Category: Food and Beverage

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Food and Beverage

Recyclable shaker cup lets you toss one back, toss one out

For those who don’t like swallowing all those nutritional supplements in pill form, there are nutritional drinks that help to make up the difference where healthy lifestyle is concerned. The creators of Go-Shake know firsthand that a busy lifestyle can mean that those drinks become an on-the-go item. And when the cup doesn’t get cleaned in a timely manner, it can be a pretty gross sight and smell. So this product idea offers a disposable cup that is specifically designed for those nutritional drinks that require measuring out powder and mixing with the appropriate liquid.  The cup has a standard metric scale printed on the side, and the “shaker breaker” does the mixing for the user. The lid has a re-sealable plug that allows for easy shaking, drinking and transport.

The 24 oz cup seems like it would be suitable for most drinks and the product seems very convenient overall. This campaign seeks to raise $9,200 by December 7, 2014. For $19, backers get a 20 pack of the product with an expected delivery of January 2015.

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Food and Beverage

ShotGunR punches a hole through the inebriation time continuum

There is a line from a particular song that comes to mind with this product: “So You Had a Bad Day…” It seems, though, that the creation of ShortGunR might be tied to more than just one bad day.  To borrow a concept from a popular comedian, one might need a career change if one feels the need to invent a more effective way to shotgun a beer.

Nevertheless, until that dream career is obtained, downing multiple beers as rapidly as possible is, well, one way to kill the time…not to mention lots of brain cells. That aside, it’s not entirely clear what materials are used to create this instrument of party animal assistance, but it is interestingly similar in its design to the OXO Steel Bottle Opener. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000 by December 7, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $4, with an expected delivery of January 2015.

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Food and Beverage

Congelato makes sure your food keeps its cool while you serve it

Keeping food on ice so that it has a pleasant and fresh appearance for presentation and also stays safe to eat at parties is something of a hassle. The makers of Congelato wanted to find a better way. Their idea is to use icepacks and stainless steel pans to keep food cold when it is time to take it out of the refrigerator and enjoy the meal. Food will stay cold for up to 24 hours, but icepacks must be placed in the freezer for 2-4 hours in advance.

Congelato can also be used to keep food hot if the packs are placed in boiling water for about 15 minutes, but food only remains hot for about 90 minutes, so the product seems to be much more oriented toward cold dishes. If one can prep by freezing the packs to use this product, then it seems like a great way to keep food cool. This campaign seeks to raise $200,000 CAD (~$176,400 USD) by December 14, 2014. Early bird backers get one basic product for $85 CAD (~$75 USD) with an expected delivery of May 2015.

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Food and Beverage Travel

Espro Travel Press presses together three different brewing methods

Here is an item for coffee and tea connoisseurs who are typically too busy to wait for that perfectly brewed cup of caffeinated delight. Espro Travel Press blends brewer, travel mug, and thermos in one. This revamped travel mug includes a filtration system so that hot water can simply be poured over coffee or tea leaves. But it also has a function for those who prefer to use the coffee press or tea press methods so those aromatic oils can be enjoyed, and the double micro-filters mean no grit to interfere with one’s enjoyment.

The double lid prevents leaks in backpacks, purses or briefcases, and since extraction is automatically stopped and the container is made of vacuum insulated stainless steel, coffee or tea stays hot for hours. It appears that the mug will fit the average cup holder in a car, though the circumference is not specifically stated. Still, the Espro Travel Press offers versatility and convenience to anyone who really values their morning beverage. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by December 21, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $35 with an expected delivery of March 2015.

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Connected Objects Food and Beverage

B4RM4N connected cocktail market uses its smarts to make others stupid

Although a bartender’s tricks and talents can seem pretty easy to us inebriated folk, the truth is that it takes quite a long time to perfect the skills necessary to mix drinks that won’t make us grimace while we sip them. Worse yet, when most of us try our hand at making a drink or two for family or friends, the end result is a drink that doesn’t look great and the realization that we really don’t know what we’re doing at all.

To become presentable to the public again, you could buy a bunch of books or plunk down the cash for a mixology course, or you could grab a B4RM4N and let it do all the work. The device is a modern mixologist in a three-piece shaker, comprised of a stainless steel that encloses a Bluetooth LE antenna, an accelerometer, and LED lights all in a one, high-tech package. Pair it with your smartphone, select a recipe with the B4rm4m companion app, the number of servings, and it will lead you step by step in the process of creating the perfect pour. It even tells you how long to pour ingredients and shake them all together. With over 110 recipes and counting, there will never be a lack of ideas. You can even have the app suggest recipes to you based on what’s currently in your fridge, and if that egg vodka mint actually ends up tasting good, you can share it with the B4rm4m community so that anyone can make it. The B4rm4m is currently going for an early bird price of $99, jumping up to $199 upon release. Backers can expect theirs in July 2015 if the campaign achieves it funding goal of $100,000.

