Porsche Design has some hang ups

If you think that I've been blogging heavily on Porsche Design-inspired kitchen gadgets lately, then you'd be right. I can't get enough of the cool designs and brushed aluminum look of their line of housewares. But I've saved the best for last in the trifecta of Porsche Design kitchen gadgets with this wall-mounted kitchen scale.

If you've read enough of my other posts (it's all right if you haven't, we can still be friends), then you'll know that I live in a space-challenged apartment in Brooklyn. OK, by Brooklyn standards, it's fairly spacious, but by the standards of, say, anywhere else but New York, it's a space that's tough to negotiate as a budding chef. Since I prefer my counter space to be clear of clutter while I'm working, most of my kitchen gizmos and gadgets end up piled on top of each other in one cabinet, and I have to rely on my good memory to find them when I need them. As a measure of security against guests trying to do annoying things, like help me cook, this setup is great. But, I'm not a jerk, and I like my guests to help me cook, and so anything that can save space in some other way is always a plus.

One device that always ends up on the bottom of the pile is my kitchen scale. I don't use it often, but I do use it when I'm using one of those old-school Italian cookbooks that lists ingredients by weight instead of by "cup" or "1/8 package" increments. I also use it for measuring the weight of fruit when I'm baking, weighing single portion sizes, and so on. These tasks are important, but digging around in the cabinet for the scale when I have to use it is a pain.

Apparently, I have some sort of telepathic link to the people who came up with an idea for the wall-mounted kitchen scale by Porsche Design. Forget the fact that one of the top designers in the automotive industry designed it: the scale has design choices that make a lot of practical sense, too. It mounts on the wall and holds up to 2kg of weight (or more if you choose to use the 'tare' function). It also has an integrated clock and timer, so you can ditch the countertop egg timer. And if you're not impressed by the functionality alone, keep in mind that it's pretty, and according to the Web site, "a small work of art for your kitchen."

Now all I have to do is cross my fingers and hope that it's eventually made available in the U.S.