Kitchen

New coffee machine joins expanded Kenwood kMix range

By Emily Clark

19:17 September 9, 2008 PDT

Kenwood has unveiled a new addition to its kMix range; the CM 020 Coffee Maker. As well as aiming to be a colorful complement to your kitchen decor, the new caffeine machine features an Opti-Temp function which uses a separately heatable hotplate to constantly maintain coffee at an optimal temperature. Read More

Honda's all-new 2009 CRF450R Motocrosser gets fuel injection

By Loz Blain

17:29 September 8, 2008 PDT

Honda's CRF450R motocross bike has been hugely successful since its launch in 2002 - and although the bike is already recognized as the class leader, it's receiving a kitchen-sink included upgrade for 2009. Lighter, quicker, more powerful and with even tighter mass centralization for quick handling, the 2009 CRF450R also sports a Honda first - battery-free, programmable fuel injection that raises output power and control while dramatically reducing fuel consumption. Out of the box, Honda says it's two seconds faster around a supercross track than this year's bike. Read More

Siemens showcases new fast drying dishwashers at IFA

By Emily Clark

10:24 August 28, 2008 PDT

At this year’s IFA (the world's largest Consumer Electronics trade fair) in Berlin, Siemens unveiled its new speedMatic dishwasher featuring Zeolith drying technology for speedier drying times. The triple-A energy efficiency rated dishwasher can complete a standard 50C program in just 125 minutes or use its varioSpeed function to reduce program time by a further 50%. Read More

My Plate-Mate stops mealtime mess

By Jude Garvey

19:10 May 12, 2008 PDT

My Plate-Mate is a unique spill guard that attaches to standard round child or luncheon plates (8"- 9 1/2") and helps to prevent mealtime mess. It can stop food from spilling off the plate on to the table and helps your child scoop his food on to his spoon or fork. My Plate-Mate is made in the US using 100% FDA approved food grade plastic and is PVC and latex-free. It is safe to use in the dishwasher and microwave and comes in pink, white and blue. As it is lightweight, parents may choose to take it to restaurants or friends’ houses, it could prevent those disapproving glares from the Maitre De! Read More

Qubies: a quick and easy way to freeze baby food

By Jude Garvey

23:51 May 7, 2008 PDT

May 8, 2008 Qubies ice-cube tray is unique because it has the divider on the lid. Instead of trying to pour baby goop into a standard ice-cube tray, you simply fill the container, press on the lid and pop it in the freezer. A few hours later you will have a tray of 30 ml (about 1 fl. oz.) cubes of baby food ready for junior’s dinner. Read More

Samsung's unveils largest french door refrigerator

By Noel McKeegan

20:11 April 23, 2008 PDT

April 24, 2008 At a volume of 29-cubic-feet and offering a 16% increase in useable space while retaining the same footprint, Samsung is billing its latest French Door Refrigerator as the world's largest. Read More

Thermador electric cooktops with infrared sensor technology

By Emily Clark

19:48 April 22, 2008 PDT

April 23, 2008 Thermador's latest range includes electric cooktops with sensor technology that uses an infrared beam to continuously monitor the heat from the cookware itself and automatically maintains precise cooking temperature to help save time and effort in the kitchen. Read More

KABOOST child booster: lift junior up to your level

By Jude Garvey

19:09 March 26, 2008 PDT

KABOOST is a child booster with a difference: it raises the height of chairs so your child can sit at the table in a normal kitchen or dining room chair. It is made of heavy duty plastic but weighs just 3.5 lbs so it is easy to carry and with dimensions of 13” x 12” x 6.75” it’s compact too. KABOOST has an adjustable spring system which means it easily adjusts to fit 4-legged chairs and can be attached within seconds. The wide base ensures that the chair is very stable and the rubberized feet are non-slip and won’t scratch Mom’s floor. Read More

HDTV, digital cookbook and digital photo frame kitchen combo

By Emily Clark

17:03 March 13, 2008 PDT

March 14, 2008 As the popularity of digital photo frames grows, so does the shapes, sizes and specific applications of the products on offer. The latest example comes from Pandigital, which has taken things to a new level with a frame that incorporates HDTV and a digital cookbook for the ultimate kitchen companion. Read More

