Of course, this isn't the first time that someone's thought of making a transparent toaster, but this one is actually more than a concept. Apparently it'll actually be made and sold by a company called Magimix.

Geez. Now I'm craving toast and will probably cause a kitchen fire with my old-school, non-transparent toaster. [Moco Loco via kPSFK]

The Stadler Form Fred looks simple, yet fancy, like many of the humidifiers I saw when I visited Japan recently. It's only about $159 after being imported from Korea, so it's not absurdly priced like some of the ones I've seen. The only questions are whether it dispenses enough mist to properly moisturize the room, and if it has a big enough tank to last through the whole night, and if it's quiet enough to not wake you up every few hours. [Funshop via Dvice]

Othmar Mühlebach's design won second prize at the Berner Design Awards, and certainly would have won first prize if it had a built in a butter and jam printer. It's probably for the best, though. I don't want to have to buy overpriced Smuckers refill cartridges. [Polaine via Core77 via Likecool]

I don't know if they are military-grade or not, but their retrofuturistic blender, food processor, juicer, hand mixer, and stab mixer look like they can blend, process, juice, mix, and stab giant extraterrestrial cockroaches without getting a scratch. Their prices go from $210 to $570, with a five year general guarantee and 15 years guarantee for the motors. In other words: You and your spouse will have to fight for them at one point. [Appliancist, Appliancist and Appliancist via Unplggd]

Just touch with any dry, clean part of your body to activate. Any clean body part will work. That simple. Touch to activate. Touch to deactivate. That. Is. It. Off with handles. Off with indicators. Off with any superfluous elements. Just capacitive touch built in the whole body, so you don't have to mess its metallic surface with your dirty, wet hands. And you can even detach the tip.

Geeneeus functionality, and perfect, minimalist design. Jon Ive and Dieter Rams probably have theirs already. As soon as I get $547 to throw away, I'll get mine. [Delta Faucet via Core77]

My point is: What's the fun of using a machine like the Kenwood Cooking Chef—which can cook at temperatures between 68ºF and 284ºF while stirring at three different speeds—to cook a risotto? Where is the fun in that when the alternative is doing it yourself alongside your loved one, improvising, sharing a nice wine, music, and conversation, waiting for your friends to arrive?

I rest my case. [Daily Mail via Dvice]

Even if the washer is all eco-friendly with electricity consumption dropping "from 79 watt hours to 72 watt hours and water consumption trickl[ing] down to 67 liters from 72 liters per load," the price is outrageous and keeps us from adding it to our laundry rooms just yet. (Though one of us could use it for his questionable bedsheet stains.) [Discover]

This dishwasher concept from De Dietrich uses cavitation to clean your dishes. In layman's terms that means tiny bubbles strike your dinnerware and scrub the surfaces clean. The process cuts out much of the water and energy waste associated with traditional dishwashers.

Sadly, this dishwasher can't be used to steam a salmon, which, on second thought, may be a good thing. [De Dietrich via Appliancist via DVICE]

As you can see, you can use it horizontally and vertically, with the interior layout adjusted by the user. Just remember to close the milk's bottle before turning it around. [Appliancist]

I've been told that's pretty typical of people who lived through The Great Depression or the War in Europe (she was on the wrong side in the latter). I think it's kinda the same instinct, but like on a smaller scale. Or you know, there's just a delicious renaissance in gourmet TV dinners. [Consumer Reports via Consumerist, Image: Getty]

• It's Friday. You arrive home. You are drunk, like always. You have a Great Idea that, most probably, you will repent about the next morning. Knowing that you will spend the whole day in bed next Saturday, you think about bringing the Qube foldable hob next to your bed, along with some bacon and eggs. You know, for brunch. You wake up on Saturday with your face and chest covered with eggs, bacon in your underpants, olive oil on your hands, and a strange tingling sensation up your pooper. You repent. You don't want to know. You vow it will never happen again.

• It's Friday. The next Friday. You arrive home and you are drunk again. And hungry. You feel like banana pancakes. But you also feel like having a bath because you stink like a skunk dead from an overdose of MDMA and caipirinhas. Not knowing what to do, you go to the kitchen to get your Qube foldable hob, some bananas, pancake mix, maple syrup, and whipped cream to the bathtub. You wake up in the cold water next morning, two dozen pancakes floating on a mixture of water, maple syrup, and whipped cream. You can see last week's underpants lying on the floor, still with bacon in them. You notice the same tingling sensation, but you can't find any sign of the bananas. You repent again. A lot.

So maybe, the foldable hob to go thing is not such a good idea. Hanging it on the wall of a small kitchen, however, is a brilliant idea.

