What's New in Kitchen Gadgets?

[Paul Fink]

22 hours ago, gfweb said:

I have had one of these for ages. Tough and cheap.

Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus DLC-2A Processor

 I've had one of these for years too.

I use it mostly to grind spices

[Toliver]

The first new gadget has an Indiegogo campaign: 

"SOBRO: The smart coffee table for cold beers and chill tunes"

I didn't see a mention in the article how it's powered and I am too lazy to look at its Indiegogo campaign. I assume it's corded...oh good, something to trip over in the living room.  I can see it being a benefit for gamers and lazy-ass people who don't want to get up and walk into the kitchen to get their drinks.

 

The other item is an old "new" gadget with a new meal kit spin:

"Nomiku Sous Chef"

There's a video on that linked-to web page featuring the "smart" cooking unit and detailing a meal kit plan that is currently only going to be available in California. The bags in the meal kit have an RFID code/chip that the unit scans and recognizes and it automatically cooks the meal to the proper temperature. Sounds expensive to me, in the long run, IMHO. Especially the part where they know when you're running low on meal kits and they automatically ship you more. Uhm, er...my credit card and I thank you for that. 

[Toliver]

A new Bento-ish lunchbox to take to work, on Kickstarter:

Fittbo

There's a video on that web page showing it off.

[DianaB]

There are various posts across the forum that mention Brod and Taylor's folding proofing box.  We have owned one for some years and it gets used several times each week for bread and on odd occasions for chocolate.  I'm not certain whether this is a 'gadget' or an 'appliance', other posts about the box appear in a variety of threads.  

 

We received email from the company a few days ago indicating that new versions of the same item are being sold to slow cook one pot dishes as an extra function.  Using the box to culture yoghurt has been promoted for some time but I don't recall reading about slow cooking until recently.  Here is a link to the manufacturer's page:

https://brodandtaylor.co.uk/folding-proofer-and-slow-cooker/

 

Has anyone tried this function?

 

I set mine to the maximum 47c and placed a pan of water directly onto the heating plate for an hour or so.  The temperature achieved when checked with a Thermopen was significantly over 47, no doubt because the metal container had played its part.  From memory it was in the high 60s.

 

I would be interested in anyone's experience of using the proofing box for anything beyond proofing bread, tempering chocolate or culturing yoghurt.

[Anna N]

I was given a gift certificate to Homesense at Christmas so today I tried my best to spend it.  But rest assured did I did not buy this:

 

 

 But I did find it quite amusing.  I don’t remember if I even looked at price since it was not calling out to me in the least. 

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

I was given a gift certificate to Homesense at Christmas so today I tried my best to spend it.  But rest assured did I did not buy this:

 

 

 But I did find it quite amusing.  I don’t remember if I even looked at price since it was not calling out to me in the least. 

 

Could easily be a Ronco product from the 70s

 

[pastrygirl]

A highly specific tool, but one that I would like to have: 

https://beryls.com/store/most-precious/drageekiss/

https://www.facebook.com/drageekiss/

[caroled]

50 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

aA highly specific tool, but one that I would like to have: 

https://beryls.com/store/most-precious/drageekiss/

https://www.facebook.com/drageekiss/

Thanks for posting this if for no other reason than it lead me to their FB page and I saw some of Karen Portaleo 's work.

Edited January 4, 2018 by caroled
Correct the spelling of a name. (log)

[Kerry Beal]

I bought my first one from Beryl's - she's lovely and very helpful.

[Anna N]

Another kitchen gadget we don’t need?

 

The bacon bowl maker. 

[Toliver]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

Another kitchen gadget we don’t need?

 

The bacon bowl maker. 

Alton Brown would be pissed seeing another Only-One-Task kitchen item. Though I suppose you could make tortilla bowls, too, with the gadget.

 

I liked this thingy:  Cookie Shot Maker

I'm thinking you might be able to make Thanksgiving stuffing "shot glasses" with it that could be filled with gravy. The possibilities could be endless...

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, Toliver said:

Alton Brown would be pissed seeing another Only-One-Task kitchen item. Though I suppose you could make tortilla bowls, too, with the gadget.

 

I liked this thingy:  Cookie Shot Maker

I'm thinking you might be able to make Thanksgiving stuffing "shot glasses" with it that could be filled with gravy. The possibilities could be endless...

 

Interesting.  I have a silicone mold similar to that.  It was sold to make "shot glasses" made of ice.  If I ever find it, I'll steal your idea.  I have some gravy-loving cousins who would love it!

[Anna N]

3 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Interesting.  I have a silicone mold similar to that.  It was sold to make "shot glasses" made of ice.  If I ever find it, I'll steal your idea.  I have some gravy-loving cousins who would love it!

I know this is now very common but I do recall when @Kerry Beal and I attended an Eggfest (or perhaps it was a restaurant show)that someone was serving pork sundaes.  Pork, mashed potatoes and gravy were presented in something that resembled a (disposable) parfait glass.  I was quite taken with the idea and at one time thought I would replicate it but it’s one of those things on my to do list that never gets done.   Tiny meat and potato parfaits with gravy in shooter size servings would be such fun.

