By David Ponce

Few things compare to the joy of eating pancakes with flowing rivers of silky sweet syrup. Little did we realize the experience could actually be enhanced through the clever design of a plate made specially for the task.

After a lifelong love affair with breakfast, [product designer John Wye] pin-pointed the crux of satisfaction: syrup. Designed with a raised edge that gently slopes the plate toward the diner and an ingenious reservoir for pooling loose syrup, this plate was made for slicing, dipping and delighting in each bite of pancake goodness.

A set of two will unfortunately cost $45 (steep price for a dollarstore shopper…) but sadly they are backordered until January 27th.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]

Instead of mocking the ridiculousness of a company that sells $12 colored pillows designed to prevent a boiled egg from rolling off a table. I’ve realized I should be commending the company for successfully selling $12 colored pillows whose sole purpose is to prevent a boiled egg from rolling off a table. So congratulations to you Vacu Vin. You saw what Apple did with their stupid iPod Socks and realized you could also make money by slapping some stylish pastel colors on a product no one really needs.

[ Vacu Vin Egg Pillows ] VIA [ Motley Food & 7Gadgets ]

You never have to be ashamed of your dirty kitchen tea towels again with these artistically inspired alternatives from World Wide Fred, available sometime this Fall. They come in a pack of 3 and each towel features a paint-by-number stenciled still life or landscape painting. But instead of paint, you’re supposed to stain the towel with various foodstuffs. On each towel there’s a legend letting you know which food each number refers to, from blueberry jam to lemon meringue to pestos and wines. And like any paint-by-number canvas, you’re of course free to experiment and paint as you wish. But if the results don’t turn out ‘van Gogh’ enough for you, you can try again next week after they come out of the wash.

[ Stain By Number Tea Towels ]

Once again it’s the simplest of gadgets that seem like they could completely change your life. Well, maybe that’s getting a bit carried away. But I still think the Link, created by Konstantin Slawinski of Hannover, Germany-based studio dreimann, is brilliantly clever. It’s a moulded piece of soft silicone with a couple of X-shaped slots that let you insert any two kitchen utensils, turning them into a pair of tongs. Genius! So instead of having to buy the right tool for the job, which may end up buried in a drawer most of the time, you can simply build one yourself from what you already have on hand. So if anyone has any idea where this can be purchased, we’re all ears.

[ Link ] VIA [ BLTD ]

In addition to drawers full of random utensils in my kitchen, as a gadget writer I also have drawers full of random chargers, cables, adapters and other contraptions I use regularly enough that I’m hesitant to throw them out. I also happen to be the type who likes his crap fairly well organized, so Keith Neilson’s DrawerDecor organization system immediately caught my eye.

Its real beauty is how modular and easy to configure it is. You start off with a ‘BaseMat’ made of sticky food-grade silicone that you trim to fit the bottom of the drawer, or even places like toolboxes and cupboards. By itself it ensures anything you place on it won’t slide around as it’s opened or closed. But the system is taken one step further with the included ‘Divitz’ dividers which stick to the BaseMat creating an infinite number of custom-sized slots for even the most irregularly shaped item. (It should definitely keep my N-Gage in place.) A 16-piece set in red, blue, orange, purple or lime runs $24.95, while a “Mix n’ Match” 3-pack is $74.85, or exactly the same price as 3 regular sets.

[ DrawerDecor ] VIA [ Better Living Through Design ]

Novelty items and sharp kitchen knives probably shouldn’t go hand in hand, but we can’t help but be enamored by this clever sharpener that’s designed to look like you’re about to saw a woman in half. The magic trick might be old hat and pretty uninspired when compared to today’s magicians and their ‘mind-freaking’ illusions, but anyone with even a passing knowledge of Harry Houdini and magicians of yesteryear should appreciate its novelty. And if you’re wondering how the knife goes from dull to sharp after being dragged through the device, I’m afraid the explanation is just good old fashioned magic. (And possibly a ceramic sharpening stone.) $11.95 available from the NeatoShop.

[ Sharp Act Knife Sharpener ] VIA [ Fancy ]

While not particularly new, yesterday’s 100+ degree day (where I live at least) has gotten us thinking about ways to beat the heat. And Electrolux’s Powermix Silent blender will not only come in handy for mixing up smoothies and other frozen drinks, but it also does it in a way that’s 10X quieter than your standard blender. Now referring to it as ‘Silent’ is a bit of a stretch since it still produced about 80dB of noise, similar to being inside a car at 50MPH. Compared to 90-95dB of a regular blender which is more like the roar of a motorcycle.

The quieter performance is thanks to the blender’s patented ‘Sound Reduction System’ which incorporates reduced vibrations and better airflow around the motor. But as far as blending goes, it also apparently improves on older models there too with a triangular jug design which better creates a vortex effect, pulling materials down to the blades. Unfortunately though, like a lot of products under the Electrolux brand, it’s only available in certain parts of Europe.

[ Electrolux Powermix Silent Blender ] VIA [ Fancy ]

Oddly enough it’s not the first pair of chopsticks we’ve written about that feature a knife and fork combo on the end of each stick. But what sets the Twin One cutlery apart is that both utensils can be combined to form a set of hinged chopsticks that are easier to use by those who aren’t particularly well versed in eating with two sharpened sticks. Created by DesignWright the Twin One sets are available in green, red or brown finishes and while they appear to be available from Lékué I can’t seem to find specific pricing info on their site.

[ Twin One Cutlery ] VIA [ Yanko Design ]

Now seriously, why has it taken mankind so long to make such a simple improvement to the wooden cutting board? Chop was created by French designer Patrick Jouin for Alessi’s Fall & Winter 2010 collection, and simply adds a concave groove around the rim that allows you to slide a plate below the cutting surface and easily scrape chopped food onto it. Unfortunately it’s $100, but fortunately it looks like it’s less complicated to make than a grade school wood shop project. Now where’s my router?

[ Alessi Chop Cutting Board ] VIA [ Core77 ]

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.

[ S'More To Love ] VIA [ Gear Patrol ]