There are coffee drinkers and there are coffee connoisseurs. Coffee drinkers are okay with the instant stuff. Coffee connoisseurs will not tolerate anything that isn’t fresh ground and brewed. FrigeBarista is made with the cold-brewed coffee connoisseur in mind. The filter is made of stainless steel wire mesh while the rest of the unit consists of food grade plastic. The extra wide mouth allows for grounds to be easily scooped into the filter and room temperature water to be poured on top. While it does have to be stored in the refrigerator for 12 hours before enjoying, the height of the unit itself and easy-serve tap near the bottom allow for easy storing and pouring. For those who want an easy way to have the hot stuff one cup at a time, check out the Coffee Cuppa campaign. Busy corporate America urban-dwelling coffee drinkers might appreciate the Smash Cup for those mornings when they need to sip and run. This campaign seeks to raise $8,300. Backers get one product for $30 with an expected delivery of December 2014.
Category: Food and Beverage
For those icy cold, bleary-eyed Monday mornings when stirring one’s java with one’s own hand is just too much effort, there is an automated alternative awaiting its big moment to spin onto the scene. Twistter cup uses a magnetic rotor and tilt of the mug to blend caffeinated delights and help burn off the post weekend haze within one’s mind that may well be as thick as the fog outside. And when one grows weary of all that swirling, the user maintains complete control by simply tilting the cup in the opposite direction – at least where the stuff in the cup is concerned. Even the intensity of the spinning can be determined by choosing whether blades will remain up or face down away from the liquid. If only all things in life were so simple. But alas, while a spoon and the ‘hassle’ of stirring one’s own beverage may be avoidable, it’s unclear as to whether or not the cup is dishwasher safe. This campaign seeks to raise $20,000 by November 20, 2014. Backers get one Twistter for $16, with an expected delivery of February 2015.
Popcorn comes in many different flavors. With the help of seasonings, spicing up popcorn is simple. Mixing the seasonings in, however, can be a bit more difficult. As a lightweight food, popcorn doesn’t ever want to stay in the bowl when being tossed. The PopcornBall is designed specifically for mixing popcorn and other foods as well. Simply put the popcorn and seasoning in the ball, close the lid and spin it around. The popcorn can be eaten directly out of the ball. One will cost backers $15 which includes seasonings for estimated delivery in May 2015. PopcornBall hopes to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.
PopcornBall is one of those products that may make food preparation easier, but clutters up the kitchen. While it may make popcorn up-spicing easier, the space it takes up may not be worth it. However, PopcornBall would make a great gift for anyone who consumes large amounts of popcorn.
Ahhh, yes. There’s nothing like the need to pay off student loans for stoking the fires of creativity to make that happen. And so a couple of college students in the engineering field who may even have a bit of experience serving drinks in a restaurant setting to help pay their way through came up with a way to improve the drink tray, calling it Tray Bien. (They apparently studied a bit of French, too.) Anyway, this serving tray appears to hold six glasses, stemware or otherwise. Specific measurements aren’t noted for glass compatibility, but it appears that most glasses will fit the carved slots, which lower the center of gravity and make glasses more stable. The tray has a mahogany wood finish on one side, a cherry wood finish on the other and is dishwasher safe. As for those who want something especially unique at their next party, consider checking out the Ozz illuminated smart mixed drink mixer. The Tray Bien campaign seeks to raise $10,000 by November 19, 2014. For $30, backers get one tray with an expected delivery of January 2015.
Ever wonder if the lids for kitchen storage containers sprout legs and run away? Foil and plastic wrap can take their place, but they don’t lock in freshness and keep the refrigerator nearly as organized as a container that has a lid. So, the makers of Silicon Lids are offering an alternative that makes for an airtight seal, and can go from the freezer to microwave, or refrigerator to oven. The lids are heat resistant up to 460 degrees Fahrenheit, have a unique design to the eye, and an easy-to-grasp handle. There are also multiple sizes and colors from which to choose. And when it’s time to clean off that caked-on food from pots, pans and bowls, backers might also be glad to have KlampShell to make the scouring a little easier. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by November 18, 2014. For $15, backers get four lids that are four inches each. Expected delivery is December 2014.