Gorenje Qube Fridge and Oven

They also had three beautiful stand-alone kitchen appliances in the same line—fridge and ovens—that are designed to be placed anywhere in your kitchen and easily moved around, like any piece of furniture. See them in video after the jump.

Gorenje Qube Top Oven

Unfortunately, these four kitchen appliances are still just prototypes. We were told the products will come to the market, but maybe not soon enough for me to install the wall-mounted Qube in my new apartment in New York. That if I can find an apartment before I leave at the end of this month. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]

Honestly, it never ceases to amaze me the amount of stuff these kind of general consumer-oriented companies make. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]

Using the power generated by a high-pressure CO2 gas system and mechanical ram, Yauner managed to get his toast to pop up about seven feet into the air—which was enough to set the record. However, that figure was restricted by the height of his ceiling, so he will try and re-set the record tomorrow with an attempt conducted outdoors (although I doubt that it will reach heights like those portrayed in the image above). Why build a toaster that pops that high, you ask? According to Yauner, "Everyone loves it when a toaster has a good pop to it, so I thought this was the logical next step, to create a new space in the market." Indeed, you haven't had a good piece of toast until it has picked up a bit of grime from the floor and the ceiling. [Freddie Yauner via Core77)

Designed by Marie-Christine Lacasse and Marie Claude Savard, I almost like it. Almost. Big thumbs-up to the elongated rack—but I'm just not sure about that "autonomous" dishwasher unit that moves across the rack, rather like the printer head on an old dot matrix printer. And ladies, where was the spirit level in the making of your dishwasheur? Attention to detail, that's Giz all over, innit? [MoCo Loco]

The stainless steel faucet utilizes carbon fiber for extra strength and less weight, while staying within the bounds of the design. It also has two spray modes, but technical specs aside, the main draw here is the look. You can't help but stare at it. Details haven't surfaced on pricing or release date, but I'd be willing to wager this thing will cost a pretty penny. [DVICE]

KOHLER LAUNCHES BREAKTHROUGH KARBON ARTICULATING KITCHEN FAUCET

New kitchen faucet marries ultimate kitchen functionality with visually entrancing design

KOHLER, Wis. - April 11, 2008 - What does the ultimate in functionality for a kitchen faucet really mean?
For Kohler Co. - a global leader in kitchen and bath design and technology - ultimate functionality can be defined as a kitchen faucet that possesses the functionality and performance of a pull-down faucet, while also allowing the user to position and leave the sprayhead right where it's needed, thereby freeing up both hands for kitchen prep and clean-up tasks. To develop a kitchen faucet that satisfied this requirement was the tall task presented to the Kohler new product development team.

The result is the new KOHLER Karbon kitchen faucet, a faucet of unexpected and intriguing design that will undoubtedly become the primary focal point of any contemporary kitchen setting.

"This articulating faucet represents a breakthrough in the evolution of the category," commented Les Petch, senior product manager for KOHLER kitchen faucets. "The quest for the ultimate in functionality has not only produced a faucet that outperforms other models but has also yielded an astonishing piece of contemporary design work that represents as much a piece of art as the next generation in faucet technology. It truly is a one-of-a-kind."

The original design impetus of the Karbon kitchen faucet was inspired by lighting and construction equipment with articulating joints. The Kohler design team took this concept and created a product that signals a paradigm shift in the functionality and design of modern kitchen faucets. "Form really does follow function in this case," said Petch. "But that doesn't take away from the fact that the Karbon faucet is an outstanding piece of modern industrial design." The use of a textured carbon fiber composite adds further appeal to a unique visual aesthetic that reinforces the contemporary nature of the design.

Unlike other kitchen faucets, the Karbon faucet will maintain the exact position where a user places it within its allotted reach in or outside the sink, keeping the spray head and water flow exactly where it's desired. Additionally, the faucet offers both spray and aerated water flow options, eliminating the need for a sidespray. An elaborate design detail is featured in the remote joystick valve that consists of two disks of identical size installed flush with the countertop to provide an unusually sleek look and offer easy cleaning.

The actual construction of the faucet is a combination of traditional brass and innovative carbon fiber composite tubing. The logic behind the use of carbon fiber lies in its superior strength and light weight, allowing for tight movement tolerance and the exceptional functional performance of this faucet. The joints connecting the four sections of the faucet employ a novel patented technology that provides exceptional resistance to support the spout while allowing for smooth and effortless handling.

The Karbon kitchen faucet is available in high quality, durable Polished Chrome and Vibrant® Stainless finishes and carries a lifetime limited warranty. Offering easy installation, it relies on flexible connections and installation rings. Installers will want to take note that the joystick valve requires non-standard holes of two inches in diameter.