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.
They say if you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door, but I think what humans really need is a better way to make toast! I’ve yet to find a toaster that I can really rely on, so I’m happy to see that design students like Mateusz Główka, from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland, have set themselves upon improving its design. And I’m not saying the Roastie has quite hit the nail on the head just yet, but it definitely shows promise.
The most important aspect of the Roastie are the heating elements which are built into arms that rotate around the piece of bread, like a ferris wheel, ensuring even toasting. And since everything is built into a transparent sphere, you can easily monitor your toast for doneness and make sure it doesn’t burn. The sphere has the added bonus of trapping and concentrating the heat from the elements, so it doesn’t escape through an open slot, reducing toasting times and energy use. The kicker though? Unless it can do its thing in mere seconds, who has the patience to make toast one slice at a time? Not this guy!
Dishwashers apparently aren’t just for cleaning dishes anymore. At least if Miele has their way. One of their newer models, the Futura Diamond, has a special rinse & hold cycle and because of the cold water plumbing system in Europe, it also doubles as a quick way to chill down glasses. Now while I’m not entirely sure what differentiates the European plumbing system from the American, but apparently when introduced in the United States in June the dishwasher won’t actually have that handy feature. Lame! But it might still be worth a look thanks to other new features like a 3rd level cutlery tray, extensive LED lighting and the eternal promise that pre-rinsing is not required.
I guess there’s nothing wrong with a little background music while cooking, and no one likes a unitasker in the kitchen, so Frieling, makers of some clever kitchen scales we’ve brought you before, have recently introduced the JOY to their lineup.
As kitchen scales go it’s pretty run of the mill with the ability to display weights in ounces or grams, but in terms of design it scores some high points. The weighing surface is made of stylish, see-through safety glass which exposes a fairly large speaker sitting underneath. I’m a little worried about food stuffs dripping down below though, or into the iPod/iPhone docking port, and it looks like it gobbles up quite a bit of counter space when not in use. But if your kitchen is the center of high-techery in your home, you can get one from Amazon for $99.99.
It’s taken me the entire week to recover from having my mind blown by the Chopula we brought you last Monday. And just when I thought it was safe to go back in the kitchen gadget store- BAM! The Spoon Tongs blow my mind wide open yet again. I’ll understand if you’re having a hard time wrapping your brain around what you’re seeing, but it seems some government and/or Food Network research lab has finally succeeded in merging a serving spoon with a set of tongs.
Many have said it couldn’t, and more importantly shouldn’t be done, but here we are. Measuring 12 inches in length the Spoon Tongs feature a set of silicone teeth when split apart that are heat safe up to 400°F and of course allow you to grab and flip or stir and spoon. They’re also spring-loaded with a locking mechanism for easy storage in a drawer, and will set you back a mere $10.95 from Vat19. I’d say the next step in kitchen gadget evolution would be a combination of the Spoon Tongs and the Chopula, but I feel the world isn’t ready for that much usefulness in a single tool just yet.
Are you one of those people who is always chipper first thing in the morning? I can say with confidence that I am not. Thankfully, I work a late shift, so I rarely see mornings these days. And yes, for some reason waking up in the afternoon is much easier, despite getting the same amount of sleep. Anyway, if you love mornings as much as I do, why not get a toaster that feels the same way?
This Pop Art Toaster is a novelty at best, but it may serve to put a smile on your face. You see, whenever you put in a piece of toast, it get a happy little picture or phrase burnt into it. Things like “Bite Me” or “Ugh” are sure to mimic your own feelings. If you’re actually having a good morning, you can take out the templates for plain, boring toast. Buy one of these for $45 and ThinkGeek will even throw in a USB-powered cup warmer. Because nothing starts the day off wrong like a cold cup of Joe.
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.
Just because something’s lacking wifi or GPS functionality, doesn’t mean it can’t be incredibly useful. We’ve definitely got a soft spot for those simpler gadgets that still make life easier, like this Zip & Dry Apron which ensures there’s always a towel handy when you’re working in the kitchen. That’s because there’s one zipped to the bottom, so it’s always in easy reach for cleaning your hands, food or even the counters. With a quick pull of the zipper it’s easily removable too, for getting at hard to reach areas or just tossing it into the washing machine. $29.98 available from Taylor Gifts.
Sure, the real Death Star had planet-destroying lasers, tractor beams and an office with an awesome view of the galaxy for the Empire’s CEO, but you know what it wasn’t full of? Cookies. Now I’m not saying you could rule the galaxy with fear and oppression with nothing more than a ceramic sphere full of baked goods, but who would choose all that stress of having to deal with constant rebellions when you could simply sit back with a jar full of pecan sandies?
Not this guy. The only time I can see myself needing a laser capable of wiping out a planet is if I ever find the person responsible for the idea of putting raisins in a cookie. I’ve definitely got a score to settle there… Available exclusively from the StarWarsShop.com for $49.99.
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