Gizmodo: kitchenwares

Your Nose Knows the Silhouette Wine Glass Works

Charlie White — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:20:00 EDT

Winos are going to love the Silhouette, the wine glass that lets you bury your nose in that heady aroma of the vine. After all, a large percentage of the oenophile's pleasure is in the "nose" of the stuff, which means "the smell factor" to the rest of us rotgut drinkers. So go ahead, get your nose right up in there and fully enjoy the wine tasting experience.

This cutout design will let you tilt that sucker all the way up to your forehead. If that's not tasteful, I don't know what is. The only problem? Each one of these ordinary wine glasses with a chunk bitten out of them will drain you of a castle-temperature $54, and that kinda stinks. [Greatest Wine Glass]

Tefal Actifry Fries Up Junk Food With 3% of the Fat

Charlie White — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:30:00 EDT

Put more than two pounds of potatoes or any other soon-to-be fried foods in this Tefal Actifry, add a tablespoon of your favorite grease, and it goes to town, spinning those babies around like a washing machine while heating them up with a lot of hot air. The result? Crispy fried foods with only 3% of the fat content of your regular gut busters. Or so say the Tefal spinmeisters.

The company says 70% of people who've tried the Tefal Actifry like its results, but considering that 50% of many fried foods such as potato chips and french fries consist of fat, we have serious doubts about whether this appliance can get the job done without consequences. We're thinking these fried foods coming out of this thing probably taste a whole lot like the results of those hot air popcorn poppers, and eating that stuff is like popping crunchy cotton balls in your mouth.

Available first in Europe, the Actifry is $302. [Tefal]

DaysAgo Counts the Days For You

Charlie White — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 09:17:58 EDT

DaysAgo is a little digital date counter that attaches to anything with its magnetic or suction backing, and tells you how long it's been since, well, whatever. Put it on those leftovers so you'll know how long they've been sitting in the refrigerator, or slap it on a plant pot to let you know when the last time you watered the poor thing. You can even stick one on your armpit so you'll know when was the last time you took a shower. Scratch that last one, your nose knows.

This DaysAgo device is similar to those Timestrips we told you about a while back, but the DaysAgo is reusable and can count up to 99 days, compared to the Timestrip which is single-use and only works for three to five days. Plus, DaysAgo counters are just $5, versus Timestrips which are $10 for 20 disposable single-use strips. DaysAgo might just be a big help for dazed, absent-minded bloggers – Charlie White

Product Page [Double U Products]

Daewoo Voice-Activated Microwave

Charlie White — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:43:55 EDT

Daewoo announced its voice-activated microwave oven, a good listener in the kitchen which understands anyone who talks to it. That is, as long as you tell it one of its 40 voice commands it's able to recognize. You just tell it what you'd like to cook, and it goes on its merry way, nuking it with 95% accuracy.

Seems like it would be fun to talk to your oven for the first day or two, but really, how hard is it to push a couple of buttons? No pricing was announced, but the company says it will be available sometime in 2007. – Charlie White

Daewoo Unveils Voice Recognition Microwave [ [BornRich]

Melitta ME1MSB Smart Brew Coffeemaker Shows You Weather Reports

Charlie White — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:29:04 EDT

Okay, all you wonks who complained that we had a coffeemaker on the Giz the other day, keep scrolling. Now that the whiny geek is gone, let me tell you about the Melitta ME1MSB Smart Brew Coffeemaker, a 10-cup pot that uses Microsoft SPOT (Smart Personal Objects Technology) to give you almost-live weather data from MSN Direct right there above its button pad.

There's no setup, subscription or Internet connection required—it's all broadcast to you via the FM band. Plus, the coffeemaker automatically grinds and brews that java for you, so you can load it up with beans and water the night before and be greeted with a steamy carafe of that jitter-inducing manna from heaven.