Kitchen cleaning Readybot Robot Challenge

By Emily Clark

22:22 March 2, 2008 PST

Few people rate kitchen cleaning among life’s highlights. To combat our dislike for dirty dishes, a group of veteran Silicon Valley engineers started the Readybot Robot Challenge aimed at constructing a general-purpose mobile robot capable of cleaning the kitchen. Read More

New Band expands the uses for DaysAgo timer

By Jude Garvey

19:08 February 29, 2008 PST

March 1, 2008 There’s nothing worse than finding a jar in the back of the fridge and testing the contents with your nose only to discover the contents have turned rancid or pouring milk into your morning coffee and seeing it curdle before your eyes. DaysAgo, the digital day counter which attaches to opened food containers and tells you when the contents need to go straight to the trash can, has a new accessory. “The band” is designed to be used on non-metal or odd-shaped containers, allowing you to use the timer on many more items. Read More

Tefal Quick Cup: hot tea in seconds

By Emily Clark

16:01 February 13, 2008 PST

February 14, 2008 Increasing awareness of the urgent need to address global carbon emissions is leading to changes in the way we consume energy in our day to day lives. It's a classic "every little bit helps" scenario - from turning off appliances at the power point to using the "eco" function on the washing machine - and following this philosophy, Tefal has introduced a great little energy saver known as the Quick Cup. This device offers a fantastic alternative to traditional kettles that take an average of three minutes to boil (and often heat excess water that isn't utilized) by delivering the exact amount of hot filtered water needed for a cup of tea or coffee in three seconds flat while using only a third of the energy of an ordinary kettle. Read More

Camping in style: Coleman's battery powered blender

By Emily Clark

15:11 February 10, 2008 PST

February 11, 2008 For those who love camping but can't bear to be away from their fruit smoothies, Coleman has created a battery powered blender that you can take just about anywhere. Read More

Bloom’s Fresco chair grows with your child

By Jude Garvey

23:25 January 24, 2008 PST

January 25, 2008 The European design team at Bloom has created the Bloom Fresco contemporary chair that grows with your child. With a funky egg-shape and dazzling colors such as rosy pink and bermuda blue, this chair won’t clash with your existing kitchen décor and you’ll be able to use it for years. The Bloom Fresco starts as a cradle from birth to six months, it then transforms into a high chair and finally becomes a play chair suitable for children from 36 months up to 36 kg/79 lbs. Read More

Transparent toaster concept: pounce when it's perfect

By Loz Blain

17:12 December 9, 2007 PST

December 10, 2007 No matter how sophisticated our toasters have become in the last 50 years, they still haven't managed to overcome one simple problem: how do you make sure your toast comes out exactly how you like it? The transparent toaster concept from Inventibles uses heated glass technology to let you watch your slices gradually browning over so you can pull them when they're perfect. Are we looking at the Toaster 2.0 here? Read More

Celebrating 40 years of microwave cookery

By Emily Clark

17:15 September 19, 2007 PDT

September 20, 2007 After completing a 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, 750 pound (340 kg) prototype in 1947, the Raytheon Corporation introduced the first commercial microwave oven to the world in 1954 and 13 years later Amana brought us the very first domestic bench top microwave. In the 40 years since is inception the microwave has fundamentally changed the way we live, shop and eat. Read More

Brownie baking pan has the edge

By Emily Clark

19:11 September 3, 2007 PDT

September 4, 2007 True brownie lovers who savor the edges of chocolatey treats will love this new pan from Baker’s Edge. The 9” x 12” x 2” Edge Brownie Pan was designed specifically with “edge-lovers” in mind and is promoted as the only one of its kind. Read More

PalmPeeler tackles last frontier of kitchen chores

By Noel McKeegan

22:28 August 11, 2007 PDT

August 11, 2007 Peeling vegetables has to rate right up there with taking out the garbage and cleaning the latrine as one of the least popular household duties and given the vagaries in the way vegetables grow, a cost-effective machine that does it automatically is probably still a few decades away. In the meantime there’s the PalmPeeler - a gold medal winning device at the Business Week IDEA 2007 awards that promises to reduce global misery by just a few percentage points. Read More

