Tag: kitchen

Categories
Kids/Babies

Sporklet makes mealtime less tedious for toddlers, parents alike

If it wasn’t for the fact that someone has to clean them up afterward, it might be amusing watching a toddler learn how to use a fork or spoon at mealtime. Chasing those peas around while trying to stab them with a fork, bite sized bits of carrots that miss the mouth on the first couple tries, and spaghetti is always a fun one. It’s enough to make one wonder if the fork or spoon winds up on the floor out of frustration or by accident.

Sporklet was designed with young ones and their developing motor skills in mind. The spoon-fork gadget also has a wrist attachment so that it can be loosely fastened to a child’s wrist and is less likely to wind up on the floor. Not entirely convinced it’s any better than any other toddler spoon or fork already out there, but it may be worth checking into further for the wrist attachment. This campaign seeks to raise $32,000. Early bird backers get one Sporklet for $16 with an expected delivery of July 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
Cooking

CookStarta tucks prep food away, won’t start dinner for you though

There’s something about a home cooked meal that just usually tastes better than what one can get in a restaurant – especially when one is not doing their own cooking. But even those who enjoy cooking usually don’t enjoy cleaning up the mess. CookStarta is a multifunctional kitchen tool that assists with food preparation. The device tucks partway under one’s cutting board and can be used to scrape into and hold all the unusable pieces of veggies and meat that get trimmed in advance, or it can be used to easily transport finely chopped items into the pan or pot. The product is made of food-grade polypropylene, which is dishwasher safe and reusable. It appears that it would work with pretty much any standard cutting board.

This is one of those products that seems useful at first, until you realize that the same thing can be done with materials that are already in the kitchen. Other convenient kitchen tools that may be of interest to backers are GrillOven, Gneiss Spice, and Cuffitts. This campaign seeks to raise £8,500 (~$13,300 USD). Backers get one CookStarta for £7 (~$11 USD) with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Trongs prevents evidence of sticky fingers

For those who don’t listen to that old tape of their mom’s voice in their head saying, “Wash your hands before you eat!” there is now a new type of eating utensil emerging in the marketplace.  Trongs goes one step further than a spork and blends tongs and a mini tripod. The idea is a product that fills in the gap between a fork, spoon and knife so that people can eat those traditional finger foods like french-fries, buffalo wings and barbecue ribs without having to get one’s fingers dirty and sticky and using lots of towelettes. Trongs lets the user pull rib and chicken meat away from the bone.

While they are washable and reusable, it’s unclear if they are dishwasher safe, or exactly what they are made of. Also, it doesn’t seem that they’d work so well with pizza, though that finger food can be eaten with a fork and knife if one really wants to do that.  This campaign seeks to raise $150,000. For $25, backers get one pack.

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
Food and Beverage

Spot-Not ensures your wine glasses are clear, saves you cheap detergent embarrassment

When hosting a dinner party or holiday get-together, glassware with water spots can be an embarrassment at an elegant soiree. That’s why the Spot-Not drying system was created. The glassware dryer has a multi-petal core that fits into any size wine glass. A microfiber towel dries up to 15 glasses and can be washed and reused. The magnetic decanter dryer includes a drying cloth with two embedded magnets for conforming to the inside of the decanter, and a drying mitt with embedded magnets for the outside. As the outside drying mitt is moved around, so is the inside drying cloth.

Spot-Not may also have a place in the restaurant industry because countless servers often have to spend lots of time polishing glasses for patrons. Wine-loving backers might also want to check out the Sonic Decanter campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $8,000 CAD (~$7,000 USD). Early bird backers get the complete system for $40 CAD (~$35 USD) with an expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Cooking

Gneiss Spice tidies up culinary toys for creating tasteful delights

Some people say that spices are toys for those who love to cook. They’re essential to creating a great meal, but all of those little bottles have a tendency to clog up kitchen cupboards. Gneiss Spice can make organizing them and actually using them much easier. Lids are magnetic so that spices can be stored on the refrigerator or some other convenient metal surface near the stove. It’s also possible to get a plate to go with these – assumedly metal, though that is not clearly stated.

One of the especially interesting goals of this campaign is to allow those who are interested to create their own custom spice rack for manufacturing. Interested backers might also want to check out the Mobin,  campaign, and those who love their fresh herbs may want to check out the Ecofarm and Herb Grower campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000 by December 8, 2014. Backers get three jars for $25 with an expected delivery of December 2014.