Archive for November, 2007

Cut through hard or soft foods without crushing or smashing using this cordless rechargeable knife. Its powerful high-torque motor moves the stainless-steel blades back and forth hundreds of times a minute for clean, even slices. Each custom-engineered blade set features over 70 serrated edges, which greatly amplify the slicing power of the knife–no need to push down on the blade or saw at food. The unit provides a bio-ergonomically engineered, ultra-lightweight body, perfectly balanced for accurate slicing, plus a padded nonslip grip for total comfort. Its conveniently placed power switch can be activated by a touch of the finger, while the integrated "safety lock" helps protect against unintentional start-up.

The knife remains fully charged and ready at all times thanks to its patented charging block. With its ultra-strong rechargeable battery, the knife can go anywhere in the kitchen and beyond–the outdoor barbeque, the patio, the dining room–even fishing and camping. Its "five-in-one" blade functions as an all-around blade for slicing meats, veggies, fish, fruit, or precision cutting, while the "micro-slicer" blade works wonders on slicing even the most delicate foods, such as breads and angel food cakes, as well as solid, dense foods like blocks of hard cheese or lunchmeat. To clean, the blades can simply be wiped with a clean damp towel after light use or they can be washed in hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher; dry all blades thoroughly before storing or next use. The handle and charging block clean up easily with a damp cloth. The electric knife measures approximately 10 by 8 by 12 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

Price:$60.06 at amazon

Having suffered through a bout of lactose intolerance - which is apparently pretty common among us Mediterranean types - I did think of turning to soya milk. While it never really did it for me and I’m (tentatively) back on the cow juice, there are plenty more sufferers as well as hordes of happy, healthy vegetarians, vegans and eco-warriors that prefer to drink non-dairy milks.

The Soyabella doesn’t only make soya milk, but will take the "meat" of any suitable nut combined with the right proportion of water and heat to 98 degrees. This means you should have a kettle-full of pure, home made nut milk in about 15 minutes. The simple blade and heating element inside means you should also be able to make soups, porridge, coffee and rice paste - maybe even fresh baby foods. Perhaps I could recreate the Best Pasta Sauce Ever made of cashew cream and mushrooms that I had in a vegan restaurant… mmmm… $130 (£65).

Source shinyshiny

Features

• Stainless steel body with insert that provides 3 different slice sizes
• 2 extra inserts for slicing, dicing, shredding and julienne selections
• Blade holder stores the 2 extra inserts (3.5 mm. and 7 mm.)
• Includes slicer, multifunction bowl, blade insert holder, 2 extra inserts and food safety holder
• Hand wash

Price:$99.99 at amazon.com

Altera Design Studio’s innovative kitchen Concept Alight Kitchen was recently awarded at the Incheon International Design Competition 2007 and will be exhibited at Incheon International Design Fair this December. The project deals with global shortages of clean water, food, resources. In such alarming times, what is the role of a designer? It is an unavoidable fact that innovative systems and products need to be designed for a sustainable way of life. That’s where the ALight Kitchen comes in.

The system is designed to not only minimize waste materials but to make people aware of how much they’re consuming.

• Only ready-made food and beverages are consumed in sheet-metal packaging so people will be conscious about what and how much they eat.
• Food and beverages packs will be kept inside the cooling unit of the system. It only allows storage of 3 days’ worth of food.
• A Smart oven warms up the food in groups to minimize how often it’s used. It arranges the ideal time and temperature for the packs by reading their barcodes.
• There are 4 hollow plates located on the main dining table. Each of them can rotate on its center-axis so you can eat on the either side of the plate. The center of the table houses a small flatware station.
• The integrated dishwasher conserves water by filtering and reusing previous wash water.
• All plates are stored underneath in their own compartments.

Source Yanko Design

In a very bizarre invention, MIT students have developed a voice-controlled blender that responds to the intensity of your growls with its speed. The louder and shriller your growl, the faster the speed of the blender. At times like these I’m always reminded of songs like Hungry like a wolf or Tarzan Boy!

Source Newlaunches

Nothing beats a mandoline for cutting uniform slices and strips of fruits and vegetables–and this model places your safety first and foremost. The base has a built-in stainless-steel V-shaped blade with a safety button that locks in any of the six included blades, ensuring that they can never accidentally move out of place. The food holder has an ergonomically designed handle that allows the full range of slicing motion and provides a stable grip. The food holder safely slides up and down on the mandoline’s unique grooved rail, which keeps the motion controlled and on track. For thicker chunks of fruits or veggies, the holder can even be lifted and angled to one side while still gripping the track. Food stays secured with the food guide, which pushes food through the holder and grips it with its sharp teeth.

