Category: Novelty

KitchenArt Hot Dogger makes hot dogs your own

kitchenart_hot_dogger

A hot dog by any other name would taste just as sweet savory. Unless of course, that hot dog wasn’t a hot dog at all. While there may be many varieties of tube-steak deliciousness out there, it never hurts to improve upon perfection. Or rather, it never hurts to make hot dogs your own. If that means making hot dogs out of ground beef or what have you, than so be it.

The hot dog is a personal journey of discovery, and who am I to say what type of dog anybody should eat? (Except don’t use ketchup, please.) Whatever you choose to make your hot dog into, you’re gonna need a mold like this KitchenArt Hot Dogger to form it into place.

Creme brulee branding iron

Crème brûlée branding iron at Savoy, NYC. Photo by Melissa Hom.

For a new take (done in old way) on creme brulee check out what Savoy is doing in NYC. Instead of using a butane torch to brown the top of the custard, they opt to use a branding iron. While you probably won’t find a Creme Brulee Branding Iron any time soon in your local kitchen gadget emporium, consider that a good excuse to visit the restaurant next time you find yourself in the Big Apple.

LED Placemats can’t hold a candle to… well, a candle

Sylvania LED Placemat

Oh, the lowly placemat. It sits underneath our plates, garnering none of the attention reserved for the attention hog that is our dinner plate. (Even more so if actual hog is involved). Whatever pork dish you may prefer, it will have to share in the limelight if you are using these LED Placemats from Sylvania.

Operating on a button cell and offering up to 20 hours of battery life, the placemats twinkle and shine, gently illuminating your meal. As romantic as glimmering novelty placemats may be, I don’t think candle makers have anything to worry about quite yet.

(Via Oh Gizmo)

Retrosink: Pac-Man drinking glasses

Pac-Man Drinking Glasses

Here’s a blast from the past: Pac-Man Drinking Glasses. You may not be able to pick these up new anymore, but they’re still around. I stumbled across this recent eBay auction and thought they deserved a mention. Plus they look so damn cool. These fine glasses are meant only for the discerning consumer, of course. The set of eight went for $23.00. Click on the source for other great Pac-Man goodies.

(Via Jennie Says Relax)

The inventor of the personal microwave is… Heinz?

Heinz Beanzawave

There are portable microwaves already on the market, but those suck up a lot of juice. Since these contraptions require a lot of power, you see them designed for cars, boats and the like. The Beanzawave changes all that and brings microwaveability to the desktop, powered only by a USB connection.

The mini-mic is only a prototype for now, but apparently Heinz and partners claim the technology is ready. Heinz says they will usher in production dependent on consumer feedback. C’mon, who wouldn’t want a low-powered microwave (that works)? Adapting it for battery use (also in the plans) would unleash the microwave and bring true portability to the market. I’ll believe it when I see it. Chances are it will turn out to be a glorified Easy Bake Oven.

***UPDATE 7/2/15***
Try this one on for size.
RoadPro Electric Lunch Box Oven
Not a microwave, but highly rated and most importantly, real!

No more boring round pancakes

Garden Creatures Pancake Molds

Pancakes are more fun when they are not round. Something that lives inside each and every one of use inspires us to manipulate pancake batter as often as we can. Perhaps it is because the pancake is so round that we are urged to improve upon it. After all, it pretty much is a round blank canvas, and maple syrup only goes so far.

If you’re not the Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity type, then perhaps you can indulge your pancake-manipulating fantasies with the Garden Creatures Pancake Molds. A set of three, including a snail, a butterfly and a ladybug, the nonstick cookware makes transforming your breakfast into an easy affair. Just pour in the batter and after it sets remove the mold. The result is a metamorphasized breakfast meal and a deep inner satisfaction that no boring ol’ round pancake is safe around you.