The similarly titled Barman is a campaign in the past that is very similar to the B4RM4N. Both have similar features, but the B4RM4N goes about things in a more compact way, while the Barman uses an external scale to help you create your drink. All in all, the B4RM4N is a svelte device that will look good in many scenarios and its social features make it not only useful but very fun, too.

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Food and Beverage

Bluetooth-equipped Sonic Decanter lets you Chardonnay your way

Every wine connoisseur knows that wine must breathe before it is served. Decanting is a must for serving a great beverage. Now decanting just got a little bit smarter with the Sonic Decanter. This product decants your wine using water and ultrasound. To set how long it runs for, use the accompanying smartphone app. Simply fill it with two cups of water, uncork the bottle and place it in the decanter pushing the button to activate. According to the campaign, this technique makes your wine, whether red, white or somewhere in the middle, positively delectable. The science behind it all is a bit complicated, but a full explanation can be found on the campaign.

While Sonic Decanter is surely one of those frivolous wine accessories, its claimed capabilities may be too much for the fanatic wine-o to resist. The accompanying app is a nice touch too, allowing the user to adjust times based on what kind of wine they’re about to drink. One smart wine preparer will cost backers a donation of $199 for delivery in May 2015. Sonic Decanter is hoping to raise $85,000 with the help of Kickstarter.

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Connected Objects Food and Beverage

Connected Bruvelo brewer is a coffee snob’s best friend

Pour over coffee has become all the rage, probably because it’s easy to make at home without the coffee machine. The idea is to place the coffee grounds directly above the mug and pour hot water through the coffee to brew. Bruvelo is a smart, amped up pour over coffee machine. It filters the water, controls flow, adjusts temperature, and weighs and grinds the beans. Best of all, it connects via Wi-Fi to an accompanying app which holds information about different types of coffee you like. This way, you can balance flavor profiles and choose the best way to brew any particular kind of coffee. If you’re not that finicky with your coffee, skip the app because it’s optional. This is a truly all in one coffee machine that thinks no detail is too small in preparing your morning caffeine fix. Bruvelo’s ease of use and convenience will certainly make it a contender with other smart coffee makers. One will cost backers $350 for delivery in June 2015. Bruvelo is looking to raise $150,000 on Kickstarter.

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Food and Beverage Organization

Keep your Nespresso pods in line on your fridge with Capsule Slide

There are mornings when a good cup of coffee will satisfy and get you going, and then there are mornings when nothing but Nespresso will do. On mornings like that, the more convenient it is to get at, the better. That’s why there’s Capsule Slide. This idea gives a whole new twist to the functionality of a magnet. Why? Because it’s home to one of the best friends a working person or even a college student can have: Nespresso pods. The surface is made of moulded ABS, and part of the fun is watching the Nespresso pods run down the zig-zag design when being loaded. For those who prefer to keep their Nespresso organized in the cupboard or under a cabinet, check out the Abacus Pod Rack campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $5,500 AUD (~$4,700 USD) by December 4, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $17 AUD (~$14 USD) with an expected delivery of December 2014.

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Food and Beverage

Laminar Bowl keeps poured milk in cereal bowl, may save civilization

Cereal is an integral part to the mornings of many. Though adding milk to a heaping pile of delicious cereal can result in spills, the last thing anyone needs first thing in the AM. Laminar Bowl works to eradicate spilt milk and cereal. It’s manufactured with a large bump in the middle, designed to absorb the impact of the milk so that everything stays put right in the bowl. In addition, Laminar features high sides and won’t tip over. This bowl is also great for soups, stews, or any other liquid delicious food. Coming in blue, red, orange, purple or green, Laminar is completely dishwasher safe for maximum convenience.

For only $8, backers can enjoy this product with estimated delivery in January 2015. With a goal of $49,500, the guys behind this bumpy bowl hope Kickstarter will help them with their goal. For the overzealous, milk and cereal spillage do certainly happen. This can usually be avoided by pouring the milk more slowly into the bowl. Still, for those who just can’t seem to master this simple skill, Laminar may be the bowl for you.

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Food and Beverage

Brewover needs no do-over to create cold-brewed coffee

Coffee enthusiasts know the best ways to make their favorite morning drink, but usually need different products to master each method. Brewover is a three-in-one, multifunctional brewing device that allows the user to choose between the slow brew drip, immersion, or pour over techniques for making specialty coffees. It has a very easy to use filter system, as well as a shut-off valve that allows a great deal of control as to how fast the water flows into the filter. Brewover can even function as a potential icebreaker when meeting up with new friends because the clear material allows people to actually watch the process take place. Coffee lovers who want to be able to enjoy their beverage on-the-go might want to check out the KoffeePress campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $65,000 AUD (~$56,000 USD) by December 2, 2014. For $65 AUD (~$56 USD), early bird backers get one product with an expected delivery of March 2015.