Categories
Icealot gives you balls of ice
Most people don’t know that the cloudy, white ice we pull out of our freezers to serve to guests on a hot summer day or to enjoy in our drink of choice isn’t really the best. Since the experience of having ice melt so quickly is such a normal one, most of us never really think twice about it. This leaves our beverages diluted and pretty much ruined by the time you reach mid-cup. iceälot is a system of ice molds designed to be used within a compact freezer box that creates beautifully clear ice free. The molds feature holes that allow impurities to be pushed down through into the water it floats atop, leaving users with smooth, clear ice in a variety of shapes: there are spherical molds, cubes, and sticks, amongst many others. An iceälot freezer box alongside four spherical molds goes for $75, with the option to get additional add-on molds as well, for delivery in March 2015. The campaign is looking for $25,000 to bring iceälot to production.
Dehydration is a common problem among adults. No one ever drinks the recommended amount of water each day either due to lack of time or fear of bloating. Riding on the trend of every product imaginable smartening up, the Coaster Talk is a smart coaster. When a glass is placed upon it, it measures your intake of water using an accompanying app. Coaster Talk isn’t only for adults, however, it also works well for babies. By measuring a baby’s milk intake, parents can tell when to feed them and prevent overfeeding them. Coaster Talk will cost backers a $36 AUD (~$32 USD) donation for delivery by January 2015. This product is looking to raise $6,000 AUD (~$5,300 USD).
The design of the Coaster Talk limits its potential. First of all, the idea that one would use the same coaster for every drink is slightly off base. Second of all, it would be difficult to track water intake all throughout the day if leaving the house is involved. Vessyl, a smart drink container, detects what you’re drinking, keeps track of calories, hydration and caffeine intake. It makes more sense because it’s easier to carry around a cup rather than a coaster and has a larger range of uses. If the Coaster Talk can evolve to include more kinds of drinks in its analyses then it may be able to contender with the Vessyl.
Football, beer and pizza. Now there’s a sports lover’s winning combo! What better way to beat the winter blahs than to have a bunch of friends over for Super Bowl Sunday? Ample space in the refrigerator for storing each delectable culinary delight is crucial to having a successful party. That’s precisely why Bottleloft was invented. This unique strip of magnets helps save and make more space in the refrigerator. A special low temperature application grade of 3M VHB adhesive is used to ensure proper adhesion to the top or the refrigerator shelf unit, and neodymium-grade magnets, which are some of the strongest that are available, hold beer or other beverages in place that have a metal cap. But alas, backers will be limited to a 12 bottle maximum on this. So if it’s a big party, break out the coolers. In fact, Coolest Cooler would be a great fit for just such a party. This campaign seeks to raise $20,000 by November 9, 2014. For $20, backers get one bottle loft that holds three bottles. Expected delivery is January 2015.
Unless you’re a bartender or, dare we say it, mixologist, making cocktails can be a bit of a mystery. There are so many recipes to try and getting the exact measurements for several ingredients can be tricky. Ozz helps you embody your inner Moe. This product features a lit up drink stand that monitors the ingredients going into your drink with an Android and iOS compatible app. This app features recipes, reviews, your own custom drink list and suggestions for how to fix a drink. It tells you to add a little bit more of this or that so that you have the perfect cocktail. One will cost backers €99 with estimated delivery for April 2015 from the Netherlands. Ozz is hoping to raise €150,000 on Kickstarter.
Ozz is a rather fancy and somewhat pricey way to make drinks. Still, it presents endless possibilities for novice drink-makers and even for bartenders looking to up their game. This product offers fun training with the even more fun reward of a perfect cocktail at the end. Some may ponder the need for such a first-world niche product, however others will certainly be on board with adult drinks made better by smart technology.
Most of us use Keurig machines or something quite similar. As a result, our cupboards are inundated with K-Cups, pods, and other products. The Abacus Pod Rack goes in the kitchen and attaches to the underside or just side of any cabinet. Coming in several colors, this rack won’t be an eyesore. It stores columns of pods/cups to make choosing the perfect beverage easier. To insert, slide up and in. To remove, just pull each cup out. It holds up to 36 pods and attaches with adhesive strips. One of these Aussie products will cost $19 AUD. Abacus hopes to raise $15,000 AUD on Kickstarter.
With the prevalence of convenient coffee machines in people’s home, this product makes sense for storage. It’s more for the beverage enthusiast who has lots of different flavors for their brewer. There are lots of other storage options out there, however, like the DecoBros organizer that keeps K-Cups in a mini drawer. Nonetheless, Abacus comes with the perk of keeping your counters clear by adhering to cabinets. While this may be more for the finicky of heart, it’s a great storage solution for those little pods that fuel America.