Yes, with just 1 tbsp of oil, you too can "fry" 2.2lbs of fries. And that claim seems legit, as the ActiFry uses a what looks like convection cooking (hot air blowing around) and a big stirring paddle to make potatoes crispy on all sides.

Think of it as a hot version of an ice cream maker.

Now maybe T-fal's ActiFry works, and maybe it doesn't (just glancing at their site, this method of frying doesn't fare so well for, say, chicken—at least according to their own photos that show drumsticks that look straight-up boiled). But by making frying healthy, not only are you spiting the gods, you're defeating the most pleasurable part of consuming that which has been born of grease: the looming danger of cardiac arrest. $300 [T-Fal via GadgetGrid via OhGizmo!]

Luckily, manufacturer Rihanna is working on this $100 kitchen scale due out next year, complete with an iPod dock and 2W speaker (the speaker is hidden under the glass platform). Your iPod shows you the song while a black and white LCD displays the weights. I mean, does life get any better than this? [ADE via gizmag via UberGizmo]

Called "Coral," this concept pot is coated in thermochromic spots, highlighting sectors in the pale blue design with fiery orange and red as the pot heats. The thing is, I don't even need the Coral to change color. I'd buy the color bubble design as is (or at least, I'd consider the idea before questioning whether it would match my kitchen, future kitchen, various other pots I own, various other appliances I own, etc etc etc, along with whether or not I needed yet another thing taking up space in my kitchen cabinets—the answer of which would inevitably be "no" as I walked out of Macy's or Sur La Table or whatever, unfulfilled as a consumer but maturer as a person).

Sorry, maybe that was TMI on my kitchen-related buying habits. Just being honest. [Yanko via Unplggd]

Wylie does a pretty good job of explaining just how the CVap works in the above video, but here's the description from the product's site to lay it all out for you:

Winston equipment uses CVap technology to independently control the temperature of the water in the evaporator and the temperature of the air in the cabinet. Since food is mostly comprised of water, controlling food quality is dependent upon control of food moisture. The oven controls evaporation by producing a vapor-laden environment that completely surrounds food with moisture, creating an opposing vapor pressure that prevents the food from losing or gaining too much moisture. Independent control of air temperature determines the texture (browning level or crispness) of your food product. Independent control of water temperature matches the vapor temperature of the cabinet with that of the food being cooked or held, thus creating an ideal environment for maintaining food temperature over extended time periods.

Wylie uses the CVap to make dishes such as turbot, barbecued lentils, cauliflower and dried apricot. He cooks both the turbot and the cauliflower in the CVap, albeit at different temperatures, to perfectly cook the fish as well as turn thinly sliced cauliflower into cauliflower chips. Mmmm, delicious.

Basically, if Dan replaced his dishwasher with one of these, he'd never fail at cooking a piece of fish again. It's able to stop cooking when it senses something is done and just hold food at temperature, which is surely a godsend for chefs who are trying to keep their eye on a half-dozen things at once. Basically, this is something that most amateur cooks would love to have on-hand, but it's just a bit too specific for a regular kitchen. But for a pro like Wylie, he can use it to cook proteins and vegetables alike in a way that you never could do at home, and expend less effort while doing so. Hell, it'd probably be even more useful for talentless schlubs like us, but I guess that's just the way life is. [Winston CVap]

By designers Sang-hoon Lee and Yong-bum Lim, The "Braun" Bell Mug concept senses liquid levels and chimes at three stages of fullness (about 1/3, halfway and 3/4). It would allow someone without sight to fill a mug perfectly every time while keeping their fingers clear of uncharted waters.

And the best part? There's no element of this design that's too implausible to keep it from manufacture. [Yanko Design via DVICE]

Taylor Kitchenware should have their version (above) on store shelves by fall. No, it's not quite as eye-catching as the original design (even the fonts rub me the wrong way), but if a less attractive red color scheme is the price of actually releasing a good idea to the public, then so be it. [Yanko Design]

Epoch will officially unveil this toy sushi train later this month at the Tokyo Toy Show. Doubtfully slated for a US release (most probably because the train's design wasn't meant to accommodate several pounds of cow meat dipped in butter), the train is a replica of Japan's famously fast N700 series Shinkansen. We're assuming that given the model's plastic construction, Epoch's mini Shinkansen delivers sushi at speeds slower than 186MPH.

But as anyone who's played with a cheap toy train around the holidays can attest, plans for your pricey toro could quickly derail mid-transit, adding a bit of carpet lint and dog hair to your typical wasabi and soy sauce mix. Still, you could do worse than eating off the floor. I mean, once you've taken a ride on the sushi train, you can't just go back to the humdrum life of plates. (Trust me. My quest for unique dining experiences dictates that I only accept food delivered via a Dolly Parton impersonator bungee jumping from a hot air balloon. The thought of anything less makes me want to vomit.) [HobbyMedia]

While most of us dump coffee grounds into the garbage (OK, some of us might use them for compost or fertilizer), eco fashion company Singtex has taken three years to patent a process that converts used coffee grounds into yarn. And this yarn can weave shirts that aren't just Starbucks-approved, but that feature fast-drying, anti-odor properties. (S Cafe shirts look like any typical performance sportswear.)

Now if only they managed to infuse the fabric with a little of the coffee's caffeine we'd be onto something. [Singtex via Taiwan News via Greenlaunches]

This otherwise standard, boring island's countertop slides out to stretch its surface area while revealing (cold?) storage, a sink and electric burners. Comparing this design to the layout of more than one of my tiny apartments, there's really no contest—this island is simpler, more space efficient and has a lot more eye appeal. I'd far rather work on an island than with my face pressed to cabinets, and there's enough surface area here to match most small kitchens.

