Drinkware | Beyond The Kitchen Sink

Stealthy prepping with Euro-Pro Ninja Master Prep

Little known fact: (European) ninjas love margaritas served with salsa. So much in fact that we now have the Euro-Pro Ninja Master Prep to contend with. Far from being an adversary unworthy of our attention, the combination appliance mimics a food processor and a blender. Using an interchangeable motor head to supply the power, the â€œMaster Podâ€ can be switched on the fly from the 48-ounce pitcher to the 2-cup processor and back again all without spilling a drop.

Using â€œNinja Blade technologyâ€, perfect drinks are created with one-touch pulsing action, while the processor minces, dices, chops, blends and purees with â€œno soggy resultsâ€. Sneaking in another batch of margaritas while prepping the rest of the meal never sounded so dangerous.

Mind the tea: Steeping in Zen

Zen Buddhism teaches us to be mindful. Certainly, part of the lesson of mindfulness is learning to not tromp around like a bull in a china shop. Clearly, when using this particular teapot, that lesson must be observed.

Delicate in nature, this Bonjour Zen Glass Teapot with Glass Infuser makes for an elegant display of tea service. The integrated infuser steeps loose-leaf tea, while the included wooden stand prevents stains by raising the teapot off of the table. Tea, as is life, is fleeting. Enjoy it while it lasts, or breaksâ€”whatever the case may be.

On with the gifts, off to the wine

Wine lovers are perhaps the easiest people to buy gifts for. You can always buy them a bottle of wine and be done with it. Or, you can delve into the deep, deep world of wine accessories. From decanters to bottle stoppers, gadgets exist at every price and interest level. For an impressive gift, decanters are the way to go, and since they come in so many shapes and varieties, they offer a good opportunity to add a little personal flair.

The Metrokane Rabbit Super-Aerating Decanter System is a unique decanter that combines form and function. Deceivingly simply in presentation, the decanter features a wine-spray funnel that directs wine to the glass walls, creating a shimmering wine waterfall. Designed to aerate as the wine descends, the tiny droplets pick up oxygen as they spray down the sides. Additionally, a fine mesh screen in the funnel filters out sediment, which further makes the wine immediately ready to enjoy. The best part is, that with ready-to-drink wine on the table, itâ€™s easy to get past the gift giving and on to the celebrating.

Play with your food (tray)

Feeding your child with the tried and true â€˜airplaneâ€™ method is all fine and good (it is tried and true for a reason), but for serious food fun it may be time to think of a more grounded approach. The Child Puzzle Tray by Wendy Boudewijns for Royalvkb practically guarantees your kid will be distracted at feeding time. Considering children and how they generally feel about their veggies, thatâ€™s probably a good thing. Plus, it all just fits together so nicely when done. Available at Unica for $66; no ‘vroom’ sounds included or needed.

Painting with wine

It’s not an artist’s palette, but after using this you can pretend you are one. Developed by a restaurant in Japan, the Stemglass Tray allows for easy carrying of up to seven wine glasses at a time. Complete with thumbhole for easy steadying, the wine tray encourages responsible drinking; it looks as if one gets too tipsy the whole thing comes crashing down.

Of course, this is designed for restaurant use, so there should be no problem with the waiters drinking on the job, since they’re all starving artists anyways. I’m sure they’re getting their drink on when attacking the canvas after work. Oh wait, waiters are often struggling actors, right? We might have a problem then.

(Boing Boing via TokyoMango)

Have your cereal and drink it too

Itâ€™s not uncommon to want your cake and eat it too. For some, this translates to wanting cereal and having it crunchy too. OK, well maybe thatâ€™s a stretch, but the spirit of the statement still stands. After all, itâ€™s simply a matter of wanting a nice bowl of crispy cereal swimming in milk. Even if you have to drink it out of a travel mug.

The Fresh Traveller by Arian Brekveld for Royalvkb makes it possible to enjoy crispy cereal and granola with milk, yogurt or whatever you may prefer. (Does anything crispy or crunchy work in orange juice?) Whatever your pleasure, you can now take it with you to enjoy classic combinations whenever, wherever. Of course with a price tag of $49, you may just be better off buying your box of Cap’n Crunch and pint of milk from the corner store.