[rotuts]

@Anna N

 

interesting

 

why not 

 

''''   meat - ++ shooters ""

 

in a pita like ' vessel '   of your chose

 

where you took something thin , like pita opened up

 

crunchy or not 

 

in a small size

 

presented as  ' shooters ' ?

 

I know nothing of ' shooters ' myself

 

Ive always preferred the whole bottle myself.

 

then there was the brief time I experienced 

 

vodka jello at a significant Halloween Party 

 

[Kerry Beal]

51 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Interesting.  I have a silicone mold similar to that.  It was sold to make "shot glasses" made of ice.  If I ever find it, I'll steal your idea.  I have some gravy-loving cousins who would love it!

Some silicone is made for freezing and not for baking though - so check which kind it is before you bake in it.

[Toliver]

2 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Some silicone is made for freezing and not for baking though - so check which kind it is before you bake in it.

I thought about that, too. But on the page for the silicone mold they show baked cookie "shot glasses", so I'm assuming it'd be okay for the oven.

[andiesenji]

I have a waffle bowl maker that I use a lot. My daughter also bought one. 

 

Back when I was catering, one of my helpers was very adept at making cast sugar cups that we used for place markers, filled with little

candies, candied nuts, etc.  I made some but I was not anywhere near as good or as fast as she was.  

Mostly they were plain little round cups - shaped like the small tea cups in Japanese restaurants but occasionally, for small parties, she would make teacups with handles and tiny saucers which were attached to the bottom of the cups.

Once she made little sombreros with the rims turned up to hold the goodies and with a slot in the crown of the hat to hold the place card.

I did not attempt any of the fancier stuff.

My modest expertise with sugar was pulled sugar ribbons and bows and even a couple of rosettes with "trailng" ribbons. 

[Toliver]

2 hours ago, andiesenji said:

I have a waffle bowl maker that I use a lot. My daughter also bought one

I thought about waffle cone bowls this morning. I figured the bacon bowl maker could make them, as well.

[andiesenji]

Because I write a lot of reviews on Amazon, I get emails with "New products that may interest you."  

 

I got this one  Mengshen Self Stirring Glass Mug  which has no reviews to date. 

I scrolled down and was surprised to see that there are a bunch of these "self-stirring" vessels.  And it's only 350ml, isn't that about 12 ounces?  That's not big enough for me.  My coffee mug is 16 ounces.

 

Have none of these people heard of a spoon?  

I have a self-stirring cooking appliance  because I don't want foods to scorch.  I guess it is too much effort to remove a lid and stir a beverage by hand.  I can see this being a good thing for someone who is disabled but they don't seem to be aiming at that market.

Edited April 30, 2018 by andiesenji (log)

[Anna N]

3 hours ago, andiesenji said:

I can see this being a good thing for someone who is disabled but they don't seem to be aiming at that market.

Nope,  they are definitely not reaching out to that market since the gadget is not dishwasher nor microwave safe.  And if it’s not aimed the disabled then this becomes rather laughable:

”No spoon any more, simply press the STIR button and the hard work has been done for you.”  

That is from the product description. 

[Lisa Shock]

The stirring mugs are primarily for people adding a lot of butter or oil to their coffee, in order to temporarily distribute it. There's also usefulness there for people who drink those commercial protein powder drinks or diet shakes, or whatever.

[liuzhou]

On 01/05/2018 at 3:10 AM, andiesenji said:

Because I write a lot of reviews on Amazon, I get emails with "New products that may interest you."  

 

I got this one  Mengshen Self Stirring Glass Mug  which has no reviews to date. 

I scrolled down and was surprised to see that there are a bunch of these "self-stirring" vessels.  And it's only 350ml, isn't that about 12 ounces?  That's not big enough for me.  My coffee mug is 16 ounces.

 

Have none of these people heard of a spoon?  

I have a self-stirring cooking appliance  because I don't want foods to scorch.  I guess it is too much effort to remove a lid and stir a beverage by hand.  I can see this being a good thing for someone who is disabled but they don't seem to be aiming at that market.

 

 

I acquired one of those about ten years ago. Bought because it amused me. I'm easily amused. Never used it.

Edited May 2, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Spotted these today in a Japanese store in Vietnam. 

 

 

They are plastic cases to hold eggs while you boil them. Perhaps they hadn't noticed eggs come in shells.

Edited May 1, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[Anna N]

4 hours ago, Lisa Shock said:

The stirring mugs are primarily for people adding a lot of butter or oil to their coffee, in order to temporarily distribute it. There's also usefulness there for people who drink those commercial protein powder drinks or diet shakes, or whatever.

 So following a health regimen which apparently these things are supposed to promote will deprive one of the strength to stir a drink?  Doesn’t hold much water with me.  

[rotuts]

butter in your coffee ?