The mandoline comes with six different blades that perform a variety of slicing functions. A 1/8-inch julienne insert is ideal for grating shoestring potatoes or carrots while a wider 1/4-inch julienne blade makes strips of zucchini or beets for steaming. The four slicing inserts offer different sizes–1/32-inch, 1/16-inch, 1/8-inch, 1/4-inch–to accommodate the widths of the foods you’re slicing but can all be adjusted to paper thin or chunky thicknesses. The 1/4-inch blade also serves as a safety insert to keep the blade from damage during storage. A storage caddy holds all blades and also acts as a drying rack after washing. The mandoline has non-skid feet to securely hold the base during slicing and an indent on the base so it can be used over a bowl. All parts are dishwasher-safe in the top rack and the entire product is covered by Zyliss under a 5-year warranty.

Price:$49.99 at amazon

Miss Brayshaw may be a kooky designer but her Verte Drain is even kookier. The modular system allows you to only have the components that best work for you, be it a dish rack, tumbler holder, flatware drainer - whatever floats your boat.

The system is compact, perfect for small kitchens and it looks like it might work well. The only strange thing I can’t get over is the dish rack which looks too much like something out of a human anatomy book.

Source Yanko Design

Andrea Branzi’s silver and birch-wood coffee set was our favourite thing at Design Art London, which took place last month. It isn’t new, but we’ve only just laid our hands on some pictures to show you. Instead of polishing the silver, Branzi dipped it in acid, giving the already thin material an incredibly delicate aesthetic. The silver is joined to the flaky birch wood handles with tiny metal screws. Designed by Branzi in 1995, only two of the 25-piece coffee sets have been made. They are available through Brussels-based Galerie Dewindt, along with the Italian designer’s birch-wood and silver vases, teapots and cups.

Source Yanko Design

  At last, a glass that won’t burn or freeze your hand. Two walls of clear glass with an air layer in-between not only keep drinks cold–or hot–but prevent condensation from forming on the outside. So, an ice-cold shot of vodka or a steamy espresso feels just right, no matter the temperature. And coasters won’t be needed, either.

Winner of the prestigious European iF Design Award, the mouth-blown Pavina glass exhibits Bodum’s flair for the modern. Each two-ounce glass curves beguilingly and fits the palm just right. Mouth-blown of borosilicate glass, which is quite a bit thinner yet much more durable than regular glass, the two Pavina glasses in this set are safe for both the microwave and dishwasher, resist temperature swings, and resist scratching and dulling. Care should be taken when placing ice cubes in an empty glass, and metal spoons for stirring are discouraged.

Features

• Set of 2 Bodum Pavina 2-ounce espresso glasses
• Mouth-blown of 2 layers of lightweight, durable borosilicate glass
• Keeps drinks insulated; won’t form condensation on outside
• Winner of the prestigious European iF Design Award
• Scratch-resistant; dishwasher- and microwave-safe

Price:$7.99 at amazon

  At last, a glass that won’t burn or freeze your hand. Two walls of clear glass with an air layer in-between not only keep drinks cold–or hot–but prevent condensation from forming on the outside. So, an ice-cold shot of vodka or a steamy espresso feels just right, no matter the temperature. And coasters won’t be needed, either.

Winner of the prestigious European iF Design Award, the mouth-blown Pavina glass exhibits Bodum’s flair for the modern. Each two-ounce glass curves beguilingly and fits the palm just right. Mouth-blown of borosilicate glass, which is quite a bit thinner yet much more durable than regular glass, the two Pavina glasses in this set are safe for both the microwave and dishwasher, resist temperature swings, and resist scratching and dulling. Care should be taken when placing ice cubes in an empty glass, and metal spoons for stirring are discouraged.

Features

• Set of 2 Bodum Pavina 2-ounce espresso glasses
• Mouth-blown of 2 layers of lightweight, durable borosilicate glass
• Keeps drinks insulated; won’t form condensation on outside
• Winner of the prestigious European iF Design Award
• Scratch-resistant; dishwasher- and microwave-safe

Price:$7.99 at amazon