm.
Listen, I know in the morning there’s not always a lot of time to squeeze in a healthy breakfast. But if you absolutely have to have a cup of coffee to get you prepped and awake for work, just do yourself a favor and set your alarm back 10 minutes so you have enough time to brew a cup in the safety of your kitchen.
I mean it’s not that I think that this fine automobile-based appliance isn’t up to the job of boiling 20 ounces of water, soups or even re-heating meals. There’s just some weird nagging voice inside me that thinks that trying to boil a pot of water and mix up a cup of coffee while sitting behind the wheel of a car in traffic could be dangerous. Just maybe… $24.98 from TYNKE.
There are plenty of recipe or restaurant finding apps for smartphone-toting foodies, but iGrill is one of the first that can actually help when it comes to cooking. The free app connects to a Bluetooth-equipped temperature probe base station and allows you to monitor the temperature of something on the grill from up to 200 feet away.
The probe also works as a standalone temperature monitor, complete with an easy to clean touch interface, but the real fun comes when you use it in conjunction with the iPhone or iPad app. Not only does it let you monitor the temperature from afar, but it also provides intelligent cooking time estimates based on what type of meat you’re cooking, and how big the carcass is. The iGrill is available now for $99.99, with additional probes, which can be used simultaneously, costing $19.99 each.
How do you cook your meatballs? I bet you don’t cook them on a grill. If you do, then my hat is off to you for your dedication. For those who haven’t branched out to this form of meatball preparation, then I have a treat for you. Behold the wonder that is the Meatball Grill Basket.
All you need to do is plop your uncooked meatballs into this strange looking cooking accessory, then set it on your grill. Each side has a sort of mesh design, allowing the grease to drip away from the meatball, leaving you with only perfectly-rounded balls of deliciousness. They even thought to make the handle removeable so that you can close the lid to your grill. Genius. $50 certainly isn’t too much to pay for awesome grilled meatballs.
I’m not here to fuel the debate over what’s the superior dessert, cakes or pies, but let’s just say that pies have taken the lead in my books now that I can whip up a batch in just 8 minutes from the comfort of my office chair. Of course I’m sure the lameo instructions for this Personal Pie Maker will caution against using it anywhere except the kitchen, but that isn’t going to stop me!
It includes a pastry cutter for making the perfect sized pieces of dough to fit the 4-inch molds, and when you close the lid the edges of the pies are automatically crimped and sealed for you. No baking experience required! Their compact size also means the pies can be eaten by hand saving you the mess of having to juggle a plate and fork while trying to fill out your expense report. Available exclusively from Williams-Sonoma for $79.95.
If your dinner guests aren’t impressed with all the money you’ve spent on the gadgets in your kitchen, you can definitely wow them with what you’re serving instead thanks to these cans of Edible Bling Spray that will turn any food item gold or silver. Well, I guess you’re not going to be able to give drinks the Midas touch, or something with a runny sauce for that matter, but anything relatively solid should accept the spray well enough (glossy or waxy items will apparently need multiple coats) tricking your guests into believing you’re living the high life! Each can contains 100ml of the tasteless food coloring, and is available from Firebox for ~$40. (£24.99)
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By Andrew Liszewski
