Toys | Beyond The Kitchen Sink

The inventor of the personal microwave is… Heinz?

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!

Ultra-hyper-mega-cute animal drinking mugs

Upside Down Animal Mugs from DÃ©cole Japan

They look like little ultra-cute pieces of chotcke sitting on a shelf into you turn them over, and then you see these pieces from Japan’s Decole are actually drinking mugs. The Upside Down Animal Mug collection measures about 4 inches tall each (upside down or not) and come in three hyper-cute versions: cat, panda and piglet. These mega-cute little drinkers will set you back $20 each. Too much cute? Yeah, maybe.

***UPDATE 9/29/13*** Looks like things got a bit topsy-turvy at the link above; they are sold out. However, here is a link to the upside down panda mug: Decole Animal Face Mug – Panda. Hyper-mega-super-cute lives on!

Pig Mitt now, therapy later

As a promotional tie-in to the new movie, the SciFi Channel recently ran a Land of The Lost marathon. Deeply rooted memories of Sleestaks and Pakuni bubbled up as I tuned in to watch, but amid all the cheesy sets and bad acting one character emerged that I did not remember: the spray-painted pig.

Apparently the mortal enemy of Chaka and the rest of the Paku, the pig was adorned with bright blue and pink circles. I can see how that may be frightening, but nothing compared to this Pig Mitt from Boston Warehouse I ran across today. Perhaps it’s due to revived Sleestak nightmares, but I’m pretty sure the teeth alone will frighten any small child. Star this oven mitt in a stop-action animation, and you got yourself not only a needed kitchen accessory, but a hit TV show as well. In the early 70’s, that is.

Pasta Pasta Play-Doh Pasta (but better tasting)

Itâ€™s no secret that cooking can be fun, but when it comes to making pasta, the Pasta Pasta Maker from Takara Tomy takes fun to a whole new level. Reminiscent of the Play-Doh Fun Factory (as is this), the machine uses a set of stamps and molds for creating eight different types of Italian pasta. This pasta-making machine may come to us from Japan, and the manual is in Japanese, but considering all the practice you probably put into making inedible Play-Doh patties and the such, I think you will be able to figure it out.

(Via Random Good Stuff)

Let the stomach (plush) do the talking

You are what you eat, right? In that spirit, it seems only natural to show off these Plush Guts from I Heart Guts. Over a dozen varieties are available, but the one close to my heart has to be the Stomach Plush. (Of course, in the strictest sense, I would have to purchase the Heart Plush too for this to be accurate, but the sentiment is there.)

Continue reading Let the stomach (plush) do the talking

Home version of Iron Chef Mario Batali made of tin

Food Flippin' Mario Batali Tin Wind-up Toy

Mario Batali is a big man, both in stature and profession. As such, he would probably be difficult to get to visit your home kitchen to help prepare the family meal. Luckily, a home version of Mario Batali is now available, in the form of a Food Flippin’ Mario Batali Tin Wind-up Toy.

As the patron saint of your kitchen, this pint-sized Mario (5.25-inches tall), will stand guard over your pasta preparation. Handsomely crafted in tin, the wind-up toy lets loose by flipping its own pan of spaghetti and meatballs. Depending on how you interpret the expression on his face, he could either be passionately awaiting your completed meal, or admonishing you for mispronouncing spaghetti. (Which, of course, he should do.) Either way, this Iron Chef could be yours for $9.95.