Appliances & Kitchen Gadgets

Available in five different colors.

(Credit: Legnoart)

I instinctively approve of any kitchen appliance, gadget, or tool that looks like it could have come from space or the future. When that form combines with functionality, I'm pretty easily won over. While I like art for art's sake as much as the next guy, if I'm making a purchasing decision, I usually want said object to do something.

Sitting elegantly on a tabletop or counter, the Legnoart Spicy 6-Slot Knife Holder With Steak Knives combines the everyday usefulness of a steak knife set with the aesthetic appeal of an object d'art. The knife set comes with six stainless steel knives that have serrated blades and are dishwasher safe. The freestanding display is created by Italian Carlo Contin.

Luckily, if you're not into the whole shiny-thing-from-space motif, the set is available in alternate styles. I find the green set reminiscent of a pea pod, while the red version could look like a bundle of long and skinny red peppers. Also available in black and gold.

Just one of many delicious paintings for your kitchen.

(Credit: Abbey Ryan)

In the sleek and shiny world of food gadgetry and kitchen kitsch, it can be easy to overlook one spot: the kitchen walls.

You know how sometimes how you look away from something just for a second, and by the time you look back, you are asking yourself, "What just happened?" Well, that is exactly how you will feel if you turn away from Abbey Ryan's Painting a Day series. The Philadelphia-based artist has been keeping up with her self-imposed timeline for the past year.

Focusing mainly on food, her paintings tend to measure on the small size, but still make quite an impression. Considering that she is creating these little wonders on a daily basis, you are sure to find that perfect piece to fit your kitchen decor before too long.

The artist sells her creations on eBay, and judging from the responses, her work seems to be appreciated. I know I'm certainly digging on them. I have a large wall filled with paintings in my kitchen, and it doesn't take much to imagine one of her pieces hanging up there. I'll just check back on a daily basis, confident that sooner or later, my masterpiece will be there.

(Via Boing Boing)

Just like being there.

(Credit: Up to You)

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Well, these stunningly beautiful cutting boards are doing all the talking.

When I first stumbled upon that image, my first reaction was that it was an illustration of an astronaut walking on Jupiter. Too colorful to be the moon, not red enough to be Mars. It had to at least be an extra-terrestrial background. Even though Jupiter would be pretty hard to walk on, it looks like a tourist shot straight from the Great Red Spot. Of course, it turns out to be right from our own backyard.

Constructed of wood from the acacia tree, these cutting boards also come in other varieties, all of which incorporate their designs with the grain of the wood. Whether you chose Astronaut, Vespa, Skier, Fishing Eskimo, or Diver, the spot for the design is hand-positioned. After choosing an appropriate location, each board is laser engraved, giving each one a truly unique appearance. Available from Up To You in Toronto, the boards measure 23 centimeters wide by 34 centimeters long by 1.5 centimeters thick.

The astronaut is by far my favorite, but the other designs integrate well with the natural grain, too. Of note are the Vespa speeding along a two tone highway of grain, or a diver leaping into a tree ring--even if they are more of the earth-bound variety.

(Via Boing Boing)

(Credit: OnLatte)

We thought latte stencils were pretty cool, but this really takes the cake--er, foam. A new company called OnLatte has grabbed the attention of food blogs (and mainstream press like The Wall Street Journal) with its tech-centric approach to the practice of latte art.

The project began last year, when inventor Oleksiy Pikalo saw a video on latte art and decided to make a machine that would decorate his lattes for him. Using a hacked x-y flatbed plotter and edible brown ink, he built a prototype and jokingly filmed it printing a Starbucks logo on a homemade latte.

Pikalo demonstrated his custom-built printer at Siggraph 2008, using digital photos, freehand drawings, and logos as image sources (you can admire some of the images on his blog). He's now working on turning the concept into a revenue-generating venture; pricing for the device is tentatively set at $1,500. If you simply must be among the first to get your company's brand etched in foam, or you just like playing with your food, OnLatte will also consider a custom build request.

If bright and cheery retro is your kitchen style, check out some of Italy's latest offerings. They don't get any cooler or happier than these refrigerators we spotted recently on the Appliancist Web site.

Cool custom Italian refrigerators

(Credit: Appliancist)

The Ardo custom line is available in Europe only, which is a shame as these fridges are priced in the low to moderate range (though perhaps not as low for us here in the U.S. considering the exchange rate). They are also energy efficient.

U.S.-based buyers with a vintage bent can check out Big Chill refrigerators, which offers 1950s style fridges in colors including pink lemonade, buttercup yellow, and beach blue. Big Chill is owned by a Boulder, Co.-based nephew and uncle with a passion for retro kitchens. Their fridges retail for $2,700.

Elmira Stove Works makes vintage Northstar models from 1950 and 1952 in robin's egg blue and red, which are also energy efficient. Prices range from $1,995 to $3,995. U.K.-based Smeg, (eek, what a name!) which also makes some pretty cool retro fridges, recently opened a showroom in New York and is now selling in the U.S.

Do you eat ice cream when you're sad? I sure do. When I saw that my nasty co-worker Tim Moynihan had pitted the Beer-Launching Fridge against Keepon the Dancing Robot in his artificial intelligence showdown, I got totally emo because I had no idea who to vote for. Then I bought myself a pint of Phish Food and ate it for breakfast with a side of Kleenex, sunny side down.

But technology is always making our lives easier, and here's a gadget that can help me figure out just how much self-pity eating I'll need to do next time I get really sad. This prototypical ice cream machine, whose name is Mr. Whippy, can tell just how much you hate yourself, and dole out the appropriate amounts of ice cream in response: the more harangued you are, the more ice cream you get.

It's simple. Mr. Whippy, who is at the moment a project from the Ars Electronica festical (which means, basically, that you can't buy him), asks you some questions. You answer them. Then, he measures the level of stress in your voice, and distributes those tasty feel-good treats accordingly.

It could also, presumably, ask you questions that would indicate just how off-the-charts your Emo Fever is, you know, like "Just how much does Jared Leto encapsulate your existence right now?" or "If you watched Steel Magnolias, would you start laughing hysterically at how happy and upbeat it is?" Plus, there could be a Mr. Whippy 2.0 that can determine which flavors are best for really sad people. If you're only just kinda sad, maybe it'd give you something pseudo-healthy like mango sorbet. If you're kind of ambiguously mad at your mom, it'd give you plain old vanilla. But if you've gone all Sylvia Plath on the world, hello double chocolate heart-clogging caramel crunch!

(Switched via Boing Boing)

Say it with feeling, in cocoa or cinnamon

(Credit: LOOP Limited)

Face it: not everyone is capable of stunning latte art, but that doesn't have to stop us from having a bit of fun with our frothy beverages. We spotted these stainless steel cappuccino stencils on GadgetCandy and were immediately intrigued. Just set the disc atop your latte or cappuccino and sprinkle with cocoa, cinnamon, or another coffee topper for a quick decoration. Despite the cheesy clip-art design, we rather liked the idea of a quick way to fancy up our milky coffee drinks, so we Googled around and found these slightly more classy designs as well as this set of six stencils packaged in a round tin. Clearly the Brits are ahead of us on the coffee stencil front, because most of these links are to sites in the UK; you can find a few U.S. distributors listed on MySimon.

Floral patterns are so much more attractive than simple rings.

(Credit: Generate)

Those who prefer an American-style cup of joe (or tea) can get arty with a Stamp Mug. The pricey ($59) vessel turns your java sloshes into lovely floral watermarks on your desk or papers. It would be a great way to give yourself and your coworkers something attractive to look at without, you know, actually cleaning.