Americas most wanted: the self-cleaning garbage can

By Noel McKeegan

17:10 August 4, 2007 PDT

August 5, 2007 Inventors and entrepreneurs take note; a new study in the United States has revealed that Americans are craving new technology that would enable them to relinquish more of their household chores. This seem a little obvious, but the catch is finding someone to invent the laundry folding dryer or the self-cleaning garbage can to meet the growing demands on the wish list of time-poor consumers. Read More

Carbon Fiber heating technology for portable warming oven

By Mike Hanlon

May 22, 2007 This is a technology with a wide range of application beyond its most obvious function of keeping food warm. Methode Development has developed a lightweight and portable food-warming storage solution that uses its own carbon fiber heating technology to maintain a consistent temperature indefinitely. This food-warming storage product is available in a convenient size for holding catering pans, and is powered through a standard vehicle cigarette lighter plug, facilitating use in food delivery or catering situations. Standard AC/DC wall plug accessories are available for use in restaurants and in-store environments. Read More

Melitta Smart Mill & Brew – the Intelligent Coffee Pot

By Mike Hanlon

November 17, 2006 Now here’s a must have for any self-respecting, caffeine-powered technophile – a coffee maker with real-time weather forecast information and the ability to brew a cup of coffee from either whole beans or ground coffee. The US$200 Melitta Smart Mill & Brew with MSN Direct incorporates Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) and automatically detects current weather conditions, the day's forecast, probability for precipitation, and sunrise and sunset times, without the need for outdoor sensors, through MSN Direct. Read More

The combination wine cabinet and refrigerator

By Mike Hanlon

October 20, 2006 Liebherr is well known for its high quality wine cabinets and also makes a range of superb refrigerators so it was only a matter of time before someone got the bright idea for combining them. If you’re a regular wine drinker, it’s heaven sent as the wine cabinet holds 32 bottles and has two zones for storing and/or serving wine at the exact temperature desired, ranging from +41°F (+5°C) to +64°F (+18°C). In all, the SBS 24I5 unit has five different climate zones and ensures everything is kept as it should be. As such, we figure it qualifies as a new and innovative appliance that allows you to store all food and drink under perfect conditions. Read More

Daysago – for tracking how long a jar has been open

By Mike Hanlon

October 19, 2006 When something makes the pages of i4u, Kitchen Contraptions, Gizmodo and Shiny Shiny in the same fortnight, it’s obviously got something going for it – and it has. It’s a small timer which keeps track of how long a jar has been open so you know when to throw it in the trash without having to stick your nose into an olfactory minefield. DaysAgo counters have a simple LCD display and can attach with either a magnet or suction cup and although it’s a ripper device, we can’t help but feel that at US$12, it’s a bit exey to be used in a large household – doing a rough count of open jars in our household, we’d need US$250 worth of daysagos. Read More

The kitchen timer/clock for serious multi-taskers

By Mike Hanlon

October 12, 2006 Like it or not, no matter how much you try to avoid it, there are some things that run to a very strict schedule. It might be the personal trainer every Tuesday morning at 6am when on all other days you can sleep to 7.30am, or it might be that the exquisite meal you wish to prepare needs military precision in coinciding the readiness of the hollandaise sauce with the Chateaubriand. American Innovative is a company which specialises in creating “products that make sense” – interestingly it’s key successes so far have been related to solving timing issues. The company's first offering, the Neverlate 7-day Alarm Clock is a bedside clock radio designed with a variable schedule in mind and the company’s latest product is a kitchen timer for the serious home chef, the avid entertainer and the modern multi-tasker. The Chef's Quad-Timer provides four countdown timers with indicators arranged to look like a 4-burner cooktop -- what's on the stove and what's being timed are intuitively linked - green lamps indicate which burners are still cooking, red lamps are done. Though both products are available in some countries other than the U.S., the company is seeking international distributors. Read More

Microwave In-A-Drawer enables new possibilities in Kitchen Design

By Mike Hanlon

September 26, 2007 The Millennia 30” Microwave In-A-Drawer promises to remove the design limitations that have forced the conspicuous placement of the microwave oven in the kitchen. It’s unconventional configuration allows for installation almost anywhere in the kitchen yet be easily accessible and unobtrusive. As it can be installed at waist height or lower, it is perfect for under-the-counter installations, in islands and open-plan kitchens. It’s a similar concept as the Liftmatic space-saving oven with an elevator and the door on the bottom, though it solves different problems. Read More