Then again, keep in mind that you need to leave the open space for everything to unfold and the island fails to accommodate a simple toaster, blender, or even oven. So maybe existing designs don't have it all wrong even if they aren't quite as chic or idealistic. [Ensci via freshome via dvice]

The $36 Porta-Pizza Oven is a toaster oven/pizza cooker that plugs into your car's 12V cigarette lighter. Despite top and bottom cooking elements providing high and low heat settings, we can't help but maintain a little skepticism. Even in their promo shot, the pizza is spilling out of the oven (presumably onto your car's leather seats...oh...you didn't get the upgrade? That's OK, we're sure your car is very nice. No really, we all know those luxury packages are a rip. And there's a recession on. Right, you're right—tell the valet that when he snickers at your interior. But if it makes you feel any better, he's probably laughing at the fact that you just downed a large Tombstone that you cooked on the way to the restaurant. Yeah, most people consider that a weird habit.). [Stupididiotic via technabob]

N2Wine, makers of 'wine globes' believe that yes, yes you are ready to buy wines distributed from big vats. They argue that the aging process is overrated and that 90% of wines are as good when bottled as they'll ever be. (Sommeliers in the audience are welcome to affirm or refute that point in the comments while we move on.)

Wine globes are glass containers capable of holding 33 or 70 bottles of wine (depending on the size) that are specifically designed to thwart oxidization, the chemical reaction that ages wine, by preventing any air from entering the system. Instead, the globes vino-filled spheres constantly topped off by "food-grade" nitrogen when liquid levels deplete, essentially freezing wine's flavor in time.

The wine is also under constant water-cooled temperature regulation so that it's served perfectly every time and, obviously, the system can offer more wines by the glass than most restaurants currently offer. A $20,000 wine globe system holds 24 varietals of wine—or 168 bottles in all—putting each wine globe at about a $1000 price but eliminating the need for a cellar.

So would you order wine from a spigot? If the science is legit and the quality control is high, I'd try it out. [N2Wine via gizmag]

The Chef Robot, model M-430iA hand type H (yes, after Man's fall, robots will actually categorize our various limbs with cold, alphabetic precision), can gently relocate small objects like sushi and pharmaceuticals (two of our favorite pastimes) without crushing or dropping the precious cargo.

It's too early to determine whether or not bodily fluids like blood, puss or liquefied, decomposing skin will taint the dining experience. But robots, people, robots! [Mainichi Daily News via TokyoMango]

If only I'd had this set of taco plates then (just $8 for 6!), I could have made a serious run for juvenile diabetes. Instead, I'm sitting here with a slightly high but reasonable BMI, repressing my crushed dreams/tacos with Freudian levels of emotional aloofness.

It's OK. I don't need your pity. [Solutions via CrunchGear]

It could happen on a deserted island, or it could happen on a particularly long wait in the subway. Either way, it's only a matter of time before, in a moment of extreme hunger, you eye your MP3 player for snacking. As your teeth penetrate the tasteless silicon shell, you'll find the aluminum center to be ever so harder on tooth enamel than nougat—a point to which your dentist will concur.

Plus you'll still be hungry. [SwitchEasy]

Comprised of 200 tiny walnut and maple squares, these Space Invaders coasters run $50 or five. At that price, you might not want to assemble a whole army as tradition dictates, even if it means you need to scale back that demented drinking game you just thought up. [Etsy via Geeky Gadgets]

It's a touchscreen LCD the size of a 5x7 card, coated to be splashproof in your kitchen. Syncing via USB to your account at keyingredient.com (the only supported service), the system stores up to 2500 recipes that you can access through what looks to be a pretty clean interface—though for some reason the platform eschews food porn photography.UPDATE: Apparently any recipe can include a photo of the dish, it's just that most of the press shots don't.

Available in May for $300, the Demy (in the works since 2007) is really just a touchscreen digital photo frame that's been retrofitted with a handy service. But who cares? It's also the most promising kitchen gadget I've seen in some time. [Demy and Amazon via popgadget]

Magnus has to make do with preparing mixing meals in plastic bags and cooking ingredients over low heat burners (simple sauteed garlic and onions is a several hour venture on ISS burners that operate on 30-minute safety timers).

Her flavors consist of spicing up standard space rations with fresh ingredients brought on board by new crewmates. Her Superbowl spinach dip, for instance, is a combination of rehydrated cream of mushroom soup, canned Russian cheese and creamed spinach. But as comforting as a good meal can be, I can't imagine being stuck in the ISS without any fresh air only to look over at Magnus, who is cooking pungent aromatics with a smile.

Lots more on the topic at these two links: [Discovery and Discovery]

On one hand, the NitroCream N2-G4 needs no freezers or water lines. It's incredibly simple, just mixing liquid nitrogen in with your sugar cream base. On the other, it's pretty much a glorified Kitchen Aid mixer with a liquid nitrogen pump.

But OK, my dark consumer heart still craves this gadget that will put your fancy Italian espresso maker to shame, while simultaneously eliminating the risk of me going all T1000 during the dessert course.

In custom configurations reaching $75,000, the NitroCream N2-G4 is available to both restaurant kitchens and those who own kitchens that rival restaurants'. [NitroCream via Bornrich]