Tag: Food

Categories
Food and Beverage

Forkeo adds a touch of sophistication to enjoying milk and cookies

One of the best combinations in life is Oreos and milk. Whoever thought of this was just a food genius. Some people enjoy the feel of a wet cookie in between their fingers and licking the chocolate crumbs off their fingertips in between each cookie. Some, however, do not.

Forkeo has great appeal to those who enjoy a cleaner dining experience. The two-pronged fork simply gets stuck into the icing in between the cookie parts and then dunked into one’s favorite glass or mug full of milk. While a regular fork works just a well, Forkeo is disposable. So no one has to do any dishes if that and a paper cup are used.

Of course disposable forks could be used, but they don’t look as cool. The cookie dunking aide appears to be compatible with Hydrox cookies, too. Interested backers might also like to check out Dunkin’ Buddy. This campaign seeks to raise $8,500 on Kickstarter. For $5, backers get a pack of 15 with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Pets

Catzmat adds artistic flair to your kitty’s feeding time

Keeping the floor clean around the area where kitty feeds can be a challenge. Many of the mats on the market are, well, boring. So Catzmat aims to add some interest to the whole process. Using an attachment clip to the wall, the mat comes in tons of different designs ranging from flowers, to Renaissance art to a photo of pet owner and kitty. The mat even works in a corner area if preferred. It appears to be easy enough to clean with just soap and water and a dishcloth or paper towel.

In terms of aesthetics and artistic appeal, Catzmat may have a bit of an advantage over other products on the market. Honestly, though, a cat mat is a cat mat. Other products in which cat lovers may have an interest are Mousr, Automatic Kitty Groomer, and WindowKitty. This campaign seeks to raise $8,400 NZD (~$6,500 USD) on Kickstarter. For $18 NZD (~$14 USD) backers get one Catzmat with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Cooking

Rotissa-Fry cooks, bakes, fries, roasts your dinner on the fly

The hurried pace of life often makes cooking meals that are tasty but still healthy a challenge. So the more multitasking a kitchen cooking gadget can do, the more attractive it often looks to those who want to have good food fast.

Rotissa-Fry offers a variety of cooking options all in one device.  The small but effective energy-efficient cooker uses 360°F heating to make certain that things are cooked evenly and in half the time of other options such as an oven, grill or fryer. Since it doesn’t require any oil and is made of non-stick material, foods are lower in fat. Some of its capabilities include frying bacon and eggs, baking breads and cakes, steaming fish and veggies, grilling sandwiches and burgers, cooking stir fry, roasting chicken, beef, pork and lamb, rotisserie cooking and defrosting. Since Rotissa-Fry is portable, food can be cooked anywhere that there is a power source to plug it into.

Certainly anyone who enjoys entertaining, is a cooking enthusiast, or sees cooking as a hobby will enjoy this product. There doesn’t appear to be any assembly necessary, nor any special tools for switching it from one type of cooking to another, although that is not clearly indicated. Other fun kitchen gadgets in which backers may have an interest include GrillOven and MasterPan, and those looking for a way to cut fat and still have some flavor may like to check out Fab. This campaign seeks to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter. For $150, backers get one product with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Cooking

Eco Flow punches holes in traditional cutting board; reduces cross contamination

While cutting boards are great for protecting counter tops, the current design doesn’t allow for much flexibility when a person wants to go from cutting meats to cutting veggies and prevent possible bacterial issues that can lead to food borne illness.

The creators of Eco Flow designed a cutting board that is perforated, slightly raised, and has a tray underneath so that meats can thaw or veggies can drain without having to use up sink space and keeping the liquid all in one place. Great idea as long as one doesn’t mind having these things sitting around on the counter top.

The campaign claims that the board doesn’t slip or slide while in use, but it is not clearly explained why or how it stays in place. Interchangeable boards help to prevent cross contamination from debris that falls through the perforations, and the product is dishwasher safe. It’s also BPA free and FDA approved. This campaign seeks to raise $20,000. Early bird backers get one Eco flow for $15 with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Cooking

Butter Crayon makes spreading butter better

Many people agree that it’s amazing how much better food tastes with butter than with margarine. And there are now studies out that say that butter is actually better because it is a natural food, as opposed to manmade margarine. But spreading cold butter can be a challenge. That’s why the Butter Crayon was created.

The product’s food safe silicone casing fits a standard sized store bought stick of butter. It also keeps butter safe, acts as a butter dispenser and is heat resistant. Once the butter is placed in the case, it gets pushed to surface via a block that is included with the product, making it easier to butter toast, veggies, put on a skillet surface for cooking and more. Butter can be stored right in the Butter Crayon.

Seems like a great idea for buttering pans and skillets, but when buttering bread, there may be crumbs left on the surface, and with other foods, there may be some cross-contamination concerns. Backers may also be interested in Fab and MasterPan. This campaign seeks to raise $60,000. For $15 backers get one product with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Cooking

Silibags lets you bake, boil and freeze your meals without breaking

One of the most time consuming activities in life is meal preparation and cooking. Silibags provides a way to have healthy, home cooked meals on those days when one is too busy to cook. These bags are similar to ziplock style bags, except that they not only store food in the freezer, but they also allow for food to be cooked right in the bag. The platinum silicone bags can be heated up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. So an entire meal of, say, roast beef and veggies could be stored in the bag when one has time to put that together, cooked, frozen, and microwaved when ready to eat if the metal clasp is removed. It’s also possible to boil food on the stovetop, and clean up is simplified since the bags are also dishwasher safe.

