Appliances and Kitchen Gadgets

Beer on tap, straight from the fridge door

It's a good thing colleague Caroline McCarthy is swamped at DigitalLife, or she'd be accusing me of blatantly poaching on her beat with this item. (And she'd be right.) But some things just can't wait.

Behold the "HomePub" fridge freezer from Sweden's Asko, which brilliantly designed a special tap recess so it wouldn't take away any internal space--obviously anticipating potential spousal objections. Appliancist says there's also a shelf inside made especially to store "spare kegs," as if there are such things. And the whole appliance, which lists for about $… Read more

Red-hot Response kettle

They say a watched pot never boils, but with the Kenwood Response kettle you won't be able to look away. That's because the sides of the kettle are constantly changing color, from a cool blue to a hot red, as the water inside heats up. Aside from the rainbow lighting effect, the Response kettle also features a switch on the side that lets you heat water to exactly 176 degrees--the perfect temp for brewing green tea. The kettle will then hold the water at that temperature so you can always top off your cup or brew a second … Read more

The office candy dish: A beast that renders humans powerless

It might be time to stow away that candy dish--and, for that matter, the cookie jar, gumball dispenser and bowl of nuts--because we humans are powerless to resist such things, according to a recent CNN article featuring research taking place at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab.

A book by Cornell researcher Brian Wansink says people will basically eat whatever food is in front of them. The book, called Mindless Eating, says that when it comes to overeating, convenience and visibility are bigger factors than how good food looks or how hungry a person is.

"We can say '… Read more

Make everything taste like bacon

Have you ever found yourself thinking that veggies would go down easier, if only they tasted more like bacon? You may want to top them with Bacon Salt. The brainchild of two bacon-loving former tech workers, the zero-calorie seasoning lets you add a bit of bacony goodness to any food product. It comes in three flavors--original, hickory, and peppered--and, according to this post from Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, has been enjoyed on "potatoes (fried, mashed, whathaveyou), corn on the cob, popcorn, watermelon, pineapple, steak, eggs (fried, scrambled), green beans, assorted vegetables, chocolate, Bloody Marys, pasta, guacamole, and peaches." … Read more

Designers hatch egg-themed products

Will product designers ever stop finding inspiration in the simple shape of an egg? The smooth, rounded shape of the Form trio of kitchen tools owes its existence to a photograph of an egg admired by designer Charles Job. The set consists of an egg timer, an egg slicer and a salt and pepper set that snap together. Each tool is available in your choice of sleek black or white plastic. "Boil an egg; slice it and eat it with salt and pepper--that is the essence of Form," says the product Web site.

To take the theme a … Read more

This is just to say...on toast?

If only William Carlos Williams had owned this toaster when he left his note about the plums.

The Toast Messenger from Sasha Tseng prints out whatever you write or draw on its board in toast.

Even if poetry is not your thing, you may soften the blow of eating the last bit of something by serving up your apology alongside some eggs.

Forget words, how about drawing polka dots or stripes or even a skull and cross-bones on your toast.

No pricing information available as yet. Kudos to Tumbl.us and Yanko Design for finding this Japanese invention.

And yes, … Read more

More than one way to juice a lemon

If you want a little splash of lemon or lime juice for your tea, you might be tempted to make do with one of those plastic facsimiles. But two Danish designers have come up with a more elegant solution: a stainless steel twist that you can screw directly into a fresh lemon or lime. Give the citrus a squeeze to coax a little juice from it. You can also leave the twist inside the lemon when you return it to the fridge, so fresh juice is always a squeeze away.

Need more juice? Look to this concept juicer from designer … Read more

'Tailgating Trailer' for the ultimate gamer

With football season in full swing we're witnessing the annual migration of that heartiest of parking-lot breeds, the tailgaters. Little did we know, however, that their work has been elevated to an art form.

While amateurs toil with such tools as MP3 coolers and barbecues, an elite corps will be rolling out the "Tailgating Trailer"--a self-contained portable party apparatus that includes "a 27-inch LCD TV, satellite, DVD, generator, propane grill, hand-washing sink with running water, beer on tap and even a toilet," according to BornRich. (Microwave is optional.)

As much as we admire its … Read more

Feed a baby with just one hand

I'm at that age where most of my friends are starting families, so I find myself shopping for a lot of baby stuff. In fact, I've developed a bit of a reputation for giving the kind of wildly impractical baby gifts that only a non-parent would buy. But the Squirt baby food dispensing spoon just might help salvage my reputation as a gift-giver. Parents can fill the bright orange bulb with up to three ounces of baby food, then secure the spoon on the end. A squeeze of the bulb dispenses a bite of food onto the spoon, … Read more