What a great idea, to have a live weather display on a coffeemaker. That's exactly the place you're standing when you're wondering what kind of day it's going to be outside. Spot-on use of SPOT, but you'll pay dearly at $199 when it's available November 15. – Charlie White

Melitta ME1MSB Smart Brew Coffeemaker With MSN Direct [SpotStop]

Stay-Cold Polar Pitcher: Straight, No Chaser

Charlie White — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:25:54 EDT

We like our beers straight, not watered down, and we like the way the Stay-Cold Polar Pitcher holds ice cubes up-close-and-personal to that brewski, cooling it off without adulterating it in any way. The $18 60-ounce unbreakable polycarbonate pitcher holds plenty of ice in its special compartment, keeping it completely separate, where it belongs.

For a double dose of coolness, pour that frosty brew into 24-ounce Stay-Cold Polar Mugs ($12 each) that hold those cold cubes close without exposing them to your sacred drink. Then you can quaff that chilly beer with confidence, straight, no chaser, beer-only, bottle to belly. Cheers. – Charlie White

Product Page [Sporty's, via Tech E Blog]

Design Concept: Sonoclean Ultrasonic Cleaning Device

Charlie White — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 10:15:09 EDT

When someone dreams up a design concept that will make washing dishes easier, our interest is piqued. This Sonoclean ultrasound cleaning device will take the place of that spray nozzle that pulls out of the kitchen sink, sending ultrasound waves through the sprayed water and blasting away dirt without the need for any dishwashing liquid. It looks pretty cool, too.

It's designed by Tobias Berneth, and as is the case with many of these concepts, there was no announcement about when or if it will be manufactured. But hey, Tobias, put this baby on a robot arm and teach that sucker how to use it, and we're home free. – Charlie White

Design page [Yanko Design, via OhGizmo]

Coming Soon: Timestrips Smart Labels

Charlie White — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 10:02:25 EDT

Timestrips smart labels have been talked about for some time and are just about to reach a refrigerator near you. Called "intelligent Post-it Notes" by their manufacturer, they are basically clocks, using capillary action to automatically monitor elapsed time, from under one day to six months.

Activate a Timestrip after you open a perishable food container, and a tinted liquid-filled indicator slowly begins moving across a range of time that shows you how long a product has been sitting in your refrigerator. The big news here is that Nestlé is going to soon begin using the smart labels on its packaging for a line of ready-to-use sauces. This looks like it could be a great product—it's cheap, and it's immensely useful. Heck, it could even save your life. It's about time. – Charlie White

Product Page [Timestrip, via Popgadget]

Cupple Coffee Mug & Holder

Charlie White — Wed, 24 May 2006 17:00:00 EDT

Can't figure out where to put those coffee mugs once you're done with them? Plug them into the wall with this ball-and-socket design with three ceramic mugs and a wall-mounted rubberized holder for $49. This is an unusual conversation starter, with the mug's protruding handle engaging in a curious lube-free intercourse with its holder, saving space and looking cool at the same time.

Product Page [Generate, via OhGizmo]

Sommelier Wine Glass Plays Down Your Hoity-Toity Instincts

Charlie White — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 10:13:52 EST

There's a bit of subtle humor in these hand-blown Sommelier Wine Glasses, replicas of those everyday plastic cups that are handed out at keggers and beer bashes in trailer parks and college campuses all over the world.

Only difference is, these have a stem, and they're intricately crafted in ~~Czechoslovakia~~ the Czech Republic of artisan glass instead of plastic, a creation of artist Maxim Velcovsky. Your guests may not get the humor until you tell them that each glass costs $43. Ironic.

Product page [via productdose]

Drink Holdem

Charlie White — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:57:21 EST

If you've spilled one too many brewskis all over the poker table, you need the Drink Hold em, a better way to keep that drink out of harm's way while you bluff that sucker across the table. It has an adjustable sleeve to accommodate a variety of sizes of cans, bottles glasses and cups.

This also might be great for kids, or even your drunken roommate who can't seem to keep a full container upright. It's available now for $4.99.

Product page [via Strange New Products]