This is an interesting idea, but there are actual backing dishes out there, such as Pyrex, that will do the same things. One advantage that Silibags may have is that its non-breakable properties will work better for camping enthusiasts. In addition, bags store better because they don’t take up as much room in the freezer as other containers. This campaign seeks to raise $9,000. Backers get one bag for $30, with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Cooking Sensors/IoT

Nexkos Bluetooth Smart Thermometer probes meat to prepare delectable meals, worry-free

For the lucky ones among us, cooking is second nature. For everyone else, cooking anything seems like an badly performed improv class. Without an experienced cook by one’s side, finding the guidance to whip up something edible can be an overwhelming challenge. When it comes to meats, that anxiety can be felt ten fold: working with herbs and spices is delicate business, and cooking it just right is tricky.

Nexkos wants to take the guesswork out of getting grilled goods just right with their Bluetooth Smart Thermometer. The spherical device sports an LED display with the temperature of whatever the four attached probes are inserted into. This information is also relayed to the iOS or Android companion app with which temperature alerts can be set, create custom templates for recipes, and save and share the information to replicate recipes in the future. The $55 AUD (~$45 USD) Nexkos Smart Thermometer is expected to ship May 2015 provided the campaign reaches its $20,000 AUD (~$16,300 USD) goal.

The Nexkos Smart Thermometer is exceedingly similar to the already released iGrill, but the former’s four probes are better than the latter’s single probe. The Nexkos version lacks the iGrill’s proximity sensor, but that isn’t a deal breaker as they’re similarly price in either case, great for those ill-equipped to cook and affordable, too.

Categories
Pets

Romeow woos your Julipet with smartphone scheduled feedings

Leaving a pet alone at home for a few days isn’t only taxing on the animal, but stressful for the owner too. Cats and dogs hate to be put in kennels and it can be expensive to have someone feed and take care of pets several times a day.

Romeow is a smartphone-powered device that can feed and provide water for pets over Wi-Fi. When away, owners can use the wide angle camera to check out the bowls. If empty, a tap of a button will dispense the desired amount of food and water. In addition, the owner can schedule all feedings with the app’s calendar, so pet feeding is never a chore. Romeow also comes equipped with a speaker so you can coo at your pet from afar.

Romeow joins scores of other similar products like the Kittyo and PetPal, though it claims to be the first. While it does have a camera and speaker, it doesn’t come equipped with a laser to actually interact with the pet like other products do, though this feature does seem bit superfluous. This product also offers water dispensing unlike others. The Italian Romeow’s design sets it apart too, opting to go more retro/industrial chic rather than the futuristic spaceship look. One Romeow system complete with two bowls can be had by backers for €249 (~$310) by September 2015, if the campaign can meet its €80,000 (~$99,600) goal on Indiegogo.

Categories
Connected Objects Cooking Sensors/IoT

Pantelligent takes the guesswork out of cooking; makes sure you can stand the heat in the kitchen

Objects everywhere around us are becoming smarter. It’s now a cinch to keep lawns watered, pets fed, temperatures regulated, security systems activated and so much more. What could be next?

Pantelligent lets you cook smarter. This Bluetooth enabled pan monitors the temperature of its surface and sends the data to an accompanying smartphone app. It tracks heat to make sure that the food won’t burn or sit there cold. The app also comes equipped with recipes for salmon, steak, chicken, scallops and much more. For added convenience, the recipes can be read out loud so you’re not stuck hunched over instructions. In addition, the recipe will indicate when the cut of meat needs to be flipped over. Pantelligent also allows for new recipes to be put in, so that it can be used for everyone’s food preferences.

The scores of testimonials on the campaign page say that Pantelligent helped cook the best meals of different people’s lives. Someone says it’s like a GPS for cooking. All in all, Pantelligent seems to live up to the hype as a unique product useful for many. It’s unclear how Pantelligent cooks red meat, however, or if it can work with different meat temperatures. Still, many still find cooking a mystery and this product clears up a lot of the guesswork. For $199, backers can have their very own with estimated delivery set for August 2015. This product is looking to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Lifestyle

Grocery Pal combines notepad, calculator and coupon holder for the smartphone-averse

The best way to avoid grocery store crowds, slow-moving elderly, the u-scan “impaired,” and people who seem to dawdle at the checkout with scads of coupons is to go between the hours of 1 am and 5 am. But when that’s just not practical, there’s Grocery Pal. This gadget puts the grocery list, coupons, and calculator all in one place for easy referencing, It also comes with a lanyard and magnet so as not to get lost while browsing the isles.

This might be a wonderful gadget for granny, but a smartphone works just as well for the majority of this. Some stores even offer electronic coupons that can be downloaded to a store loyalty card if customers will visit the store website, which eliminates the need for fidgeting with those paper coupons. This campaign seeks to raise $40,000 by December 8, 2014. For $20, backers get one product with an expected delivery of January 2015.