"gadgets" news and stories

This could be dangerous.

Most people of legal drinking age have at some point mastered the necessary spatial relation between wine and standard glass to allow themselves an enjoyable portion while not getting totally sloppy after one initial serving. Riedel's new suite of machine-blown TriO red and white wine tumblers blows that all to hell. Their groundbreaking sans-stem O Tumbler takes a cue from the Champagne and beer end of the product line to reunite with a beehived, hollow base that's ridiculously pleasing the hand, and ever so easy to over-fill.

F'rinstance, the (very) generous pour in the dime-a-dozen IKEA glass on the right is the same quantity as seen in the TriO on the left. I tend to be a glass-oughta-be-full kind of girl, and found myself having to quite consciously refrain from serving right on up to the usual mark. There are worse problems to have, and these glasses are possessed of none of them. As mentioned before, the grooved stem is a treat to hold, the design quite visually appealing, and, joy of joys, they're dishwasher-friendly.

At $30 for a three-pack, they're not quite IKEA cheap, but they're hardly a $106 Sommelier's Grüner Veltliner Glass, either. The wine, by the way, is a $10.99 2004 Kanonkop Kadette from South Africa's Stellenbosch region and if you can't find it in a store near you, it's prolly because I went in and bought all of it. Sorry.

My daughter is addicted to Dirty Jobs, a Discovery Channel show in which the host tries out the filthiest, nastiest jobs in the country. Watching him work his way through a septic system or clean gum off a sidewalk, it's hard to imagine worse tasks than the ones that he regularly undertakes. However, in a recent move, Japan and Kit Kat seem to have figured out an innovative new way to lower the bar on horrifyingly bad employment.

Kit Kat's new Human Vending Machines combine the best elements of convenience foods, automatic vending, and slavery in one brutally delicious, schadenfreude-laden package. Basically a snack machine with a human being trapped inside, the machines put a personal face on candy vending transactions. Users put in their money, make their choice, and ask the man inside to send out the chocolate. The vendor, in turn, smiles at the customer, grabs the candy, and drops it into a slot.

There is no word yet on whether, underneath their smiles, the anonymous vendors are dying inside, asking themselves what series of bad choices led them to become nameless cogs in a snack-distribution empire. Similarly, one has to wonder if any of the vendors has found himself on a weekend-long alcoholic bender after selling a candy bar to his former prom date, a slickly-attired professional who pretended that she didn't recognize him.

Perhaps I'm projecting.

Slowly but surely, home cooks are coming 'round to the idea that many one-hit wonders of the gadget world just aren't worth the purchase. Heck, there are even some two-purpose gadgets that we could really do without. One such gadget would be a dried spaghetti measuring device. You know, something to tell you just how many noodles are needed for the amount of mouths you have to feed.

But what if it is not only pretty, but also offers another truly handy alternative that makes it a benefit to your kitchen?

The Noooodle, seen above, might be overrun with O's, but it's also a funky trivet that doubles as a spaghetti measuring device. What I particularly like about this is that it also looks quite nice -- the perfect trivet to use when you have company, and heck, it would even look nice hanging on the wall.

[via The Kitchn]

I have a plan to can, freeze and otherwise preserve a whole lot of food next summer and fall. I realize that there's still some time to go until I'm ready to start stewing, chopping, pickling and jamming, but I've already started to think in terms of equipment. I've got my eye on a couple of different models of pressure canners and I've been stockpiling jars (much to my fiance's chagrin).

I have a goal to can 35-40 quarts of tomatoes and as I ponder the logistics of such an undertaking, I start to consider different helpers. I already have a food mill, which will be helpful when it comes to sauce. However it can be slow going and so when I spotted this European Tomato Press, I began to wonder if it wouldn't be a helpful gadget to possess. I don't want to plunk 35 bucks for something that will just end up on the Goodwill pile, so I'm turning to you guys, the helpful and informed Slashfood readers.

Do any of you have experience with this tool? Do you love it or hate it? Also, if you're the type who does a lot of canning each summer and fall, do you have any particularly helpful tips that you've learned over the years (I've canned lots of jams and butters over the years, but nothing else)?

Source

Really -- when the heck else are you going to give yourself permission to invest in an igloo cake pan and festive sugar snow for yourself or your favorite cook or eater? I've got my eye on the Dorset cocktail shaker, Shun Ken Onion boning knife and a new mandoline. Dare to dream.

Williams-Sonoma:
Friends and Family Event
Saturday December 20th through Wednesday December 24th Williams-Sonoma is having a Friends and Family Event at retail stores only. We will offer 20% off all merchandise in the store. See stores for details and visit www.williams-sonoma.com to find a location near you.

Pottery Barn:
Spend $100 and get $20 back
Friday, December 19th through Sunday, December 21st spend $100 at a Pottery Barn store and get a $20 gift card that can be used from 12/26/2008 – 01/31/2009. See store for details and visit www.potterybarn.com to find a location near you.

Know of a super kitchen-centric holiday sale? Share it in the comments below.